A recent attack on a group of hikers along the Kleinplaas Dam hiking trail by 12 panga carrying men was the last straw that has sent a number of safety and environmental organisations into a frenzy over ineffective safety measures.
These groups, which operate around the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) have directed their anger towards the SANParks which is tasked with the safety of these facilities including parks and hiking trails. The concerned groups include the Table Mountain Watch (TMW), Friends of Table Mountain (FOTM) and Parkscape.
SANParks’ spokesperson, Lauren Clayton confirmed that an internal investigation surrounding the matter was underway while Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk confirmed that two cellphones and a backpack were stolen from victims and no arrests have been made yet.
Andre van Schalkwyk, the Table Mountain Watch chairperson, claims that the Kleinplaas Dam area is a known hot spot and has had nine unfavourable incidents since August 2020. He noted that as the disaster management measures are being easied there has been an incline on all sorts of crimes around the TMNP, however, their focus was on “contact crimes or muggings”.
“These are serious crimes and have a direct impact on local and overseas visitors and their perception of not only TMNP, but also of the country,” said Van Schalkwyk.
Parkscape Founder, Nicky Schmidt said although Kleinplaas Dam trail was known as a hot spot, little or no attention was given to address the issue. He added that even though SANParks has made some inroads in apprehending abalone poachers and had surveillance helicopters in the sky, the issue of people’s safety remains a concern.
“SANParks told us how they had rangers in hiding at Kleinplaas to prevent attacks. But there have been nine attacks since August, so where are these rangers? Where are the Seam (Sea, Air and Mountain) team that were made operational in December?” he asked.
While FOTM chairperson, Andy Davies said that the current safety measures implemented by SANParks were not yielding desired results instead, safety and security in TMNP remains a huge concern. He called for further actions to be taken to address the matter as TMNP is an urban park that would always be at risk of crime.
Van Schalkwyk also added that since 2006 TMW has been through three iterations and three times the groups were disbanded because of a lack of progress with TMNP management. The recently established Park Forum has also made no progress.
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Picture: CapeTown ETC
