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Despite the community calls to action and the city intensifying the safety and security measures in and around Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), the muggings have continued.

With increased risk over the festive period, SANParks revived the Table Mountain National Park Safety and Security Forum, which includes SANParks, the SAPS and the City of Cape Town, and devoted additional resources to boost safety on the mountain. But still, popular hiking spots like Lion’s Head and Signal Hill are plagued by crime.

This followed a protest by Friends of Lion’s Head calling for an increase in the budget for security to protect mountain users.

In one of our Morning Spice‘s, we noted a suspected mugger who fell to his death with stolen possessions after ambushing a hiking group heading past Slangolie Ravine.

His body was discovered in a gorge the next day after SAPS members and TMNP rangers went to the scene to locate a stolen phone, per Daily Maverick.

In another horrendous incident on the 21 January, two men reportedly robbed and attempted to rape two tourists on the Slangolie hiking trail. The Japanese and Dutch travellers were robbed of their phones and jewellery, with one of them needing medical assistance after getting hurt. One suspect was arrested while the other remains at large.

Then, a Cape Town paediatrician was mugged on the slopes of Devil’s Peak near the King’s Blockhouse above Rhodes Memorial on 13 January. The doctor was walking around 4PM when three “quite young and well-dressed” men emerged from the other side of the blockhouse and attacked him.

There were eight reported muggings in December and nine so far in January, according to Taahir Osman, the founder of the group Take Back Our Mountains, even though SANParks committed to improving safety in the national park in December.

He expressed gratitude to “SANParks for providing additional assistance through aerial patrols during the holiday season”. However, he said the collaboration between SANParks and the city should continue beyond the festive season.

“It is crucial to maintain consistent policing efforts. Efforts to combat crime through sustained vigilance and the deployment of competent personnel will yield significant results.”

According to unofficial stats from Friends of Table Mountain, there were more than 80 muggings on Table Mountain, Signal Hill and Lion’s Head last year.

A local hiker has created an interactive community-produced crime map for Table Mountain so locals can share their knowledge of crime hotspots and be better prepared for their next hike.https://t.co/MqOnfg8uRe pic.twitter.com/9k23tRFPMO

— Cape {town} Etc (@CapeTownEtc) August 3, 2019

JP Louw, the head of communications at SANParks, told Daily Maverickthe Table Mountain National Park Safety and Security Forum had been relaunched to address “all safety concerns in the Table Mountain National Park and facilitate the necessary action plans among all relevant stakeholders”. He said more field rangers are being appointed.

The crime hotspots include the slopes of Signal Hill and the Rhodes Memorial precinct from the King’s Blockhouse, as well as Camps Bay, Lion’s Head, Slangolie Ravine, Tafelberg Road (especially above Woodstock), Deer Park Trail and the Vredehoek Quarry.

If you feel threatened or uncomfortable on the mountain, call the city’s emergency line on 021-4807700.

[source:dailymaverick]