Cape Town - A peaceful morning walk along a hiking trail in Llandudno turned into terror for a Durbanville woman who became the latest mountain mugging victim.
Saturday’s incident came a day after two US hikers were robbed on Platteklip Gorge and two days after a cyclist was gagged and robbed, and his bike’s tyres slashed when robbers confronted him in Tokai.
“We walked along Rocket Road and down the path close to the shipwreck.
“Some of us got separated from the group. A guy in trackpants and a T-shirt approached us.
“He pulled at my bag strap, causing me to lose my footing and fall. A person with me signalled he had a knife. While I screamed for help, he cut my bag’s strap and ran off with my bag,” said the woman, who spoke on condition that her name would not be published.
One of her four walking companions, Goodwood resident
Garth Munick, said: “While we were walking, we passed this dodgy-looking couple sitting at the top of a blockhouse. What made us suspicious was that they were not dressed in hiking gear and were watching people on the trail.”
Halfway through their hike, the four women in the group stopped to take pictures of the scenery while Munick walked on.
“Within two minutes I heard the girls screaming and I ran back. The guy disappeared before I got to them, but the woman who was with him was still hovering around,” said Munick. A member of the group, Sadieka Isaacs, said: “This guy came out of nowhere… During the struggle she fell and the guy used his knife to slash the straps of her backpack. It’s so sad what happened because it was the first time she has gone on a hike.”
Police spokesman Andre Traut said: “No suspects have been arrested and a case of armed robbery has been opened.”
Traut’s colleague, Noloyiso Rwexana, said a 17-year-old had been arrested shortly after the US hikers were robbed. The teenager was apprehended by Table Mountain National Parkrangers, who handed him over to police, she said.
SANParks regional spokeswoman Merle Collins said it had invested R10 million in safety, manpower and resources to ensure the parks were safe. “Since the spike in mountain-related crime in 2012, we have had a 50 percent drop in contact crime at our parks,” she said.
But Pedal Power Association chairman Steve Hayward said SANParks red tape prevented outside organisations like his from effectively contributing to safety.
“If they had things under control, why are these incidents still happening? It would help if they allowed more volunteers to patrol the area on mountain bikes,” he said.
Agriculture and Economic Development and Tourism MEC Alan Winde said: “We will be holding a meeting with police today (Monday) and these incidents will be put on the agenda.”
He said CCTV cameras had already been installed in the Tokai area, but monitoring was a challenge.
Cape Times