Pretoria - Visitors to a popular Pretoria nature reserve have been urged to exercise caution after two hikers were robbed over the weekend.
Fiona Zerbst and Carmen le Roux were hiking through the Groenkloof Nature Reserve on Saturday morning when two men set upon them.
“Two men came out of the bushes,” said Le Roux.
She was struck on the head with a rock by one attacker, after which she fell to the ground and remembers little else.
“I screamed to warn Fiona, but then all I saw was blood dripping. I freaked out. I’ve never seen so much blood and it was my own.”
The other assailant then tried to choke Zerbst, who fought back.
“I have Ninjutsu training, which made a difference,” she stated. “I got a good kick in his thigh.”
Nonetheless, the two robbers made off with their keys, phones and wallets.
Zerbst said she wanted to warn the public that “Groenkloof is still not safe and there seems to be no strategic plan to make the venue safer”.
The attack happened at about 7.45am on Saturday, on the well-used White Trail. This means the muggers struck at the risk of being caught by other hikers at any point.
The reserve is popular with hikers, mountain bikers and runners due to the range of trails available and the proximity to the city.
However, safety has long been a concern at the reserve, with reports of attacks there and the nearby Fort Klapperkop all too common.
In May 2015, an elderly couple were hiking through Groenkloof Nature Reserve when they were tied up, beaten and robbed.
Two separate muggings were reported on the same weekend last August, with a teenage girl tied up in one incident. Her mother escaped the attackers to raise the alarm.
The pair were not impressed at the response of security personnel at the reserve.
“Tshwane Metro Police took an hour to respond,” said the victims.
“Some police on horseback came past, but simply said the attackers would be gone by now and went to groom their horses.”
The two expressed their gratitude to a group of four hikers who came upon them and helped to stem the bleeding from Le Roux’s head before accompanying them back to the car park.
They also praised two maintenance workers who had warned them of suspicious-looking men in the reserve. The workers also offered to look for them in their bakkie after the incident.
Despite their experience, Zerbst and Le Roux were adamant they would return to hike this coming weekend.
“We have been coming since last September and we still have our fitness goals,” stated Le Roux.
“It’s a wonderful place, I absolutely love it, I just want it to be safer,” said Zerbst.
Their advice to others who want to use the reserve was to be prepared in case they are also targeted. “Don’t carry any valuables,” warned Le Roux.
“If you are alone or walking as a couple, wait at the start and walk with or in close proximity to another group, so you have safety in numbers.”
Pretoria News