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Sometimes a particular crime really resonates with people, and the murder of 44-year-old tourist Ivan Ivanov, who was brutally stabbed to death about 10 metres from the exit of the East Fort trail on Chapman’s Peak in Hout Bay, is a prime example of that.

[For those who want to gather and pay their respects to Ivanov, there will be a memorial this Sunday, August 4, at East Fort.]

The murder once again highlighted the dangers of hiking in and around Table Mountain National Park. According to a media release earlier in the week, SAPS has apprehended the third and final suspect in Ivanov’s murder, but the backlash from the public towards law enforcement authorities was sizeable.

They seem to have been listening to those concerns, with SA National Parks (SANParks) managing executive Property Mokoena announcing some increased security measures earlier this week.

IOL reports:

Delivering the keynote address at SANParks’ World Ranger Day event at Mouille Point yesterday [Wednesday], Mokoena said the Cape had borne the brunt of poaching and muggings, some of which resulted in murder.

“In an effort to address some of the challenges we are faced with, the Cape region is in the process of appointing 120 tourism monitors, which will be deployed into different functional areas, of which safety is one of the priorities.

“The programme is funded by the National Department of Tourism and these monitors will be based in all Cape region parks, including Table Mountain National Park,” said Mokoena…

He said the efforts would be based on partnerships with role-players such as the police, the SA Navy, the city’s law enforcement, CapeNature, neighbourhood watch groups and community outreach organisations such as Take Back our Mountain and Table Mountain Watch.

Those 120 ‘tourism monitors’ will be put to the test, though, with the park covering around 25 000 hectares and stretching from Cape Point to Signal Hill.

It pays to know which areas are worst-affected, which is why this Table Mountain Crime Map is worth a look.

Info below from Cape Town ETC:

…thanks to the creation of this public Crime Map, hikers can plot incidents they are aware of by recording where they happened, and instantly share the information with others.

The map not only covers areas within Table Mountain National Park but also those beyond so the community can be better prepared and aware of dangers no matter where they are going.

The map is broken down into months with dates and icons representing specific crimes and occurrences. Those who view the map can easily see when and where an incident has taken place as well as report their own incidents to inform their community.

The map also has emergency details in the information section, including necessary emergency numbers, Facebook groups hikers can join and an email address to provide feedback on the map.

If you click on the image below, you will be redirected to the map:

If you click on individual incidents of crime, you can often find a description of what occurred:

I know it’s terrible that a map like this is necessary, but if we can’t get out and about and enjoy the incredible natural beauty of this city and its surrounding areas, we’re losing the battle.

I would also suggest that hikers check out Forge, an app with plenty of information about hiking trails in the area.

Here at 2oceansvibe, we say this often, but please remember to be safe out there.

[sources:iol&capetownetc]