Plans rolled out to make Joburg’s parks and hiking trails safer

Jozi Trails, a non-profit organisation which manages the 37km-long public nature trail along the Braamfontein Spruit in Johannesburg, on Tuesday said six robberies took place between Jan Smuts Avenue and Winnie Mandela Drive from December 18 2023 to February 10 2024.

These were all targeted at cyclists, mostly around the DowgBox Jumps near Old Parks. 

Conor Fincham, Jozi Trails marketing manager, said it's believed at least half the incidents were perpetrated by the same armed group.

“Between November 23 2023 and February 18 2024 there were two incidents in the Emmarentia botanical gardens. The February 24 2024 incident was the first reported incident in Delta Park since May 18 2023,” he said.

He was referring to an incident t on Saturday between 6.30pm and 7pm when a man walking his two dogs at Delta Park was shot and wounded. 

“He was approached by two men, one armed. Details are unclear but several shots were fired. The man was struck in the stomach and the neck. He was transferred to hospital where he remains in ICU.

“One dog suffered a gunshot wound and died at the scene. The unarmed man was seen running east down Bantam Drive, Blairgowrie. It is unknown where the shooter escaped to,” said Fincham. 

He said several 9mm castings were found at the scene.

Fincham said to create a safe zone for park users, Jozi Trails has set up patrols by community volunteers called trail guardians.

“They will observe and report anything or anyone along the trail that looks suspicious so local security service providers can come to check.

“The task of the trail guardians is simply to walk the route, observe and, if needed, report anything that needs checking. The trail guardians will patrol in groups. The route to be patrolled is from Conrad Drive to and around Delta Park. Patrols will happen twice a day, between 6am (6.30am in winter) and 8am in the morning and between 4pm and 6pm in the afternoon,” he said.

He said Vumacam's SafeCity initiative was also providing support.

Vumacam's cameras provide strategic oversight of an area and allow security partners — 24/7 Security, Beagle Watch, CAP Security and Fidelity ADT — who have agreed to provide monitoring and on-the-ground support to act swiftly, should an incident or suspected incident take place.

Fincham said having eyes and ears on the trail during peak visitor times is one of the many ways they are ramping up safety.

“To start with, we’ve employed four security guards we call JT bobbies to patrol the whole phase 1 area (from Conrad Drive to Emmarentia, including Delta Park) from 6am to 6pm on weekends. They are easy to spot on their JT bikes wearing 24/7 Security uniforms with a Jozi Trails logo on the front and they’ll be happy to assist if you need directions, advice or any other help,” he said.

Jozi Trails encourages victims of crimes to report incidents, as this will help them get a combined view of all the incidents that have taken place.

“With that, we can focus our energy in the right direction, hot spots and so on. The police put more focus and resources into areas that receive a high number of documented incidents. The more cases opened, the easier it is to get police to support the Jozi Trails initiatives in those areas.”

Fincham said police need case numbers to link crimes and get effective prosecutions.

He said: “Crime is, unfortunately, a common occurrence in Johannesburg. As members of the community, we have a duty to report such incidents to the proper authorities. As stats gain accuracy through consistent reporting and following correct procedure, so do the wheels of justice gain momentum. The probability of forceable action increases drastically if everyone makes it their responsibility to report criminal activities.”

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