DEVIL'S PEAK mountain is more than just a mountain !

A striking feature of Table Mountain is Devil's Peak which stands like a pointed upturned nose between the Eastern and Northern ranges of Table Mountain and divides them at a sharp angle just like a head cornerstone.

Devil's Peak is about 1,000 metres high and, if you can manage the footpath climb, is a very good place to look out over Table Bay and False Bay, which is why the British army chose the slopes to build the Kings blockhouse fort as a lookout post.

There are other stories about how Devil's Peak got its name. The story below is the one about how the greedy and corrupt devil divides almost everyone in South Africa, unequally.

Devil's peak mountain range appears to some to resemble a face profile emerging from the ground
Devil's Peak (the Devil's nose points up in the air.) as seen from Rondebosch Common, Cape Town, South Africa.
The devil face view is a pareidolia type of apparition that some folks can't "see" immediately, so...

This image od Devil's Peak has an added illustrated eye to help the viewer "see" the devil face.
Devil's Peak (with added eye), do you see the Devil image now?

The devil of Devil's Peak hiding in plain sight, if you "see" it.

African shadow face appears on the mystical east side of Table Mountain, South Africa by Martin Lovis..mp4 from Martin Lovis on Vimeo.

Time Lapse Video. Play Time: 20 seconds. File Size: 21.3MB.

a pall of dense orange red smoke rising from the foot of devil's peak monster mountain
The Devil's Peak fire, that started near the Rhodes Memorial at about 9am on 18 April 2021, as seen from my back garden at about 11am.

orange red flames licking alight the trees at the foot of montrous mountain
Close up of the above photo showing a ridge with a line of trees in flames.

The Rhodes Memorial built in classical greek style lies singularly exposed surrounded by a vast expanse of ochre coloured burnt landscape.
After the fire, the Rhodes Memorial below King's Blockhouse on the east side of Table Mountain.

built from the same orange yellow sandstone as the mountain itself, the blockhouse survives the flames of the fire.
The King's Blockhouse on Mowbray Ridge built by the British in 1796, and survived the fire in 2021.

panoramic view of Rhodes Memorial surrounded by a brown burned lanscape on the east side of Table Mountain

the east side slope of Table Mountain under Devil's Peak showing wide area of burned vegeatation.

monstrous looking mountain looms on the horizon facing up in defiance of the clear blue sky overhead
The University of Cape Town campus amid scorched earth under Devil's Peak after the fire.

Construction cranes begin reconstruction repairs amid scorched buildings on the University of Cape Town campus .
UCT campus buildings scorched and burnt by the fire are being reconstructed only a few days after the fire.

university of Cape Town (UCT) campus under Devil's Peak
Devil's Peak

Rhodes memorial appears bleached white amid scorched brown earth and trees. But some trees escaped burning.
Rhodes Memorial (named after Cecil Rhodes) was in the heart of the fire but appears afterwards almost unscathed!

an island of living green surrounded by expanse of burnt brown land
The fire has "jumped over" this patch of ground and left it unburned. The pale thread tracks surrounding the unburned area are footpaths.

wide angle photo view of devils peak under bright blue sky with three quarter moon

an evil looking face appears out of the ground in the distance with face faving straight up
The east side of Table Mountain seen from Rondebosch Common. Devil's Peak (right), Table Mountain, (middle) and the Back Table is the part sloping down to the left that goes towards the Constantia Nek valley gap on to Hout Bay.

Panoramic view of the Table Mountain range under a clear pale blue sky with Cape Town city suburbs below and above the Black River.
The Table Mountain range. From left to right: the East side, Devil's Peak, Table Mountain and Lions Head.
The Black River is in the foreground with the Liesbeek River inlet flowing into it.
The Rappenberg Bird Sanctuary Nature Reserve is on each side of the two rivers.

This view could be lost forever if Amazon succeeds in building its South African headquarters where the two rivers meet.
The devil knows why Amazon would want to build in the middle of a bird sanctuary and area of outstanding natural beauty.
They say, it's for jobs and investment - but they could build the HQ on the Cape Flats where jobs and investment are more really needed.

A group of local folk on the steps outside Cape Town High Court holding placards demonstrating against building on theit sacred lands

First Nations people protesting outside the High Court in Cape Town, June 2022, against Amazon building their HQ on their sacred lands.

Picture shows close up of the protesters outside High Court Cape Town

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Bright sunlit distant view of Table Mountain, east side, as the cloud table cloth is being laid over the buttresses with Devil's Peak clearly shown tall and on its own with misty cloud slightly covering its peak.
Clouds rolling over the east side of Table Mountain towards Devil's Peak on the right of picture.

Devil's Peak like a burning coal under warm orange red sunrise light.
Devil's Peak from Claremont at sunrise.

Devil's Peak aglow and beautifully menacing under warm early morning sunlight.

Devil's Peak under cool blue grey light showing green clad sandstone rocky outcrop layers.

Devils Peak under warm blue haze
Devil's Peak with Red Wing Starlings riding the warm thermal updrafts.

a closer view of the sandstone layers on Devil's Peak lit by a yellow orange light from early morning sunlight.
The peak of Devil's Peak.

Mountain slope horizon of Devils Pealk in warm yellow sunlight and soft green shadows under early morning sunlight.

Close up view of the sandstone layers showing uneven levels from previous upheavals of the sedimentary layers.

Closer view of the vegetation growing on the slopes of Devil's Peak which shows clumps of trees grown crooked by being constantly windswept.
Interesting that almost all of the trees on Devil's Peak appear to be growing "crooked".

It could be said that Devil's Peak itself is representative of South Africa's awful racially segregated past and that once immovable obstacle of apartheid policy has today been overcome.

However, the devil finds other fitting clothes for a new bunch of greedy and corrupt opportunists to wear. The only real change that has occurred in South Africa since full democracy is it is now illegal to call these greedy criminal opportunists, "racist".

The long and heroic struggle of the people to end apartheid is over.

A class system based upon wealth has replaced apartheid.

South Africa lost initiative following transition instead of pursuing restitution with reform.

Today, many lower and middle class people have lost faith and belief in many of their their historical liberation leaders and organisations.

The activist today is more likely to be a factionist of political patronage.

The disillusioned are either complicit or complacent (or both) in the failing political system.

The age of powerful monopoly control businesses has come with their "build back better" mantra, especially in Cape Town - the seat of Devils Peak!
Their ideology is to buy and sell, for profit or rent, the peoples heritages, birthrights and freedoms as "democratic progress for all", but it's not.
It's just the latest trick by Old Nick the deceiver with his upturned nose in the air.

Hope in Dope is Nope.

What? You don't believe my take on present day South Africa....?

Then click on the link below.

https://iol.co.za/sundayindependent/dispatch/2025-09-20-beyond-the-outrage-unpacking-ramaphosas-praise-for-the-da/

There are always alternative ideals worth pursuing.

The Mystical Shadow Face on Table Mountain is an uplifting sign for South Africa, and probably also for the rest of the world, particularly in these days of our lives that are still left to us to decide.

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Visit Mystical Table Mountain Art Gallery 2 by Martin Lovis HERE

Visit the Martin Lovis ART GALLERY 7 - HERE

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