The urge to be healthy and live an active lifestyle is one many people share, especially after the cabin fever and unhealthy eating habits that came with the lockdown last year.
For residents in and around the Kloofendal area, the free entry to the Kloofendal Nature Reserve presented the perfect opportunity to get in some exercise while also admiring the stunning flora and fauna. However, this ecological wonderland has left a few women feeling unsafe after two weekend muggings were reported on the reserve’s hiking trails.
The reserve has received two written reports of muggings on the Yellow/ Rocky Ridge trail where women (walking alone or in a small group) were held up by a man with a knife while walking down the last long ‘staircase’ on the western side of the reserve. The first incident occurred at approximately 2pm on Sunday, 28 February and the second on Saturday, 6 March at approximately 4.30pm. Between the two confirmed muggings, a cell phone, shoes and a watch were stolen. A third mugging was reported on Facebook, but this incident has not yet been confirmed.
Infuriated by the afternoon attacks, Ward 85 councillor Sonja Meyer and Friends of Kloofendal (FroK) have been working together with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) to gather as much information as they could and hopefully find a solution. Sonja made contact with JCPZ soon after she was notified about the incidents, requesting measures to ensure visitors’ safety, one of her recommendations being, introducing more stringent security measures, especially at the entrance of the reserve.
On the morning of Tuesday, 9 March, FroK Chairperson, Steve Spottiswoode was accompanied by two security officers and two staff members on the reserve to conduct a site visit, where they identified the most likely place a person may have entered the western side of the reserve. Steve confirmed that JCPZ and their on-site security company (Will to Win Security) will be increasing security on that side of the reserve in hopes of preventing any further incidents and apprehending any potential suspects.
He added that Will to Win will continually assess the situation together with JCPZ, FroK and members of the public. FroK recommended that anyone utilising the reserve trails take additional steps to ensure their personal safety, such as walking in larger groups or during busy periods of the day. “Weekend mornings are typically quite busy and therefore possibly safer,” said Steve. He further recommended avoiding the section of the Yellow trail where the muggings occurred by taking the shortcut located between a bench and a pylon shown on the following map:
The emergency contact at the reserve is Phillip Mkhombo. If a hiker is in trouble, Phillip can be contacted by calling or sending a WhatsApp to 074 422 0659, alternatively, his office number is 011 760 9143 for calls.
Roodepoort Police spokesperson, Captain Juanita Yorke, has been contacted for confirmation of the muggings and comment on the issue, but by the time of publication a response had not been received.
