By Caryn Dolley

The status of Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) as a Natural World Heritage Site may be in jeopardy because of increasing attacks on visitors, says The Mountain Club of SA (MCSA).

But TMNP believes its status is not at risk because it is "taking reasonable measures to manage the problem".

In the latest incident, a 46-year-old Claremont cyclist was robbed of his bicycle at gunpoint below the King's Blockhouse on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, in an act of desperation to "get the message out there", the MCSA's Cape Town division took the unprecedented step of sending out a crime warning to media organisations, international mountain climbing associations and hiking clubs.

Vice-chairperson Stephen Davey said it was concerned about the crime level on Table Mountain, which he believed was at risk of having its properties deleted from the World Heritage List.

"In June 2004, the Cape Floristic Region, which includes TMNP, was declared to be of universal significance to humanity and inscribed as a Unesco Natural World Heritage Site. But if humanity can't go up there without being affected by crime then there's clearly a problem.

"It's an obligation to ensure both locals and tourists are safe when they visit the mountain and, at the moment, they aren't. If a country isn't fulfilling its obligations, it's at risk," he said.

According to the Unesco website, maintenance reports on heritage sites were evaluated every six years; meaning reports on TMNP would be examined by the World Heritage Committee in 2010.

"States have an obligation to regularly prepare reports about the state of conservation and the various protection measures put in place at their sites.

"These reports allow the World Heritage Committee to assess the conditions at the sites and, eventually, to decide on the necessity of adopting specific measures to resolve recurrent problems. One of such measures could be the inscription of a property on the List of World Heritage in Danger," it said.

Davey said it felt TMNP was not doing enough to make people aware of crime.

"As the senior mountaineering organisation in SA, we need to make sure there is a firm warning. These are the facts. Crime is a reality."

He said it had sent out the warning to at least 1 700 members, placed it on its national website and had sent it to the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation, and the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme, which consists of mountain clubs around the world.

But Phumeza Mgxashe, TMNP communications manager, said it was doing everything to address muggings.

She said two key criteria to qualify as a Natural Heritage Site had been its natural environment and quality of its management.

"Another thing is if we're doing enough to manage a problem. We are taking reasonable measures and don't think our status as a World Heritage Site will be jeopardised. But visitors and hikers should walk in groups and not carry valuables. They should also immediately contact our centre, on 086 110 6417, if they notice suspicious characters."

Mgxashe said 52 rangers patrolled the mountain daily and 200 volunteers at the weekends.

But Guy Lanfear, the cyclist robbed on Tuesday, said this was not enough and felt it a shame the mountain was unsafe.

"It's no different from being attacked outside your home. But our mountain is our asset. I think this will affect tourists sooner or later. People will look at it but won't want to go near it."

Sources: iol