By Pinky Amahlaya, Heritage Correspondent

Community in uproar as new precinct operators announce the Pink Church will be changing colour: It has come to light that the newly appointed developers behind the famous Kokstad landmark, The Pink Church, intend changing the colour of the building.
For as long as anyone can remember, the “little Pink Church” has been a feature of the Kokstad landscape. Situated right on the N2 at the Kargs Post junction, it has become a well-known district landmark, featured in countless paintings, photographs and books over the decades.
It has now emerged that MGB Ventures (Pty) Ltd, the appointed developer of the planned conversion of the site into a farm stall precinct, is planning to change the colour of the building as part of a broader revamp and “modernisation” of the site.
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for the developers told this reporter: “We have considered the colour in some detail, even going so far as to appoint a design expert to guide us. The expert came back with three options. First, a slate grey — described as having a very modern feel, in line with development trends that favour soulless tones. Second, and currently the favourite, Winter Veld, a colour specially developed to reflect the winter grass tones of East Griqualand. And third, Smoked Oyster, which works surprisingly well on paper, though it did raise some concerns that it could upset people with seafood allergies.”
The Kokstad Advertiser reached out to several locals to gauge their reaction.
“How are we going to give guests directions now? It’s going to result in visitors getting lost and driving around in circles.” — Cindy Raw, local resident
“It’s ridiculous,” said Cindy Raw, a local resident. “We have used The Pink Church as a landmark when giving directions since forever. How are we going to give people directions now? It’s going to result in visitors getting lost and driving all over the district.”
The development itself, which aims to transform the site into a phased farm stall, café and artisanal retail destination, appears to be well on track. Building plans seen by this correspondent show a well-considered project — including a farm stall, coffee shop, events area and artisanal retail section. The new colour, however, appears to be ruffling some local feathers.
ARTISTS IN CRISIS: ‘YEARS OF WORK, RUINED’
Local artist Helen Treweek was unable to hide her frustration when approached for comment. “You honestly couldn’t make this up. You cannot simply change the colour of a building that artists have been painting for generations,” she told this correspondent. “What’s going to happen to all those paintings and photographs of The Pink Church that have been sold over the years? They’ll become historically inaccurate overnight. I’m worried that some people might even ask for refunds.”
She is not alone. The Pink Church has long been a favourite subject of artists and photographers visiting the region, appearing in oils, watercolours, pastels and books over the decades — helping, in no small way, to put Kokstad on the map. This naturally raises the question of whether such a drastic change of colour could ultimately result in Kokstad being removed from the map again.
NAME CHANGE TALKS AND THE HERITAGE AUTHORITY WEIGHS IN
When approached for clarity, MGB Ventures issued a carefully worded statement on Tuesday confirming that while the new exterior colour has already been decided, the new name is still being debated. Two of the leading suggestions are understood to be “The Grey Chapel” and “The Church Formally Known as Pink.”
When it was suggested that the colour change could alienate locals, the spokesperson was untroubled. “We feel it’s about time Kokstad residents got with the programme,” they said. “When was the last truly exciting thing that happened in Kokstad? We believe a fresh new colour could be the catalyst that finally drags Kokstad into the 21st century. Pink is SO 1920s.”
When AMAFA, the local heritage authority, were approached for comment, they responded that they were not aware of anything, but would try “applying their minds” to the matter. This was expected to take some time.
THE ADVERTISER POLL: KOKSTAD HAS SPOKEN
In the interest of public service journalism, The Kokstad Advertiser ran an online poll this week asking readers to vote on their preferred colour for the new precinct. The results, received by Tuesday afternoon, were illuminating. Keep it Pink: 68%. Slate Grey: 23%. Smoked Oyster: 9%.
It should be noted that the poll was shared extensively on the ‘Kargs Post Community’ WhatsApp group — a fact the developer’s spokesperson dismissed as “a futile campaign organised by people with too much time on their hands.”
Opening of the first phase of the precinct is anticipated soon, at which point the public are invited to judge the new paint colour for themselves.