A group of hikers was left shaken after they were allegedly mugged by a group of 15 panga-wielding men at Kleinplaas Dam in Simon’s Town on Sunday 17 April.
The incident has raised questions on what the South African National Parks (SANParks) and the Sea, Air and Mountain (SEAM) Special Operations Ranger teams are doing to keep the area safe.
In a statement, Simon’s Town Community Policing Forum (CPF) cautioned people to be vigilant in the area that is known to be a criminal hotspot.
“The CPF has been made aware that a case had been opened yesterday (Wednesday 20 April) for an incident that occurred on Sunday 17 April at Kleinplaas Dam, where several people reported that they were mugged by a group of people.
“Police are busy investigating the matter. In the interim, we encourage people to be extremely vigilant on the trails near Kleinplaas Dam, as it is an area that is known to be a hotspot for criminal activity.”
In a statement, Andre van Schalkwyk from the Table Mountain Watch Group questioned what was being done after several attacks since August 2020.
“Do you consider the area a hotspot after nine attacks since August 2020, not to mention the many before?
Or is it just easier to arrest poachers in the Good Hope reserve because they’ve had free range for years and years and they basically live there.”
Van Schalkwyk further questioned why police and SANParks are not working together when such incidents occur.
“Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) doesn’t talk to police, and police don’t talk to TMNP and heaven forbid that you’d all actually work with civilian and security entities that have information and are more than prepared to share.
“We have tried for years to introduce an integrated model to make the park safer, only to be patronised, scorned and ignored. But we are the people who get hurt; you patently don’t care; so what’s left? No answers are expected because none are ever received.”
Simon’s Town Police Station commander Capt Vishnu Pillay said the incident was reported to police on Wednesday.
“The area becomes a hotspot over weekends, there is a locked boom gate controlled by the City of Cape Town water and sanitation department. The land belongs to SANParks and the dam is approximately 3 km from the road.”
He added that two cellphones and a backpack valued at R13 000 were taken by the perpetrators who carried two pangas.
“In the past three months only three cases were reported; two in March and one in April.”
Pillay added that the victims sustained minor scratches to their legs.
“No arrests have been made yet.”
Commenting on the incident, Melanie Oelgeschläger wrote on Facebook that her husband was mugged in the same area in 2020.
“My husband was robbed near Kleinplaas dam in August 2020 and with our help, the perpetrators were apprehended the same day. Seemed like a shut and closed case. Due to Covid the court case set to take place in June last year was postponed.”
She further added that the case against the suspects was later withdrawn.
“What an utter shambles. We have been waiting since for the detective in charge to get back to us, meanwhile the perpetrators have probably been roaming the area for months again.”
Francois Nel wrote that it was unsafe to walk in the area unless you are armed.
“Based on the last attack it’s technically potentially unsafe to walk around with anything less than 15 bullets or potentially stand a chance to be killed by a panga.”
Parkscape Chair Nicky Schmidt said although volunteers put in hundreds of hours people are still getting hurt.
“We engage, we try, we put in hundreds of volunteer hours and still here we are and people are getting hurt and traumatised, and our already embattled tourism sector suffers still more. The disconnect with the urban reality of this park by its managing authority is profound.”
Ronney Macarthur meanwhile wrote that the Kleinplaas Dam should be marked as unsafe to warn others.
In a statement on Sunday 24 April, TMNP said one suspect was arrested in a joint operation with police.
“TMNP can report that the SEAM team, rangers from the southern section of TMNP and Simon’s Town police, planned and executed a successful joint operation along Kleinplaas Dam over the past few days in response to the crime incidents experienced in the area.
“The team followed up on leads which resulted in the arrest of one suspect who was in possession of a dangerous weapon and drugs, in the Kleinplaas Dam area. Preliminary profile suggests that the suspect has a long pedigree of past offences including assault, kidnapping, theft, and other gang related crimes.”
SANParks calls on anyone who may have information on suspects who recently robbed visitors to the area to inform the Simon’s Town police on 021 786 8640.
