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Hiking News Item
Crime Warning for Hiking and Tourists
WEDNESDAY, 29 AUGUST 2007
The Mountain Club of South Africa (Cape Town Section) hereby issues notice to all mountaineers, hikers and tourists that there have been a number of attacks on hikers and tourists on Table Mountain over the last few years and particularly over the last months. Some attacks have been violent. Despite attempts by the
Table Mountain National Park Authorities to address the problem, regular attacks still occur. The Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) was founded in 1891 and is affiliated to the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA).This crime warning will be placed on the MCSA’s website and will be forwarded to the UIAA. The crime warning will also be provided to all visiting hikers and tourists that approach the MCSA for advice. Various appropriate safety precautions are provided on http://3poles.co.za. It should be noted however that walking in larger groups, while recommended, is not entirely risk-free.
The MCSA and individual members of the MCSA have engaged with the management of the Table Mountain National Park and with the Table Mountain Safety Action Group (TMSAG) in an effort to find solutions to thiscrime problem. The MCSA will continue to do this.
However, ultimately the State is responsible for the safety of its citizens and visitors to South Africa. Therefore the MCSA urges the Table Mountain National Park and its government partners such as the South African Police Services and the City of Cape Town to take all the appropriate steps necessary to reduce the number of attacks on Table Mountain and to ensure that the criminals are arrested and prosecuted.
In June 2004, the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), which includes the Table Mountain National Park, was declared to be of universal significance to humanity and was inscribed as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, in terms of the World Heritage Convention. The credibility of World Heritage Sites stems from countries’ regular reporting to the World Heritage Committee. The State Party is required to report on the degree to which the property is threatened by particular problems and risks. If a country is not fulfilling its obligations under the Convention, it risks having its properties deleted from the World Heritage List.
The South African Government therefore also has an international obligation to reduce the risk of crime within the Table Mountain National Park. In the meantime it is recommended that all hikers and visitors to Table Mountain should reduce the risks by taking the appropriate safety precautions.
Issued by:
The Mountain Club of South Africa
(Cape Town Section)
97 Hatfield Street
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel: +27 21 465 3412
Fax: +27 21 461 8456
E-mail: mcsacapetown@iafrica.com
Source:
www.uiaa.ch
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