GEORGE NEWS - Widespread concerns regarding the safety of hiking trails in the Wilderness area were raised after two German couples were robbed in Wilderness last Sunday.
The first couple was robbed while hiking on the railway line between Victoria Bay and Wilderness when two suspects approached them at about 11:30 on Sunday morning. The male suspects were armed with knives and threatened the couple, said Captain Malcom Pojie, Southern Cape Police spokesperson.
The tourists were robbed of two iPhones, a Samsung cellphone, jewellery, R2 500 in cash and a Sony camera. The suspects are still at large.
The second couple was also robbed at knifepoint on Wilderness Beach in the Sandhoogte area. This incident happened within an hour after the first one, about 6km away. Two suspects (19 and 25) were apprehended. The couple's belongings - two iPhones and a handbag with their passports and euros - were retrieved.
Unfortunately, the couple did not want to open a case, said Pojie. "They can't testify in court because they are returning to Germany." The couple left the country on Tuesday, traumatised but unharmed, stating that this was their first and last visit to South Africa.
The police are certain that the two incidents are unrelated, said Pojie. "We have to warn the public that several small groups of criminals are operating in those areas and it is very unsafe to hike - especially on the railway line - in groups smaller than three people. Make sure there are always men in the hiking group," he said.
Residents didn't waste any time sharing their opinions on the George Herald's Facebook page. Some believe the current state of affairs is due to Government's inaction to curb criminal activity, whereas others say Germany is not much better off at the moment. "It wasn't a good experience, but to write a whole country off because of a bad experience is a bit harsh," read one comment.
An article regarding the increase of robberies on the railway line above the Victoria Bay Beach was published in the George Herald on 24 December last year. Frequent robberies and attacks on this line, the caves situated there as well as hiking trails in the Wilderness area, are a big concern to guesthouse owners in Wilderness.
Anyone with information regarding the first incident can contact the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Malan, at the George Detectives on 044 803 4764, 082 297 9629 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Two male suspects (14 and 21) were arrested last Saturday (9 January) for the possession of dangerous weapons (a knife and screwdriver), which the police believe are used to threaten victims when robbed. The 14-year-old who was in possession of the screwdriver was later released.
However, the 21-year-old suspect from Zone 5 in Thembalethu was charged with the possession of dangerous weapons.
He appeared in court on Monday and was remanded pending further investigation. It was established that he can be linked to at least one robbery on the N2, three similar robberies on the railway bridge as well as a robbery in Thembalethu.
The map shows exactly where a German couple was robbed at knifepoint on Wilderness Beach at Sandhoogte last Sunday. Map: supplied by Wild News/Wild Info
Local tourism may suffer due to armed attacks
In an interview with Jacques Pratt, the editor of the online community paper Wild News, the second German couple talked about their ordeal. When asked whether they would ever visit Wilderness again, they responded, "A big no. Never SA again. This was our first, but also our last negative experience here."
The couple was hiking the Pied Kingfisher Trail, which starts at Ebb & Flow - the Wilderness National Park. They had finished about three quarters of the trail when they were approached by two male suspects on Wilderness Beach at Sandhoogte.
SANParks rangers are on high alert after the incident, says Carel van der Merwe, acting section manager for the Wilderness Garden Route National Park. "We have increased the visibility of rangers to patrol all areas and also hired additional security guards to tighten security measures."
In November last year Michael Riley, a visitor from Switzerland, was assaulted for the second time in South Africa during a hike on the Choo Tjoe railway line.
In a letter to the George Herald he talks about his ordeal, and the "lack of warnings" to visitors. He ends his letter, "Let us visitors into the secret - what's really going on in your area? We want to be told, otherwise we'll take our money elsewhere - big time if anyone listens to me." Read Riley's full letter on the letters pages.
Meanwhile, George Municipality requested the police to enhance their visibility. They are currently patrolling the hiking trail from the old bridge to the waterfall.
"Police do patrol the area, but it is sometimes difficult to act in a preventative manner because the attackers hide in dense bushes," said Debra Sauer, George Municipality assistant media liaison officer.
ARTICLE: MICHELLE PIENAAR, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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