Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
26 November 2023 | 18:37 CAT

Picture: 123RF/HANDMADEPICTURES

The Friends of Table Mountain is calling on Minister Barbara Greecy, the SANParks board and Batten executives to prioritize the care of Table Mountain National Park.

Table Mountain is a highly profitable park for SANParks, but they need more funding to deal with crime, infrastructure decay and invasive alien vegetation.

“The public continues to be disappointed and have lost all faith in South African National Parks (SANParks’) ability to effectively manage Table Mountain National Park (TMNP),” read a statement from Friends of Table Mountain (FOTM).

The trails have fallen to disrepair, with boardwalks missing slats, slats loose or broken and nails sticking out of them.

FOTM members believe the City of Cape Town will make better use of the revenue generated by TMNP to rehabilitate and upkeep the trails. They acknowledge the city can be held more effectively accountable by mountain users and understand the local context better.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) reported that in the 2019/2020 financial year, TMNP generated more than R371 million, but only R99 million was reinvested in operations.

Most of that revenue is generated from Cape Point at R216 million, followed by Boulders (R90.5 million) and Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (R39.7 million).

“If the City had that income, that could spend a lot more money on the mountain,” said FOTM chairperson Andy Davies.

Davies pointed out that in February 2021, SANParks said at a press conference that TMNP is a “difficult” park to manage.

“So, if it’s a difficult part to manage, then they need to apply more resources to it,” said Davies.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Annisa Essack.