Situation in Groenkloof desperate
The mayor of Tshwane to be approached to intervene in the criminal activity in the Groenkloof Nature Reserve.
The metro is to be petitioned about recurring attacks and robberies in Groenkloof Nature Reserve.
The petition, which had more than 2 200 signatures by Wednesday morning, urges mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to step in.
The document says in part: “It is clear that if the appropriate action is not undertaken soon Groenkloof and Klapperkop nature reserves will, like the Fountains reserve, be lost to the community of Tshwane.”
At least five criminal attacks had been reported to the Groenkloof management since the beginning of the year, Tshwane spokesman Lindela Mashigo said.
Several other attacks, including the latest two weeks ago in which two hikers were robbed and almost raped, had not been reported to either the reserve management or the police.
Mashigo said safety measures were put in place in sections of the reserve considered to be dangerous.
The reserve had a patrolling team on some of the trials working in conjunction with the metro police.
A high-level security cluster had also been established to address the crime, not only in the nature reserve but also in the residential part of Groenkloof.
Tshwane MMC for economic development and planning, Subesh Pillay, has spearheaded the
establishment of the cluster and a meeting is scheduled for 10 May. A venue for the meeting has not yet been established.
The petition was being widely circulated among Friends of Groenkloof and Facebook.
“Over the past two years a number of patrons to the Groenkloof Nature reserve have been attacked and robbed, mostly at knife point. These incidents have been increasing with dramatic effect with at least one attack a month since the beginning of this year,” states the petition.
“The latest attack on two female hikers on the weekend of 10th April 2016 had a very
disturbing codicil to it where the assailants threatened to rape their victims, thankfully they were unharmed. What is more alarming this follows an attack on a couple the day before, which highlights the fact the current management team are not able to deal with the situation.”
According to the petition, the Fountains Reserve, is adjacent to Groenkloof, had a network of excellent mountain bike and running trails which, thanks to similar incidents, were no longer being frequented by the users they were intended for.
“Due to the inactivity this trail are overgrown and in a state of disrepair and it appears that vagrants are starting to occupy the area.”
To prevent this from happening to Groenkloof, residents and interested parties were asked to sign the petition which will be delivered to Ramokgopa.
The end of Groenkloof Nature Reserve
Two more attacks in Groenkloof
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