Table Mountain National Park: South African National Parks to commence with the restoration of the Rhodes Memorial Tea Room!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has confirmed that it will commence with the restoration of the Rhodes Memorial Estate in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) in Cape Town. The Estate was closed in April 2021 due to the devastating fire which took place in and around Table Mountain National Park and the neighbourhoods of Newlands, Rosebank, Mowbray and Rondebosch. The fire destroyed more than 650 hectares of land. The damage to sites in the Table Mountain area included the Rhodes Memorial, including the Tea Room, the Mostert's Mill, a historic windmill as well as the upper campus of the University of Cape Town (UCT), where the Special Collections library was gutted by the fire.
According to Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), Park Manager, Megan Taplin, the announcement of the restauration of the Rhodes Memorial Tea Room follows a rigorous process for an appointment of a suitable architectural service provider with a deep knowledge of heritage building structures. The appointed companies scope of work includes the drawing of plans for the Tea Room and associated ablutions, and to consult with Heritage Western Cape for compliance measures. Once the restoration work is completed, a Request for Proposals (RFP) will be advertised for an operator for the tearoom and associated activities. We'll keep you posted!

The Rhodes Memorial is a monument on the lower slopes of Devil's Peak in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) in Cape Town. The massive granite staircase memorializes diamond mogul and British imperialist Cecil Rhodes. The Tea Room is located behind the Memorial.

Cape Town: Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial vandalised! [update]

update (30 September 2020): The beheaded statue of Cecil John Rhodes at Rhodes Memorial  in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has been repaired and fortified by Friends of Rhodes Memorial (FORM) on 23 September 2020. According to FORM, the head was found 50 meters away from the torso in low scrub three days after it had been cut off.
FORM has 3D scanned the head the all sculptures at Rhodes Memorial and full size replicas have been made as a replacement to counter any damage. Friends of Rhodes Memorial also filled industrial cement and iron into the statue and installed a GPS tracker and and other electronic alarm systems.

South African National Parks (SANParks) has confirmed that the bust of Cecil John Rhodes at the Rhodes Memorial on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has been damaged. According to SANParks' Acting Head of Communications, Rey Thakhuli, "the head of the statue was cut from the bust with what seems to be an angle grinder somewhere between Sunday night (12 July 2020) or the early hours of Monday morning (13 July 2020)."  Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) rangers discovered the vandalised bust while patrolling the area around Rhodes Memorial on 13 July 2020. A case of vandalism has been opened with the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation. Police said that the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated and no one had been arrested yet.

@SANParks confirms vandalism at Rhodes Memorial

South African National Parks (SANParks) can confirm that the bust of the 19th century colonialist Cecil John Rhodes at Rhodes Memorial has been vandalised.

Photo Credit: @Reuters pic.twitter.com/StVbfbMwhj

— SANParks TMNP (@TableMountainNP) July 15, 2020

The Rhodes Memorial is a memorial to English-born, South African politician Cecil John Rhodes (1853–1902). It is located on the northern flank of Table Mountain, at the base of Devil's Peak in in Cape Town's Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). Completed and dedicated in 1912, the Memorial consists of 49 massive granite steps, flanked by bronze lions, and a rider astride a bronze horse at the beginning of the steps which leads to the top where the bust is situated, with an inscription beneath.