{"id":47657,"date":"2023-12-05T14:01:30","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T12:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T21:57:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T19:57:25","slug":"ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A group of avid hikers, mountain lovers and conservation groups held a peaceful protest at Lion\u2019s Head on Friday 1 December, to voice their anger and frustration with the spate of robberies on the Table Mountain National Parks (TMNP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protest was spearheaded by Friends of Lion\u2019s Head and Signal Hill (Flash) Organisation and started at 05:00 for a sunrise hike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kosta Papageorgiou, Flash chair, says they aimed to rally the citizens of Cape Town to voice their apprehensions regarding safety in the Table Mountain National Park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAdditionally, we aim to empower the community to express their concerns and dissatisfaction about the safety of the park and seek attention from various media platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papageorgiou urges SANParks and TMNP to reassess the use of the \u201csubstantial revenue\u201d generated by Table Mountain National Park and challenge the notion that the park\u2019s vastness makes it difficult to police. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe also aim to advocate for the creation of a sustainable movement that calls for a dedicated mountain safety unit. <\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds: \u201cWe seek to support local businesses impacted by SANParks TMNP\u2019s restrictions and demand the consolidation into a single unit responsible for mountain policing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papageorgiou emphasised the need for increased ranger employment and effective training to address safety concerns and unemployment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFurthermore, we propose a centralised approach to streamline efforts and suggest involving a privately managed organisation in Table Mountain National Park for heightened security on key routes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

British Ultra runner, Tom Evans was also a victim<\/a> recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papageorgiou says their goal is to ensure the safety of the locals, promote unified efforts, and advocate for practical measures that benefit both park safety and community well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrea Scheepers, Flash committee member, says they want safer trails for all to use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCrime has increased at an exponential rate. So, all we ask for is a proactive and visible approach to ensure the mountain trails remain safe for both tourists and locals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scheepers says all stakeholders must work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis includes the City, SANParks and police. Offer visible security, especially on popular trail routes. Don\u2019t just stop operation because you don\u2019t have a solution but rather work with those who use the mountains and trails regularly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says tour operators are also affected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTour operators are now left with cancelled bookings and nobody will be able to fill that financial void. So, instead of reactive approaches by SANParks, we are calling for proactive and collaborative approaches.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scheepers says they hope their pleas do not fall on deaf ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe speak on behalf of all locals who frequent the mountain trails. We just want to be heard. We want those in power to tell us why there are so few visible rangers and why only when a tourist is hurt, do they want to do something. We want to work together with them to come up with viable long-term solutions and not just quick fixes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank Dwyer, a tour and mountain guide, says the spate of muggings has affected them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know of at least four tour guides that had to cancel hikes, one of them had a tour cancelled. It is affecting our business. On a hike to Lion\u2019s Head and Platteklip Gorge recently I didn\u2019t see any tour guides.\u201d He calls on authorities to work together and consult with them to find solutions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A group of avid hikers, mountain lovers and conservation groups held a peaceful protest at Lion\u2019s Head on Friday 1 December, to voice their anger and frustration with the spate of robberies on the Table Mountain National Parks (TMNP).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":47659,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"6851977b-91b1-4726-b87f-acdec1416f82","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Kaylynne Bantom @bantomkaylynne","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-47657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nConservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails | People's Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A group of avid hikers, mountain lovers and conservation groups held a peaceful protest at Lion\u2019s Head on Friday 1 December, to voice their anger and frustration with the spate of robberies on the Table Mountain National Parks (TMNP).\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"People's Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-05T12:01:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-19T19:57:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1923\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kaylynne Bantom @bantomkaylynne\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@thepeoplespost\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@thepeoplespost\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"People's Post\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"People's Post\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a55ab3f8723ad7eb7c816b50d6f060e0\"},\"headline\":\"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-05T12:01:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-19T19:57:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":564,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2023\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/\",\"name\":\"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails | People's Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-05T12:01:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-19T19:57:25+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg\",\"width\":1923,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"A group held a peaceful protest demanding safety on the mountain on Friday 1 December. PHOTO: Ethan Cox Ethan Cox\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/\",\"name\":\"People's Post\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Peoples Post\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/peoples-post-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/peoples-post-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Peoples Post\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/thepeoplespost\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/peoplespostnewspaper\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@peoplespostnewsCPT\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a55ab3f8723ad7eb7c816b50d6f060e0\",\"name\":\"People's Post\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7ea284cb64e6d80623a001a22682bdd8e89e02e917c1f92b662fe747122e799b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7ea284cb64e6d80623a001a22682bdd8e89e02e917c1f92b662fe747122e799b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7ea284cb64e6d80623a001a22682bdd8e89e02e917c1f92b662fe747122e799b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"People's Post\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/peoplespost\\\/author\\\/peoplespost\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails | People's Post","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails","og_description":"A group of avid hikers, mountain lovers and conservation groups held a peaceful protest at Lion\u2019s Head on Friday 1 December, to voice their anger and frustration with the spate of robberies on the Table Mountain National Parks (TMNP).","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/","og_site_name":"People's Post","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper","article_published_time":"2023-12-05T12:01:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-19T19:57:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1923,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kaylynne Bantom @bantomkaylynne","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@thepeoplespost","twitter_site":"@thepeoplespost","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"People's Post","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/"},"author":{"name":"People's Post","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/person\/a55ab3f8723ad7eb7c816b50d6f060e0"},"headline":"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails","datePublished":"2023-12-05T12:01:30+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-19T19:57:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/"},"wordCount":564,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2023","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/","name":"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails | People's Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg","datePublished":"2023-12-05T12:01:30+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-19T19:57:25+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg","width":1923,"height":1080,"caption":"A group held a peaceful protest demanding safety on the mountain on Friday 1 December. PHOTO: Ethan Cox Ethan Cox"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/ensure-safety-on-mountain-20231204\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Conservation groups frustrated by increased crime on Cape hiking trails"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/","name":"People's Post","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#organization","name":"Peoples Post","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/peoples-post-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/peoples-post-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Peoples Post"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PeoplesPostNewsPaper","https:\/\/x.com\/thepeoplespost","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/peoplespostnewspaper\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@peoplespostnewsCPT"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/#\/schema\/person\/a55ab3f8723ad7eb7c816b50d6f060e0","name":"People's Post","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ea284cb64e6d80623a001a22682bdd8e89e02e917c1f92b662fe747122e799b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ea284cb64e6d80623a001a22682bdd8e89e02e917c1f92b662fe747122e799b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7ea284cb64e6d80623a001a22682bdd8e89e02e917c1f92b662fe747122e799b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"People's Post"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/author\/peoplespost\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9939cc7f8ad241b5bc0738eb2ecaeacb.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51496,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/residents-urged-to-be-safe-on-cape-towns-mountain-this-holidays-20221122\/","url_meta":{"origin":47657,"position":0},"title":"Residents urged to be safe on Cape Town’s mountain this holidays","author":"People's Post","date":"22 November 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Table Mountain National Park says it has boosted safety plans to mitigate crime in the park.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hikers and visitors are cautioned to be vigilant when hiking. PHOTO: Kaylynne Bantom","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/756ed045c7a441afa0843786362e73d2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/756ed045c7a441afa0843786362e73d2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/756ed045c7a441afa0843786362e73d2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/756ed045c7a441afa0843786362e73d2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/756ed045c7a441afa0843786362e73d2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":295148,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/table-mountain-national-park-ready-for-festive-season-visitors\/","url_meta":{"origin":47657,"position":1},"title":"Table Mountain National Park ready for festive-season visitors","author":"People's Post","date":"25 November 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Table Mountain National Park prepares for festive visitors with strengthened safety measures, extra rangers, drone patrols, and volunteer support.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Megan Taplin, TMNP Park Manager, adressing the media on its festive season preparedness for Table Mountain National Park.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsAppImage2025-11_82872.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsAppImage2025-11_82872.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsAppImage2025-11_82872.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsAppImage2025-11_82872.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsAppImage2025-11_82872.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43742,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/table-mountain-national-park-sees-crime-drop-but-safety-concerns-persist-for-visitors-20250218\/","url_meta":{"origin":47657,"position":2},"title":"Table Mountain National Park sees crime drop but safety concerns persist for visitors","author":"People's Post","date":"18 February 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) remains a popular destination for both locals and tourists, but ongoing concerns about crime have persisted, despite recent improvements.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6c45f54c81904848b4dddbe8f9ad5b6c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6c45f54c81904848b4dddbe8f9ad5b6c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6c45f54c81904848b4dddbe8f9ad5b6c.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6c45f54c81904848b4dddbe8f9ad5b6c.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46344,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/hotspots-simmer-following-fires-on-table-mountain-20240429\/","url_meta":{"origin":47657,"position":3},"title":"Hotspots simmer following fires on Table Mountain","author":"People's Post","date":"29 April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Thunder struck Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) on Saturday 27 April, causing sporadic fires across various locations, currently affecting access to the park as popular hiking trails are closed while firefighters and volunteers mop up simmering hotspots.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ddcb25390e694d419cd1812c059a67ef.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ddcb25390e694d419cd1812c059a67ef.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ddcb25390e694d419cd1812c059a67ef.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ddcb25390e694d419cd1812c059a67ef.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48757,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/muggings-around-signal-hill-continue-to-spike-20230912\/","url_meta":{"origin":47657,"position":4},"title":"Muggings around Signal Hill continue to spike","author":"People's Post","date":"12 September 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Violent muggings and incidents of pickpocketing saw another spike, indicating a possible syndicate active on Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) targeting women and foreign tourists.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b670d6c4fe404fbc87ba2da24db2649a.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b670d6c4fe404fbc87ba2da24db2649a.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b670d6c4fe404fbc87ba2da24db2649a.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":302181,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/table-mountain-national-park-closure-severe-weather\/","url_meta":{"origin":47657,"position":5},"title":"Table Mountain National Park closure SANParks shuts trails amid severe weather","author":"Namhla Monakali","date":"12 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Severe weather forces a Table Mountain National Park closure affecting hiking trails, picnic sites and visitor facilities across Cape Town.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Table Mountain shut due to stormy weather.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ZkbVote.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ZkbVote.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ZkbVote.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ZkbVote.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ZkbVote.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ZkbVote.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"People's Post","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47657\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47657"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=47657"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=47657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}