GOD’S CAVEMAN
Dazzling oasis in the Wilderness
● A Christian mystic who believes that God led him to a secluded Garden Route cave has inadvertently become an international tourist attraction.
The man who gives his name only Clerfayt — or Cliffie to his friends — never expected visitors at his unusual home in the mountainside above the Kaaiman’s River mouth, near Wilderness. But 12 years on, having survived several attempted evictions, the celebrity land-grabber has a growing band of curious visitors — and even some disciples.
The Sunday Times first visited Clerfayt in 2011 when he was still a little-known eccentric on the verge of being turfed out of the “railway reserve” controlled by Transnet. Since then the roles have reversed: Transnet is in the dock for alleged state capture and Clerfayt features in tourist brochures as a Garden Route drawcard. He has even been on TV and may be immortalised in a documentary.
Clerfayt is bemused by the attention and says he never asked for fame — it was all God’s doing.
During an interview on the stoep of his cave, he told the Sunday Times he would not be staying in the cave forever, although his plans are unclear. He survives off donations from visitors who must walk along a disused stretch of railway line to access the cave.
“Father brought me here and he has to protect me,” he said.
And so far so good, judging by what he has achieved since walking in shortly after a landslide in 2006, which he believes was no mere natural phenomenon. “He closed the corridor between Knysna and George,” said Clerfayt. “Like a single voice he showed me the [Kaaiman’s] bridge.”
In fact, the mystic initially found a smaller bridge closer to Wilderness, then walked further along the railway line and through a tunnel to discover the “Kaaiman’s Grotto”, a large cave mouth with a spectacular view across to the opposite headland.
At the entrance to the cave he found a shelter and deck area, the remains of a restaurant where train passengers used to stop over. A lengthy legal battle ensued with Transnet, with Clerfayt relying on volunteer legal services.
The case appears to have stalled at a time when Transnet faces its own legal difficulties — allegations of fraud, corruption and political interference in the appointment of its former CEO.
By contrast, Clerfayt has been sleeping peacefully in the cave, which he has turned into an open-air gallery decorated with hundreds of artworks, antiques and miscellaneous ornaments ranging from painted driftwood to old family photographs.
Curtains of shell mobiles form a virtual ceiling and visitors can recline in lounge and reception areas leading onto several rooms. The cave is currently home to Clerfayt and six others.
“It’s like a church,” said one enthralled visitor. “Really amazing.”
Clerfayt said exposure on social media explained his recent popularity, as well as a TV programme aired in Germany.
“I believe I have red-flag status on Google,” he chuckled, adding that his story had also featured in Getaway magazine, and a TV crew is trying to reach him in the hope of filming a documentary.
Clerfayt is equally disposed to sharing a joke with visitors as quoting from the Bible, which he studies most nights. He said he ministers only to those who ask. “If and when they ask, that opens the door and I give my testimony. I always say that Father will draw to him those that want to hear.”
Clerfayt previously lived in Vredenburg with his brother, who runs a Christian ministry. His mother died a few years ago.
One of the cave’s residents, Mark Green, who walks daily to his work at a church outreach programme in Wilderness Heights, said he was thrilled with his home. “It was the best move in my life — I have never been more at peace.” He described Clerfayt as “very down to earth”.
Green downplayed stories of antisocial behaviour inside the cave, but said some residents had been asked to leave.
Clerfayt said he could take no credit for his unexpected success. “It’s God, not me — if it was up to me I would not be here,” he said, adding that he had no time for organised religion: “Go direct to the source. Don’t go to man — that’s crazy.”
Asked if he had a message for the outside world, he said he was simply a messenger of God. However, he did bemoan the state of society: “They should take out all the bad apples. Walk in the light and you will become the light. And keep your hands off what doesn’t belong to you.”