By Steven Lang
Artistically designed acrylic buttons have been found topping off a number of potholes in several Makhanda streets. These individually crafted buttons measure about 10cm across and serve two useful purposes.
The first one is to brighten up one of drabbest facets of our town with some creative artwork and complement the 50th edition of the National Arts Festival. The see-through acrylic encloses either decorative pieces of cloth, colourful bottle tops or other elements creating an interesting badge to complete the pothole filling.
Some of the buttons were intentionally used to fill potholes close to Festival venues just outside the PJ Olivier School, Amazwi Museum and the Rhodes Drama Department as well as one outside the iconic St Michael and St George Cathedral.
The second purpose of these buttons is more utilitarian as they fill a few of the many, many potholes in our town.
No one knows who is creating the ornamental buttons, but it is believed that this person, or persons, uses concrete purchased at one of the local hardware stores and then uses it to fill a pothole. Just to make it more interesting, an acrylic button is then used to put a smile on the setting concrete plug.
