After a terrible fire burned approximately 650 hectares of land, work has started on the Rhodes Memorial renovation at TNMP Table Mountain National Park.
According to SANParks, the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) collaborated with an approved service provider to examine the burnt area and found 280 charred trees near Rhodes Memorial that needed to be chopped down.
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Rhodes Memorial renovation at TNMP
Logging activities in the region began on August 16 and are expected to be finished by the end of November 2021, weather allowing. The contractor has so far felled 434 trees, including those at Devil’s Peak and the Game Camp Area.
Mr Frans van Rooyen, TMNP Park Manager, stated that the park has provided users with a partial reopening of the region. This would allow hikers, runners, cyclists, and others to access through the main entrance turnstile.
Vehicle entry is not permitted at this time due to ongoing felling activities. He went on to advise people to use caution when partaking in activities in the region.
Insurers also hired a Heritage Architect to monitor the repairs, as well as contractors to clean the damaged section and secure other portions of the structure.
However, SANParks reports that discussions with the Department of Public Works, the land’s caretakers, have caused a delay in the Tea Room’s prospective repair. Because the Tea Room is also a Heritage Site, Heritage Western Cape must approve any discussions and decisions touching the structure.
If the Park agrees to restore the restaurant, Heritage Western Cape must follow these recommendations.
The infrastructure for water, power, and sewage systems was seriously damaged by the fire and will need to be restored.
The insurers are now conducting studies and choosing service providers to begin the Rhodes Memorial renovation at TNMP project. Through frequent communication, TMNP will keep the public up to date on all developments.
