What began as a peaceful sunset hike for German tourist David Schmitz quickly turned into one of the strangest robberies Cape Town has seen, part mugging, part moral lesson.
According to News24, Schmitz (27) was hiking alone on Signal Hill last week when a man armed with a stick emerged from the bushes and grabbed him by the chest.
‘He told me he was part of one of the country’s most dangerous gangs,’ Schmitz recalled, ‘and demanded my valuables.’
Trying to stay calm, Schmitz told the man he only had a backpack, not his phone. Inside was R100 in cash, some water, and a pack of cigarettes. The robber took the money, but when he spotted the cigarettes, the encounter took a surprising turn.
‘He told me very firmly, ‘Don’t smoke, okay? You don’t smoke again,’ Schmitz said. What followed was an oddly personal exchange between victim and assailant.
Schmitz said the man introduced himself as a member of the 28s, one of South Africa’s infamous prison gangs, even flashing gang signs and teaching him slang ‘as a sign of respect’. Despite claiming to have a gun, the robber only carried a thick stick and left without harming him, taking only the R100 note.
‘I basically got schooled on how bad smoking was and what a gang is, all while getting robbed,’ Schmitz said with a wry laugh. ‘It’s a small price to pay for him sparing my life.’
The tourist said he was shaken but relieved and grateful that the situation didn’t escalate. ‘He could have seriously hurt me. I think him finding my smokes was a distraction,’ Schmitz added.
Interestingly, Schmitz decided not to report the incident. ‘In all fairness, nothing is going to come from me opening a case,’ he said. ‘I’ve read up on the crime in South Africa, and people have told me it’s pointless.’
However, safety officials strongly discouraged that stance, as JP Louw, head of communications at SANParks, emphasised that reporting such incidents was crucial.
‘Opening a case is essential for law enforcement to identify crime hotspots, allocate resources effectively, and apprehend suspects,’ he said. ‘Failing to report incidents makes it more difficult to tackle crime.’
Similarly, Taahir Osman, who is the founder of the Take Back Our Mountains initiative, said that when incidents go unreported, it means no crime was committed in official records. He urged both locals and tourists to avoid hiking alone and instead ‘hire local guides or join reputable hiking clubs’.
With Cape Town’s summer hiking season around the corner, authorities have issued renewed warnings about trail safety. ‘Criminals often target individuals hiking alone, especially women and those starting from lower slopes,’ Osman explained
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg echoed this advice, urging hikers to stay alert and always report crimes. ‘Most importantly, report any form of crime at the nearest police station,’ he said. ‘It’s crucial for your safety and for others.‘
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