TOURIST GROUPS ROBBED ON TABLE MOUNTAIN

On a personal level, I think that the whole thing is a lot more than just 'unfortunate'! Don't you? This is just really bad for South Africans in general. Table mountain is one of our draw cards, and these people are messing with the tourist trade. They are putting all of us at risk! remember folks, it is almost that time of the year again, there will always be people who would like to part you from your hard earned moola and possessions.

Be aware and be safe

Tourist groups robbed on Table Mountain
Helen Bamford
December 16 2006 at 10:45AM

Three groups of foreign tourists were robbed on Table Mountain by knife-wielding men within hours of each other this week. The 14 tourists included Germans and Australians. Table Mountain National Park security scoured the mountain above Kirstenbosch and Nursery Ravine where the robberies took place but the men evaded detection. They did find an overhanging rock which appeared to have been used as a shelter by the men. Police spokesperson Randall Stoffels confirmed that the tourists were threatened with knives and forced to hand over cash, cameras and cellphones. He said a robbery charge was being investigated. Park spokesperson Evelyn Holtzhausen said the incidents occurred on Wednesday.

The first victims were a German couple. About an hour later what is believed to be the same group of men allegedly robbed a group of four foreign hikers before attacking a family of eight Australians. Kirstenbosch estate manager Augustine Morkel said the three robbers were "African" men in their early 20s and had been wearing tracksuits and tackies, pretending to be hikers. "They robbed the groups one by one. I think they thought that if they took the cellphones no one would be able to call for help," he said. Morkel said the Table Mountain National Park had sent up extra security to Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge where some of the stolen goods had been recovered. Holtzhausen said the group on the Hoerikwaggo trail, which included foreign visitors, had two guides with them, one of whom had security training. Park managers were "incredibly concerned" about safety on the mountain and had beefed up security after earlier attacks. Last month knife-wielding robbers attacked two couples in Kirstenbosch within 15 minutes of each other. An Irish couple on holiday in Cape Town were attacked first, followed by two Belgian women who live here. Holtzhausen said the Table Mountain National Park had 90 security guards and six dogs who patrolled the mountain. Cape Town Tourism general manager Mariette du Toit called the robberies "unfortunate".

This article was originally published on page 2 of Cape Argus on December 16, 2006