SANParks urges Table Mountain National Park hikers to stay safe

SANParks is appealing to visitors to adhere to its safety guidelines after rangers assisted and escorted young women who were stranded on Signal Hill and Lion's Head at night in two separate incidents.

Last week, the founding members of the Visitor Safety Services (VSS) initiative withdrew from their Memorandum of Understanding with SANParks and Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), amid what Friends of Table Mountain described as one of the worst years on record for contact crimes in the park. (“Civic groups withdraw from Visitor Safety Services agreement with SANParks,” Bulletin, May 29)

Friends of Table Mountain, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and preserving Table Mountain National Park, tracked violent crime through social media, police, and other reports. They recorded 78 attacks in TMNP between January and mid-May this year, with the data showing more than double the number of female victims compared to males.

SANParks noted in a statement that while more and more people are taking up hiking to enjoy the beauty of nature around them, some may not be aware of how to do so safely.

According to the statement, rangers were busy with crime prevention patrols on Friday night, May 23, when they came across the ladies who were escorted to safety. 

In one instance, at 8pm on Friday night, a group of seven ladies in their late teens and early twenties were found walking in the dark from Signal Hill to Lions Head with cellphones in their hands. 

“Our team escorted them to a place of safety. We also assisted a young lady around the same time at Signal Hill who was stranded without a cellphone or funds for transport. Our team secured an e-hailing service for her,” SANParks said in a statement. 

“These incidents are concerning as we urge hikers and visitors not to hike after sunset. The safety of visitors is a partnership between us and visitors. We need visitors to follow the widely published hiking guidelines for their own safety,” said JP Louw, SANParks head of communication and spokesperson.

“On our part, we have increased our ranger forces; deployed our helicopter during key holiday periods; conduct joint operations with SAPS, City Law Enforcement, Metro police and community safety organisations; and we conduct targeted operations to address emerging trends.

To help ensure a safe and enjoyable visit, SANParks encourages park users to follow these safety guidelines:

• Hike or cycle in groups, visit the park during daylight hours
• Be properly equipped for the terrain, activity, and weather conditions
• let someone know your plans, use a free mobile tracking app for added safety.
• Park users can also stay informed  on trail conditions, maintenance work, and other safety-related notices by following SANParks’ social media pages for updates.