NEARLY three months after big plans were announced to boost safety and security on Table Mountain, nothing has come to fruition and instead attacks are increasing, according to the Table Mountain Watch (TMW).
The group has since demanded South African National Parks (SANParks) give time frames of when resources, including the establishment of a security hub, will be set up.
Three trail runners were attacked while in the mountains near Soetwater on May 2, said TMW spokesperson André van Schalkwyk.
“One sustained mild injuries and the rest managed to escape without harm. Another incident the same week was an attempted mugging near the Bos 400 wreck. The incidents are ongoing and it’s just a matter of time before we have another ICU case or death in the park. We are really concerned.”
At the end of February, SANParks hosted a two-day information-sharing field trip to TMNP, where the establishment of a command centre that will serve as a central point for the reporting of emergencies and the dispatching of security resources on the mountain.
This was attended by their officials, members of the police, law enforcement, and mountain safety lobby groups.
“Their media junket made much of the R2bn Mission Area Joint Operations Centre (Majoc) that they will launch at some yet to be disclosed future date. The operation aims to mimic the Majocs that fight rhino poaching in Kruger.
“SANParks should rather be taking the R2bn they hope to raise and invest it in real-time Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which includes drones, CCTV and sensor surveillance. This would go a long way to solving SANParks’ often-lamented issues of manpower and park size,” said Van Schalkwyk.
SANParks had not commented by deadline.