Mystery of the mast on the Matroosberg
Authorities hunt for owners of towering cement eyesore
● A telecommunications base station has mysteriously sprouted on a famous peak.
The concrete structure, which will support an 8m mast, stands on the summit of the 2,247m Matroosberg, the Western Cape’s second-highest mountain.
Officials of CapeNature, which maintains wilderness areas and nature reserves in the Western Cape, say they have no idea who commissioned the tower or why they failed to seek permission to trespass on state land.
“CapeNature is in the process of conducting an in-field investigation into alleged trespassing on CapeNature-managed land as well as the illegal construction,” said spokesperson Natanya Dreyer. “[We] did not give permission.
“CapeNature has established that a Western Cape internet service provider company allegedly gained illegal access to Bokkeriviere Nature Reserve. The service provider … transported equipment and building material to the top of the mountain and seemingly bulldozed a new piece of road as well.
“They then proceeded with
Owners can earn monthly rent of about R30,000 from service providers
constructing a cellphone tower and a small building [bunker] to house internet communications equipment. Photographs confirm this.”
The investigation of the tower comes amid a rush to extend network coverage, with rival companies competing for market share by erecting towers that sometimes prompt fierce public resistance.
The Sunday Times previously reported on a cellphone mast near a school in GraaffReinet. The mast was disguised as a braai chimney. Another mast was erected on the roof of a Cape Town church that adjoins a kindergarten. Owners can earn monthly rent of about R30,000 from service providers.
The remote location of the Matroosberg tower appears to have taken the government by surprise, with only sketchy details available despite a CapeNature site visit two weeks ago.
However, the Sunday Times has independently established that:
● Neither adjoining landowners nor the Mountain Club of SA were aware of the installation. The South African Ski Club — based on the mountain since 1920s — said it knew of an old radio tower lower down; and
● A team of contract workers were photographed at the summit in a bakkie bearing the name of internet service provider Trusc. The company declined to confirm or deny involvement.
Three sources who know the area said the tower site appeared to be owned by farmer Gielie Geldenhuys, or Didi de Kock, who owns the Matroosberg Nature Reserve. Geldenhuys denied knowledge of the tower and De Kock declined to answer questions.
De Kock is the daughter of Andre Smit, who developed a 4x4 route almost all the way to the top of the mountain.
Several portions of land converge on the summit, including CapeNature property, and it is unclear exactly whose land is involved.
The reserve made headlines several years ago when two tourists fell to their deaths in seperate incidents from a viewpoint.
Photos of the new structure angered fynbos expert and environmental consultant Jan Vlok, who said: “Being at such an altitude, that area has extremely sensitive vegetation — we call it subalpine fynbos.
“If you put up big structures and use a lot of concrete, if you don’t work extremely carefully you can change the whole pH of the soil in the entire environment.”
The Matroosberg — popular with snowhunting tourists and scientists— is home to a beetle found only on the summit.
Several sources also raised concern about the 4x4 trail, which they said was causing significant erosion.
CapeNature could not confirm any environmental impact assessment for the trail, but said it probably predated the introduction of environmental legislation.
One source said it was possible the new tower was intended to improve the poor communication network. The Matroosberg Nature Reserve website alludes to problems with Telkom: “If you phone and there is no answer, it’s not because we are not available, it is either because the line is down … again, or you are phoning after hours,” the website says.
The Western Cape environmental affairs department said the base station was technically legal because it was just small enough not to trigger provisions of the National Environmental Management Act.
But Cape Nature said whoever built it would still need to explain how they accessed the summit and saw fit to build on public land.
A Mountain Club member, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the structure was part of a broader trend of towers on mountain peaks.
“I agree it does look awful, but then have you been up to the top of many of the Western Cape mountains that have numerous masts on them all over the place? Much the same — concrete, wire and steel,” he said.