Table Mountain National Park has urged hikers and other visitors to be careful when navigating through the extensive stretch of nature in Cape Town.
Over the weekend, the Slangkop Tented Camp in Kommetjie along Table Mountain was hit by thieves overnight.
A group of guests was robbed of their belongings, but no one was harmed during the incident.
The park's hospitality services manager, Saskia Marlowe, says this is the first such incident at the Slangkop camp.
Marlowe says security interventions have since been implemented.
She adds that the site will provisionally be kept open as officials monitor the situation with extreme vigilance.
Last month, park management announced that another popular hikers' camp spot, Orange Kloof Tented Camp, would be closed until March 2019 due to a spate of robberies.
Read: Table Mountain camp closed to tighten security after spike in robberies
Marlowe offered some advice to anyone who will be accessing Table Mountain this season.
10 safety tips when on Table Mountain:
- never hike alone
- always load correct emergency numbers on cellphones
- dial the City of Cape Town emergency centre on 021 480 7700
- dial Wilderness Search and Rescue mountain rescue on 021 937 0300
- load a safe hiking app on your phone
- inform people of where you are going and what route you'll take on the trail
- ensure that you know the route well beforehand
- always wear the correct gear, shoes, hat to accommodate for weather
- always have enough water on hand
- hire the services of a guide, if you are new to the city
Marlowe maintains that park rangers are working jointly with Saps, metro police and community forums to ensure safety on the mountain.
Also read: Two men get away with R70 000 in robbery at Cape Town's World of Birds
The group found that a few of their items had been removed from their tents.
— Saskia Marlowe, Hospitality Services, Film and Events manager at Table Mountain National Park
No one was injured and no one was in the camp when the incident occurred, as far as we are aware.
— Saskia Marlowe, Hospitality Services, Film and Events manager at Table Mountain National Park
Currently, we're not considering closing the Slangkop tented camp. We've employed a range of security interventions.
— Saskia Marlowe, Hospitality Services, Film and Events manager at Table Mountain National Park
We're very hopeful that, should there be an incident, we'll be on top of it before it occurs.
— Saskia Marlowe, Hospitality Services, Film and Events manager at Table Mountain National Park
We implore all visitors not to hike alone.
— Saskia Marlowe, Hospitality Services, Film and Events manager at Table Mountain National Park
Listen to the discussion on The Pippa Hudson Show:
This article first appeared on CapeTalk : 10 safety tips from Sanparks following latest robbery at Table Mountain camp
