SANParks meets Table Mountain National Park VSS Founders

South African National Parks (SANParks) CEO, Hapiloe Sello, met with different stakeholders who worked with the conservation entity to initiate the Volunteer Safety Services (VSS) on Wednesday, June 4. 

The meetings were held to initiate discussions on addressing shared concerns regarding safety and security in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).

The VSS was established in December 2023 to enable volunteers to cooperate and collaborate with SANParks in promoting both visitor and park user safety in the TMNP within legal parameters. (“Civic groups withdraw from Visitor Safety Services agreement with SANParks,” Bulletin)

Individual meetings were held with Andre van Schalkwyk from Table Mountain Watch, Nicky Schmidt from Parkscape, Taahir Osman from Take Back Our Mountain, Kenneth Carden from the SANParks Honorary Rangers, and Blake Dyason from Love Our Trails. 

The SANParks CEO was accompanied by the managing executive for Parks Property Mokoena, head of communications JP Louw, regional general manager Bongani Mnisi and TMNP park manager Megan Taplin.

“SANParks was keen to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced with collaborative safety initiatives and ideas for strengthening such ideas, and these discussions laid an encouraging base for continued future deliberations to pursue improved collaboration,” Ms Sello said. 

“While this was a listening exercise, efforts will be made to look into actions that could be taken immediately. Follow-up discussions will be held in the future to further consider issues of common interest.”