Written by Gabriel Clark-Brown, Chairperson FORM
See SANParks Rebuilding the Rhodes Memorial Restaurant Press release below
The surprising news of SANParks finally appointing a heritage architecture firm to rebuild the Rhodes Memorial Restaurant has been received with elated tears of joy and relief after Friends of Rhodes Memorial (FORM) pushing SANParks for just under 3 frustrating years following SANParks lack of transparency, willpower to rebuild, and who’s contractors have left the mountain slopes an embarrassing mess, over cutting hundreds of trees and were growing potholes and neglect abound.
In this time The Friends are grateful to SANParks for granting us a Food Truck tender that we pay for via donations and sales of food – in order for us to provide visitors with refreshments, water and a portable loo.
We really applaud the choice of reliable heritage architects that have been chosen to build back the Restaurant with the same facade but with better rooms designed for better kitchen and restaurant use. In addition to this we would really encourage that the Memorial gardens be laid out according to its original Herbert Baker design of trees – that would take our generation to plan for tomorrows generation of enjoyment.
I would like to thank our Friends volunteers, especially Peter Hammond and the many hard working people who take on and inspire SANParks to fore fill their mandate. Ultimately the running of the mountain and its heritage- I believe should be given the Western Cape Government, sometime local Boots on the mountain work better than the current hard working but remote SANPark decision makers in Pretoria.
I am constantly happily surprised every day at the number and diversity of cultural, social, religious, sporting groups who visit the Memorial, its a place of great African peace, healing and inspiration – itโs a space that unites us together, Says Gabriel Clark-Brown
See SANParks Press Release on their Facebook Profile here
For further inquiries or donations of your time for new exciting projects please go to our website www.friendsofrhodesmemorial.co.za or email Gabriel at rhodescottage@gmail.com