There is ongoing neglect of the historic Signal School Steps leading to the grave of Just Nuisance, the only dog ever to be officially enlisted in the Royal Navy, say Simon’s Town residents.
In October last year, the Echo reported that the site was neglected and overgrown and that the steps were covered in wood chips from “illegal” wood chopping.
The rocks from the side of the footpath were also being removed and sold (“Wood chopping, vandalism mar heritage site,” Echo, October 2023).
At the time, SANParks spokeswoman Lauren Clayton said that while the Signal School Steps were within the Table Mountain National Park, which is managed by SANParks, the Just Nuisance burial site and the staircase leading to it fell under Heritage Western Cape, but that SANParks was willing to work with Heritage Western Cape to assess the damage to the stairs and the feasibility of replacing the rocks.
Heritage Western Cape pointed the finger back at SANParks with its CEO, Michael Janse van Rensburg, saying Heritage Western Cape was responsible for overseeing the management of heritage resources but did not own them, and it was the owner’s responsibility to ensure they were properly maintained.
Simon’s Town resident Steph Mellor, who hikes up the stairs weekly with her husband, Keith, said about 70% of the wall does not exist anymore.
She said the rocks being removed were sold to be used in gardens and they had reported it to SANParks on several occasions but nothing had been done about it.
The recent heavy rains had caused mudslides due to the removal of the rocks, she said, adding that she and her husband picked up litter from the site regularly.
In response to a recent media enquiry Ms Clayton said that SANParks Table Mountain National Park had taken several steps to address the concerns but acknowledged that further maintenance was needed, particularly after the heavy winter rains.
In April, she said, rangers had carried out maintenance to clear the path and re-establish the wall using the existing rocks that had fallen.
“Increased patrols have been undertaken in the area to monitor and mitigate illegal activities, and we plan to address necessary maintenance tasks, such as trimming, weeding, brush cutting, and erosion control, as weather conditions permit in the coming months,” she said, adding that SANParks would ask Heritage Western Cape about the replacement of missing rocks and the next steps to preserve the historic site.
However, Ms Mellor said she and her husband had been training on the steps throughout winter and no noticeable maintenance had been done.
“We have not seen any rangers patrol this area, and if we could train throughout winter, there is no excuse for no maintenance and patrols,” she said.
Simon’s Town Community Police Forum chairman Andrew Rogers said there hadn’t been any recent complaints about illegal wood cutting.
“The last complaint was about 10 months ago,” he said.
Simon’s Town Museum curator Cathy Salter said the Signal School Steps were about 120 years old and had been built by Simon’s Town stonemasons.
“The steps form an important part of our cultural landscape and community memory. They are used for recreation and training by locals and naval personnel,” she said, adding that too much heritage had already been lost as a result of Apartheid forced removals and general neglect.
“We really need to protect what remains,” she said.
Heritage Western Cape acknowledged the Echo’s media enquiry and said it would respond within 72 hours, However, it did not respond by then or by time of publication.
