THE future of the hand-drawn pontoon, also known as the pont, at Malgas on the Breede River is in doubt.
More than a century ago, the pontoon was installed to transport people, animals and goods across the river.
It is now part of the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works fleet.
According to the Visit Swellendam website, the pontoon is “something out of a storybook”.
“Before roads made travel from Cape Town easy, Malgas was an inland port for steamboats transporting provisions to the Swellendam area. The Breede River is navigable for around 50km inland to Malgas. That is why this was once an important trading port that served the whole area. When Malgas fell into disuse as a port, the authorities decided there wasn’t sufficient traffic to justify the building of a bridge,” the site reads.
But the pontoon remained and the service is still operational.
The department wants it to be upgraded and Swellendam mayor, Nicholas Myburgh, was baffled why there hadn’t been a proper public consultation process or a safety report.
Myburgh said the provincial government has reportedly set aside as much as R2 million to motorise the pontoon, which would threaten the popularity of the tourist attraction.
Myburgh has started an online petition “Save Historic Malgas ferry (pont)”, which has amassed more than 16 000 signatures.
A supporter wrote: “(The pont is) an historical tourist icon, the hand or cable pulled pont is the only reason for anyone visiting Malgas... to replace it would be commercially disastrous.”
In a statement, the department confirmed “after careful consideration, the department has decided not to build a permanent bridge structure but to replace the current pont with a larger, motorised pont capable of safely transporting people, vehicles, equipment and goods from one side of the Breede River to the other”.
The provincial government said the sentimental value of the hand-drawn pontoon has been considered, but safety was the crux of the matter.
“While the department acknowledges that the old craft may carry sentimental value to some, the safety of the users, and especially the operators/staff remains our top priority. No decisions have been taken as to what will be done with the old craft after its removal from the river.”
The timelines for the completion and installation of a new motorised pontoon has not been confirmed.