Crime ‘increasing’ at Noordhoek Beach, in reserve

TABLE Mountain National Park’s (TMNP) management has warned of increasing crime on Noordhoek Beach, in the Kalk Bay mountains in Silvermine Nature Reserve, and at Peers Cave.

While noting that Noordhoek Beach was not managed by SA National Parks (SANParks) as it was not part of the Marine Protected Area (MPA), TMNP’s management advised the public to be vigilant when visiting these areas.

SANParks yesterday hosted a trip to TMNP during which it informed participants of the intricacies involved in managing such a park.

At a briefing, TMNP’s management said they formed an active part of the Table Mountain Safety Forum.

“Table Mountain Watch stopped attending the Table Mountain Safety Forum’s meetings, and have been encouraged to rejoin the forum,” management said.

“As a park, we are unable to report on crime in real time as often the victim fails to report the matter to the police and opts to raise the alarm via social media.

“We encourage anyone who is a victim of any crime in the park to report it to the nearest police station.

“This makes following up on incidents easier as there is an active police docket to work against.

“The park is regularly left trying to locate a victim through social media to validate the veracity of a claim circulating about an attack that was never officially reported. There are a number of safety forums who report in real time on unconfirmed cases, which hikers can review prior to hiking.”

Another safety challenge was linked to the illegal extraction of marine resources in the TMNP MPA, particularly abalone and West Coast rock lobster. Poaching of these species was prevalent and interaction with repeat offenders and poachers could place staff and visitors in danger.