Whatshot
Barracks Plaque Unveiled On Freedom Day
Barracks Plaque Unveiled On Freedom Day
It has been over fifty years since the community of Magazine Barracks was uprooted from the Durban beachfront under the apartheid Group Areas Act.
The majority were moved to Chatsworth with others settling in Asherville and later on the North and South coasts. On Freedom Day, a group of its old residents and their descendants gathered at the Depot Road Memorial Primary School to unveil a plaque to honour the milestone anniversary and remember their community.
A school of the same name was rebuilt in Bayview in Chatsworth and marks fifty years of its founding this year. The plaque was prepared by the Magazine Barracks Remembrance Association (MBRA). "Many of us attended Depot Road School and feel a deep love for it so it was natural that we should come here to keep memory alive," said MBRA public relations officer, Jay Pillay.
School principal, Yogs Moodley and the governing body have willingly opened the doors of the school to the community. "The history of this community must be cherished and carried down the generations," added Moodley. His sentiments were echoed by MBRA chairperson Bobby Chetty who said that they were looking forward to partnering with the school to host various community events.
A Heritage Day programme on 24 September 2019 will serve as a reunion for the barracks's old residents and their families. People interested in attending or offering programmes can contact the organising committee through Kiru Naidoo on 082 940 8163.