Portsmouth will try to create sister city link with Cape Town in South Africa

Councillor Chris Attwell agreed on Friday that the council's leader, Gerald Vernon-Jackson, and Lord Mayor, Hugh Mason, should write to the mayor of Cape Town requesting either a twinning or sister city arrangement.

He said he hoped shared maritime history and the benefits of closer economic and cultural relations would make Portsmouth the first UK city it chooses to have such a link with.

Discussions have already been held between the city council and the British high commissioner to South Africa Antony Phillipson in a bid to secure his support.

However, no contact has yet been made between leaders of the two cities with councillors' permission required.

The idea is the brainchild of the lady mayoress of Portsmouth, Marie Costa, who said it would be a 'profitable' relationship for both cities and reflect 'hundreds of years of history'.

She highlighted the centuries of maritime history the two cities have, including Africans serving on the Mary Rose and HMS Victory and the sinking of the SS Mendi off the Isle of Wight while transporting more than 800 South African soldiers during the First World War.

Of the 14 bodies recovered from the wreck and buried in the UK, nine are in Milton Cemetery which now hosts an annual commemoration of the tragedy.

Ms Costa, who was born in Nigeria before moving to the UK in 1957, said the lack of any partnership with an African city, despite having formal links with 13 other towns and cities needed to be changed.

'Cape Town is prosperous town with a world-class university which would bode well with own university in the exchange of technological and educational ideas,' the founder of the Portsmouth African Women’s Forum said. 'Being a trading port, it would be good to have that relationship where we can exchange business and cultural links.'

According to data from the 2021 census, 0.4 per cent of the population of Portsmouth - 748 people - was born in South Africa - the 11th most common non-UK country of birth, compared to being the 10th most common nationally.

The move has been backed by former Lord Mayor and Conservative opposition spokesman for communities councillor Lee Mason who said he had looked into the possibility several years ago when he was in the cabinet.

'This is excellent,' he said. 'It's a new opportunity for us to have a link with an African city, something that many of our twin cities have already had for a long time, so we are behind the trend there.'

He said there were many former dockyard workers in Portsmouth with 'fond memories' of working stints in Cape Town.

Cape Town's famous Victoria and Alfred Waterfront development was also the inspiration for the design of Gunwharf Quays.

Last week Cllr Vernon-Jackson said there were ‘many similarities’ between the two cities and that a partnership was a ‘logical’ step to take.

‘Cape Town has South Africa’s largest naval base, a major port and shares many of those traditions we have here,’ he said. ‘In Portsmouth we have a port which is expanding and can handle extra trade – this would be a great benefit for both of us.’

He said recent technological advances had made it much cheaper to create and maintain ties. ‘You don’t have to send the lord mayor there any more, you can do everything on Zoom,’ he added.