SANParks Outlines Table Mountain National Park Festive Season Safety and Security Plans
South African National Parks (SANParks) today outlined its festive season safety and security plans for Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). The plans comprise both interventions undertaken by SANParks as well as a collaborative relationship which enables an expansion of personnel as well as other resources available for safety and security.
The TMNP Safety and Security Forum has been resuscitated and is meeting regularly to assess and define approaches to joint plans and operations. Members of this forum are SANParks, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the City of Cape Town (CoCT). The forum has already proven valuable for the purposes of streamlined and optimal deployment of resources to target crime and share intelligence aimed at informing operations.
Since the start of the festive season campaign there have been 6 successful arrests of multiple suspects through joint operations of SANParks, SAPS and CoCT enabled through the TMNP Safety and Security Forum.
Another collaborative effort which will result in additional physical presence is the deployment of about 70 Tourism Monitors supported by the Department of Tourism. These monitors are intended to deploy on 15 December 2023.
In addition, SANParks has 112 rangers in its employ in TMNP of which 15 are members of the special operations rangers division otherwise known as the Sea, Air and Mountain team (SEAM). These are highly skilled rangers with a K9 unit of six fully trained dogs and a specialised operations centre which supports the area integrity management of TMNP. This group covers multiple functions which include visitor safety, search and rescue for lost persons and illicit wildlife crime such as abalone poaching.
The rangers in TMNP recorded 36 successful apprehensions since their deployment. Their presence in the marine protected area incorporating Cape Point, Simons Town, Houtbay and stretching up to Robben Island has seen over 18 successful operations.
SANParks also advertised 20 vacant positions in its TMNP Ranger Services Department consisting of 9 field rangers, 6 Section Rangers, 1 Senior Section Ranger, 2 Field Ranger Sergeants, 1 Liaison Office and 1 Information Officer.
In support of aerial surveillance, drone assistance will also be in use particularly to track any threats, detect fires and assist in rescue operations. Deployments will also include vessel patrols in the Marine Protected Areas. In addition, 580 persons in contracted crews for fire management are on standby at Newlands and Kloofnek fire bases to tackle any fire on the mountain and its surroundings.
TMNP is unique as it is surrounded by a densely populated urban area whilst it is an open-access park with about 850 kilometres of trails. Open access means easy access for people to use the park from many different free entry points but also means the park is easy for criminals to access and exit. Crime that occurs in the urban area tends to spill over into TMNP.
Safety and security plans in place are cognisant of these realities. There is now increased visibility on the ground, in the sea, mountain and increased aerial deployment with a SANParks helicopter assisting with daily aerial observation during the festive season.
