STAR cyclist Nicholas Dlamini’s dreams for 2020 have been thrown into jeopardy after an altercation with Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) rangers left him with a broken arm.
In video footage of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Dlamini is seen being manhandled by uniformed rangers, with one violently twisting his hand behind his back.
The injury could dash Dlamini’s hopes of becoming the first black South African to ride the Tour de France and his chances of racing in the 2020 Olympic Games.
It’s also thrown into the spotlight the fractious and potentially dangerous relationship between park rangers and cyclists.
The local athlete was on a training ride in Silvermine Nature Reserve when the altercation with SANparks rangers occurred.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/TableMountainNP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TableMountainNP @SANParks @VanHaywood. Someone just broke Nic Dlamini’s arm pic.twitter.com/oYQGiTNUPM
— Lawrence Lindeque (@larrymontana)
SANParks spokeswoman Lauren Howard-Clayton said rangers “apprehended” the cyclist for “resisting arrest” after he was caught cycling in the park without a permit. She said the resulting scuffle caused Dlamini to “injure himself”.
But fellow cyclist, Donovan le Cok, who witnessed the incident and recorded the footage, provided a different account of what occurred during the scuffle.
“(Nic) was trying to exit the park and rode through the exit where there were six SANparks officials located who grabbed his handlebars on his bicycle to try stop him,” Le Cok told Eyewitness News.
“This made him crash, so he fell off his bike and hurt himself. He got up and was confronted by the senior ranger who you see in the video.”
Le Cok started filming because he said: “Those particular rangers are notorious for being aggressive.”
The footage shows the senior ranger pinning Dlamini against the side of a TMNP van. The ranger has Dlamini’s arm twisted behind his back with enough force to lift the cyclist off the ground and cause his humerus bone to snap.
The footage shows the ranger then roughly handling Dlamini into the back of the vehicle. Howard-Clayton said statements would be taken from the rangers who were present.
“According to TMNP section ranger, the cyclist had entered Gate 1 of the Silvermine section without paying the conservation fee or showing proof of activity permits when requested,” the SANParks statement read.
“TMNP rangers were informed about the incident and upon investigating and finding the cyclist who could not produce his entry ticket or a valid activity permit the situation spiralled causing the suspect to injure himself during the ordeal.”
The incident has sparked outrage online, with other cyclists commenting on their experiences with allegedly aggressive SANparks rangers.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, who visited Dlamini in hospital, is calling for a full investigation into this specific event as well as the claims of a belligerent relationship between rangers and cyclists.
“I’m really angry,” Winde said. “So many people are saying that the relationship between cyclists and SANparks is not a good one. We need to have organised cycling and SANparks around a table and say, ‘where to from here?’ When people have authority and a uniform you just cannot behave that way. We’ve got to build a different relationship.”
The Pedal Power Association called on cyclists to unite against the rangers’ behaviour.
“It is unacceptable. We as cyclists need to stand together against this kind of behaviour,” the PPA said in a tweet.
“We will assist Nic in making sure that this kind of gang assault at the hands of SANparks rangers never happens to another cyclist ever again.”
Meanwhile Dlamini’s cycling team, NTT Pro Cycling (formerly Team Dimension Data for Qubeka) said the injury would be a major setback on the brink of a hugely promising year ahead.
“The 24-year-old had just completed a very promising 2019 which included his first Grand Tour, and he was looking at following that up with further participation in some of the sport’s biggest races in 2020.
“This unnecessary injury will now have a serious effect on that, as well as his chances of racing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games,” they said.
Team principal Douglas Ryder condemned the violence with which Dlamini was treated.
“I was both devastated and appalled to see the video of Nicholas on social media,” Ryder said. “To watch a young man who I know so well in such unnecessary distress made me feel sick, to be honest. The way in which he was treated is simply not acceptable.”
Dlamini is receiving medical care and will decide with his team the best way forward for his cycling career.
Meanwhile, Minister Barbara Creecy called on those involved in the fracas to be suspended pending an investigation into the incident.
I have just visited @nich_dlamini in hospital and heard first hand his horrible experience. I have instructed @SANParks to suspend all official involved and implement an independent investigation.
— Minister of Environment, Forestry & Fisheries 🇿🇦 (@BarbaraCreecy_) December 27, 2019