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TUESDAY 2 March 2021 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
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People’s Post
Matrics’ anticipation now over
Top achiever Nicole Abrahams with parents Chantal and Randall.
It was a long wait, but it was worth it. Following an academic year severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown, learners from across the southern suburbs gathered at their respective high schools at noon on Tuesday 23 February to collect their matric results. Expectation hung in the air as learners lined up to receive their matric certificates. Nika Hofmey with seven subject distinctions and an aggregate of 95.83% was the top achiever at Rustenburg Girls’ High School. Here she shares the moment with Rustenburg principal Michael Gates. Excitement also ran high at Abbott’s College in Claremont, where Nicole Abrahams was one of Abbott’s top 10 achievers. She is on her way to Stellenbosch University where she will study medicine.
PHOTO: NETTALIE VILJOEN
NEWLANDS
New centre to fight crime NETTALIE VILJOEN NETTALIE.VILJOEN@MEDIA24.COM
S
ANParks will soon be launching an operations centre in Newlands to improve its crime-fighting initiatives. The public entity tasked with managing Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) shared this news with People’s Post as part of its response to a media query regarding security at Newlands Forest parking areas (“Parking lot is hotspot”, People’s Post, 23 February). Last week, Claremont police warned that criminals were targeting vehicles parked in the parking lot, the M3 and other adjacent roads. SANParks said it was aware of the theft out of vehicles and of vehicles from the M3 and the parking areas. However, in contradiction to information provided by the police, SANParks said these parking areas were not on SANParks property. “SANParks participates in joint operations in this area, even though the area is outside its jurisdiction, and if there is any outward
activity happening our rangers are empowered to intervene,” says SANParks spokesperson Lauren Clayton. Luthando Tyhalibongo, the City of Cape Town’s spokesperson, says the parking area at Newlands Forest is owned by the City and that the City is responsible for general physical maintenance of the parking area. “As for safety and security, this remains a crime prevention mandate and function of the police. The City does not have the resources – be it in terms of money or human resources – to take over this responsibility from the police; or to use our finite budget to appoint private security guards,” Tyhalibongo says. Table Mountain trails have long been a hotspot for muggings. On Saturday 6 February, two joggers were attacked and robbed of their cellphones along Tafelberg Road. Clayton says visitor safety rangers are deployed daily to congested and high-volume visitor sites. “We, however, need to recognise that the park is primarily free and open access with a crime spillover from the city, caused mainly by socio-economic conditions.” The restrictions that, until recently, were
placed on beaches also led to a higher number of visitors to the mountain, increasing pressure on already stretched resources. “The park is big – it covers 26 000 hectares with 90% open access, with no fences and people entering and exiting at different points,” she says. According to Clayton, it is not possible for a single agency to prevent crime or promote safety. “Henceforth our participation in joint operations with City law enforcement, the police, Metro police and neighbourhood watches, which have been very successful.” SANParks has also partnered with Table Mountain Aerial Cableway to make use of its surveillance cameras to monitor incidents, 40 Working on Fire employees are providing support to its rangers and honorary rangers patrol some of the areas. “We had the use of a helicopter to provide air support. Unfortunately, it crashed and is in the process of being repaired,” Clayton says, adding that SANParks is in the process of considering additional support in the form of volunteers to enhance its capabilities. Andy Davies of Friends of Table Mountain, a lobby group for the better management of
TMNP, says there has been some good work from SANParks on the mountain, but, he adds, there remains much to be done after years of neglect. In a post on the lobby group’s Facebook page, Davies said they had seen some progress with path clearing, particularly on Devils Peak, Constantia Nek and Smuts Track. “SANParks have made an attempt over the festive season to improve safety and security (with a helicopter, Working On Fire acting as rangers and a new high-powered camera). However, crime doesn’t stop when the festive season ends.” Davies said the feedback they were getting from the public is that SANParks rangers are very rarely seen on the mountain. “The canine unit has been non-existent for over a year which is a symptom of the bigger management problem,” he said. In a CapeTalk radio interview, Davies stated SANParks had 16 trained dog rangers but that it didn’t have any dogs. “They retired all their dogs. We need to see a full dog contingent. You cannot police the park without a good dog contingent,” he told Pippa Hudson.
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