Cape Town's City Hall clock: claims of silence after refurbishment slammed
The iconic City Hall Clock
Image: Tracy-Lynn Ruiters
The City of Cape Town has denied claims that the City Hall clock stopped chiming for more than two weeks, following reports from witnesses who say the landmark timepiece fell silent again less than a year after its R500,000 refurbishment.
The clock, relaunched with fanfare by Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Mayoral Committee Member James Vos, had marked its return as a symbol of civic pride and heritage preservation after standing silent for over a decade.
For the first time in 15 years, its distinctive chimes once again echoed across the Grand Parade restoring what City officials described at the time as part of Cape Town’s “ambient soundtrack” and a reminder of the city’s historical legacy.
Originally installed in 1905 by the same clockmakers behind London’s Big Ben, the City Hall clock underwent months of restoration led by horologist Rudy Conradi and his team, who stripped down and rebuilt the ageing mechanism using updated technical plans.
At the time, Hill-Lewis framed the restoration as symbolic of a broader commitment to preserving the city’s assets and building civic pride.
However, recent claims that the clock had once again stopped working for an extended period have drawn scrutiny, particularly given the significant cost of the refurbishment.
In response to media enquiries, the City’s Economic Growth Directorate rejected these claims, stating that the clock remains fully functional.
“The City Hall clock is in excellent working order. This heritage clock requires manual winding every 2.5 days and briefly stopped towards the end of the Easter Weekend, before being re-wound immediately on Tuesday, 7 April 2026,” the Directorate said.
It added that contingency measures are being explored to prevent similar interruptions in future, particularly during long weekends or periods when manual winding may be delayed.
Notably, a day after the Weekend Argus sent an enquiry regarding the clock not chiming, the City indicated that the clock had been rewound within hours of receiving the enquiry.
While the City maintains that the clock is in “excellent working order,” the discrepancy between official statements and public observations is likely to keep the issue ticking in the public eye.