Diane Brooks, Tokai
I am busy reading the article “Group mountain stabbing suspects identikit released,” Echo, February 8 by Yolande du Preez on page 7 and feel compelled to write this email. Her paragraph starting “While SANParks are ultimately responsible for safety within Table Mountain National Park.” refers:
SANParks are not ultimately responsible for anyone’s safety. There are crime alerts and disclaimers at every entrance to the park and to trails. You enter at your own risk.
I am really tired of people complaining that SANParks need to keep them safe on the mountain. Anybody with half a brain can surely understand that a park of this magnitude cannot be covered by security guards 24/7.
SANParks’s mandate is conservation and not security. They have limited staff, due to budgets and they do the best they can, with the resources and funding available. It is time to assist them and to stop criticising.
If one gets mugged while walking down the street, who are they going to blame for not “keeping them safe”? The City of Cape Town? SAPS? Jan van Riebeeck?
We live in a violent society and need to start taking care of ourselves and not expecting anybody else to do it for us! Rant over.
