News24 | Restoration of Rhodes Memorial Tea Room to go ahead more than two years after fire

What's left of the Rhodes Memorial Tea Room. Restoration work is expected to begin imminently.

• The restoration of the Rhodes Memorial Tea Room is set to begin.
• The historic building was gutted in a fire in April 2021, which spread to the University of Cape Town.
• Table Mountain National Parks confirmed that a contractor was appointed.

The historic restaurant situated at Rhodes Memorial on the slopes of Cape Town's Devil's Peak will be refurbished two and a half years after a runaway wildfire gutted the building.

Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has confirmed the planned restoration of the Rhodes Memorial Tea Room.

TMNP Park manager Megan Taplin said the restoration comes after a rigorous process was followed to appoint an architectural service provider that has a deep knowledge of heritage building structures.

She said:

"The appointed company's scope of work includes the drawing of plans for the tearoom and associated ablution [facilities] and to consult with Heritage Western Cape for compliance measures."

Taplin said if the extent of damage caused by the April 2021 fire and the work that needs to be done necessitated additional funding, which has been secured from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) along with insurance funds.

READ | Africa's history consumed by fire

Once this restoration work is completed, a request for proposals will be advertised for an operator for the tearoom, said Taplin.

The heritage building was among several damaged when a fire swept down the mountain from Rhodes Memorial to UCT.

It gutted the Jagger Library and damaged Mostert's Mill, Cadboll House and La Grotta.

The blaze was only contained after three days of firefighting. At least two firefighters were seriously injured.

A homeless man was initially arrested and charged with arson and treason but the case was withdrawn.

The fire destroyed 600 acres of land.