River Rat

http://www.news24.com/Video/Sport/watch-proteas-respond-to-adelaide-reporter-shoving-incident-20161121 Channel Whine doing it's best to help their team.

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/164332-is-groenkloof-nature-reserve-any-safer-now/?source=lfp Bit more info.

Yes.

Another opportunity to try out the canoeing leg and meet your potential partner will be held this Saturday at 7:30 am. Will cost R10 to enter the reserve and boats, paddles and Life jackets will be provided by Centurion Canoe Club. Last Saturday's session was a great success with all the participants managing to paddle when teamed up with an experienced paddler. We even had two lady novices managing to paddle in a K1 and eventually teaming up in a K2 without a swim.

Centurion Canoe Club are hosting a training session this Saturday 3rd September at 8:00 to give potential participants an opportunity to try out canoeing and perhaps link you up with suitable partner. Check it out on https://www.facebook.com/TrailAdventure-Canoe-TriAthlons-1777669555836867/

It will be interesting to see if other Canoe Unions catch on to this as a way to promote the sport. But the format requires you to team up with a novice (someone who has never been registered with The South African Canoe Union).

If you've ever wanted to give canoeing a go here's your chance. The idea is team a novice up with an experienced canoeist so if you're keen drop me a PM and I'll sort you out with a partner.

Event Name: TrailAdventure Canoe Triathlon When: 6 November 2016 Where: Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng Category: Multisport A team is comprised of two people. The team cost is R200 i.e. R100 each Both members of the team will paddle together, both members will cycle the route on a mountain bike and both members will do the run together. You only qualify as a finisher if both members of the team finish everything. You can do the race with anyone you want but if you are a registered canoeist you will not be allowed to do it with another registered canoeist ( this is to promote canoeing) You don't have to be a member of any club or Organization and don't have to have a dam proficiency for the race, but you must be able to swim and life jackets and helmets are compulsary You need any type of canoe that takes two people but it does not have to be a fiberglass racing canoe. It can be a plastic canoe or any other sit on top stable boat. (no motorized boats unless you are over the age of 110) The canoe laps will be short. 4 x2 kilometers and there will be safety boats. There is no cut offs for any of the legs and everyone gets the same medal as the winner. There will be prize money sponsored by KeyHealth for the racing snakes in the following team categories only. Male, Female, Mixed, Juniors under 18 girls and boys, Parent and Child, Masters - Male and Female and Mixed over 50 ( not much money for over 50's, these are the people that did Iron man in a canoe, not many left) The mountain bike route is not very technical and can be completed by almost anyone. The same with the trail run. Yes you are allowed to walk up the hills No you not allowed dogs There will be food and drinks available. There are change rooms and showers Only pre entries and only 100 teams no exception and no favour so please enter early on www.entrytime.com. I see already the response has been very good. Members of canoe clubs including Centurion Canoe club must enter online and no on the day or late entries will be accepted. You can enter as a single entry for R 150 but it will be frowned upon, so please find a mate We will have our first "test the team" on the dam on Saturday 3 rd September at Rietvlei Dam where canoes will be available to test and use from our club and members. We will also have a basic coaching forum of "what not to do" starting at 8 am. The fee to enter on that day is R10 at the gate of the reserve. Any further questions gouldie@icon.co.za Go to Event Page

When victims become survivors and ultimately heroes! "On 19 July was a year ago when my kids n I was attacked / armed robbed at fortklapperkop. A place where viewing nature , the animals and the view of the jacaranda city had ended. With the help of the community CPF sector 4 Brooklyn Marcel n team cyclists Rob King did a hike on the area of the attack. With the good eyes and determination found one attacker who was positively identified by Kiaraa as the person who had given her the blue eye n bust nose. He was in police custody since then with no feedback and in June this year , I testified and so did Kiaraa. A brave minor who requested not to testify behind a camera but face him once more. She said that she needs to do this to save what was her and brothers place❤️. Today sentencing was passed for armed robbery with 13 years of imprisonment. YAY YAY delighted we are. Thank you Marcel CPF sector 4, John Crewe , Rob King, Subesh Pillay Arthur Crewe and all the well wishes of recovery to us. The support was awesome from all. There is always one light burning . Always stand up , fight for your passion n belief which will result in justice being served." This is a Facebook post from Dashinee Naicker, first of all well done to the Naicker family and well done to the cycling community it started right here on the BikeHub, we have a long road to travel but we're already making an impact.

Last week when we rode in Groenkloof it was a case of one eye on the track and the other scanning for criminals. Saturday was like embracing a long lost relative, you only realize how much you've missed them when you see them again. I found new friends in Mieke, John and Rudi, with my wife conquering her demons that have occupied her thoughts for more than a year. There were some old friends out to greet us and we discovered the mystical Unicorn.

Groenkloof Safety Update More than two months have passed since our public meeting on the 10th May 2016 and I think that it is time to reflect on what we have or not have achieved since then. To start off council have fulfilled most of their undertakings made at the meeting. The electric fence has been repaired, the fencing to the northern section of Groenkloof Nature reserve has been improved and Metro police are patrolling the reserve itself. All good and well but have we achieved our objective of a safe Groenkloof yet and if I answered that question a fortnight ago I would have to say emphatically NO! To elaborate four attacks have occurred since our meeting one in Groenkloof and three in the adjacent Klapperkop Reserve, not a great record at all. Reading this it may surprise you that although I’m appalled by the attacks I’m actually very positive about the future. First of all, it is the attitude of council that is most pleasing, I have had five separate meetings with Council (including representation from Metro Police and Reserve Management) and SAPS, these meetings would not have been possible 6 months ago. Council have realised that not only Groenkloof but all the adjacent reserves represent a unique economic development opportunity for the City of Tshwane. The long term plan is to coordinate the activities, marketing and safety initiatives of Groenkloof, Voortrekker Monument, Freedom Park, Salvokop, Fountains and Klapperkop into one seamless eco precinct, perhaps Tshwane’s version of New York’s Central Park. You may ask how does this help our current situation? Well, the important issue is to realise that Council see this opportunity as strategic and are therefore prepared to invest in the area, a vital shift in mind set! As I said at one of meetings with Council whilst I’m excited about the future prospects for the city I likened our conversations to “talks about draining the swamps whilst we’re up to our necks in crocodiles”. Fortunately this has been addressed and a separate Safety and Security subcommittee has been established and we’ve had two meetings already. So where are we now? Well let’s start with the attack in Groenkloof which took place on a Thursday afternoon, before the fence was upgraded, further Metro Police did not patrol during the week at that stage. At yesterday’s meeting I was told that Metro Police are now permanently patrolling Groenkloof during daylight hours including weekdays. I personally saw Metro Police patrols as well as the reserve staff patrolling the northern boundary while riding there last Saturday. You may ask how can we be sure whether this is indeed permanent or not, I’m quite upbeat about this as I have personally witnessed Reserve management holding their Metro Police colleague’s feet to the fire when this does not happen and the subsequent proof that any lapse was addressed. I believe that Groenkloof is significantly safer now than compared to a month ago. The increased activity in Groenkloof has undoubtedly displaced the criminals into Klapperkop reserve where we experienced three separate attacks. The positive out of this is that our community safety initiative has born some fruit and two alleged perpetrators were apprehended thanks to the combined efforts Hi Risk Security Unit and SAPS. This arrest tested whether our legal system was ready to take these guys off the streets and protect us. Sadly, this process left a lot to be desired and there was a chance that these guys would be released before an ID parade could be held. Thanks to a pressure created by the witnesses, Council and myself this has been addressed and an ID parade was held. One of the accused has been positively linked to 4 separate cases and the other one to two of those cases, these cases occurred in both Groenkloof and Klapperkop during the last 6 months. A number of issues emerged from this, SAPS were not convinced that the witnesses would make the effort to identify their attackers which is often the case. I can say with pride that thanks to their courage and determination those attacked have come to the party and have broken this paradigm and we have a very motivated Capt Kgobisa from Pretoria Central who is determined to see this prosecution through to success. Further, the coordination between Central and Sunnyside Police stations left a lot to be desired but thankfully this seems to be resolved and another ID parade is to be held on Monday to see if these guys can be linked to cases under Sunnyside’s jurisdiction. I don’t believe that the arrest of these two has solved the crime problem in Klapperkop and I urge you to be careful when visiting this reserve. However, the future for Klapperkop is very positive and the plan is to control access to the reserve on a permanent basis by installing gates at both the entrances and manning these on a full time basis. You will be required to sign in when you enter and exit the reserve during the day. The gates will be closed at night and only those with a valid reason will be granted access. Regular visitors will be issued with an access card to expedite access the full details and timing of these measure will be confirmed when I meet with council on Monday. This might attract some resistance but near in mind that Klapperkop is a proclaimed nature reserve and the necessary way leave has been granted, the inconvenience is truly a small price to pay to insure our safety. In the short term Metro Police are patrolling the road during peak training hours and will extend this to the jeep track adjacent to the fence line once these have been graded to allow access for 4 x 2 vehicles. I have raised the issue of improving the fence along the R21 and George Storrar drive but this requires budget approval as the expense is circa R2 million. Many of you have asked about the public meeting that council committed to, I might be wrong here but I made the call that I’m able to adequately update all of you via this medium which negates the need for a public meeting. This does not mean that we will not have another public meeting as I do believe that this has been very effective in getting council to do the right thing. Rest assured that I will put out the clarion call for your assistance if I see that council is wavering in their commitment and we cannot get them on board. Finally, I think it is necessary to acknowledge that council are doing what they can to make the area safer and for this to continue we need to make sure that they stay motivated by using Groenkloof albeit cautiously. Bear in mind that they are losing approximately R80k of lost revenue every weekend in lost gate fees and this needs to be reversed. I feel sufficiently secure in the reserve to go back and I’ll be riding there tomorrow, meet me at 8:30 at the entrance to the parking if you would like to join me.

Yes there is PM your details to me if you want to join.

This difficult to answer but generally if you're in a group of 4 or more you'll be fine. Metro police are patrolling the northern area but I can't say how regularly the southern end of the park is usually safe. There is a WhatsApp group where riders and runners try and coordinate their activities to promote safety in numbers. Further, the 3 guys that were caught last weekend in Klapperkop could be the perpetrators for the Groenkloof attacks but we'll only know once they ID parade has been held,

Boss the dog has stolen my sun!

Some good news is that these guys have already been linked to another recent attack but we need more to put them away for as long as possible. So if you or if you know someone that was attacked in the area please let them contact me or give me their details and I'll follow up with them. I know we're often quite cynical about our justice system but the chap we caught in Klapperkop a year ago was sentenced last week to 15 years behind bars. Hopefully this might restore your faith in the system just a little!

Happy to report that the bike has been recovered.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=615214185311324&id=162314320601315 With all the activity in Groenkloof and the subsequent displacement of the criminals into Klapperkop it's great to see Hi Risk Unit having some success. Well done boys!

If like me you were an avid supporter of Groenkloof Nature Reserve in the past but stopped riding there due to crime here's our chance to ride there again. The Metro Police have been patrolling the area with vehicles, mounted police and special ops so we should be safe for the day. There are also two hikes starting at 9:00 and 10:00 if you have non-cycling family members who want to hike in the reserve. I see that MMC Subesh Pillay is joining one of the hikes. Let's go and take back our reserve!

I see Saloshani Pather one of the ladies attacked at Groenkloof has posted a hiking event starting @ 9:00am on FGNR's page. Now that's facing your demons, brave lady that!

Event Name: Take Back Groenkloof - Group Ride When: 4 June 2016 Where: Groenkloof Nature Reserve, Gauteng Category: MTB We are having a take back Groenkloof Group Ride/run/hike on the 4th June 2016 between 7:00 - 12:00. ensure we are safe we are trying to have groups of 4 or more. I have a MTB group leaving from the Kiosk at Groenkloof Nature reserve at 8:30am; 18km @ 13 - 15km/hr; Difficulty is 3 out of 5 in terms of technical. The principle is to leave no man or woman behind. Pay for your entry at the gate. I'm hoping others would post their own group rides/run or hike so that you can latch on to a group that suits you. Go to Event Page

Groenkloof Safety Update We had our first meeting with council on Tuesday night 23rd May 2016, The royal we included Friends of Groenkloof Nature Reserve (FGNR), Management of Voortrekker Monument, Council including the Metro Police, SAPS of all affected branches and myself as the originator of our petition. The main purpose of the meeting was to plan the way forward and to give council the opportunity to report on what has been done to date. As a general comment I am pleased to report that the meeting had a very workmanlike feel to it and it certainly feels like the intention is to get things done. Specifically I can also say the council have done what they said they would within the time frames stated at our public meeting. The electric fences are now operational and the holes in other fences are being repaired on a continual basis. The most significant issue is the fact that for the first time that I can remember Metro Police are actively patrolling the reserve on a permanent basis. Last Sunday Metro Police had 3 vehicle patrols, 2 mounted police and 2 special ops active in Groenkloof. I was told that we can expect the same presence during the week as well. I am also pleased to report that on the morning of the meeting a joint operation led by SAPS, Hi Risk Unit and GIS security raided the area below Unisa where many attacks on Groenkloof, Voortrekker Monument and Klapperkop originate from. Six arrests were made and an illegal firearm was confiscated. It’s fantastic to see that SAPS are tackling the problem at source and to see the two security companies in support goes a long way to enhance their image in the communities they serve and I’m not sure that a simple thank you suffices here, nonetheless thank you! If the recent attacks in Klapperkop are anything to go by it is clear that the patrols in Groenkloof have been successful in displacing the criminal element into the surrounding reserves. It was agreed that our future safety plans need to consider the area as a whole. So a sub-committee was established to consider a combined safety plan for Voortrekker Monument, Freedom Park, Fountains, Groenkloof and Klapperkop, a meeting with the affected CPFs was required to kick this off. So as not to lose focus it was agreed that a short to medium term goal would be to claim back Fountains Reserve as this is in the heart of the problem area and once this is safe and we get to ride or run in it, it would create an effective buffer for the adjoining reserves, so watch this space. It is clear that council are committing serious resources to make the area safer and how sustainable this is would be would depend on the economic benefit derived from the area. As things stand there’s a de facto boycott of the reserve for good reason and the question posed as to when will Groenkloof be safe enough for us to use. The consensus was that we cannot say that Groenkloof is safe but we can say that thanks to the efforts of council it is safer. For this trend to continue we have to ensure the economic viability of the reserve and this can only be achieved by getting paying guests back into the reserve. Now I am personally quite hesitant to simply say let’s go back but I do believe that we should return but with some caution. So starting on Saturday the 4th June we are urging people to visit the reserve between 7:00 and 12:00am in groups of 4 or more for the safety in numbers principle to have effect. If you can get a group together on your own then it’s easy but we do recognise that this not always possible and we have to connect liked minded people. To do this you can create an event and share it FGNR Facebook page and include details of your group run, ride or hike, you can continue to use the page to coordinate but a WhatsApp group might work better. You will see my Group Ride on the page starting at 8:30 on the 4th; meeting outside the old kiosk; distance 18km, pace 13-15km/hr and difficulty of 3 out 5(the latter being the most technical); with a leave no man or woman behind principle. You are of course welcome to use whichever Facebook forum you prefer and just share on FGNR if you want to broaden your audience. The intention is to keep to larger groups at first until we are certain that Groenkloof is indeed safe enough for smaller groups or dare I say it individual activities. On a separate note we have become aware that the DA was intent on having a protest ride, hike or run on the 29th May 2016. The premise was that council had not fulfilled their promises which as you can see from the above would be incorrect. To be fair the DA were unaware of the outcome of our meeting and the work done by council, they have agreed to change their meeting to one of solidarity and support for the victims of crime in the area which is a worthy cause. To close I honestly believe that we as community have been effective in getting council to take the first steps so that we can take back our reserves. I guess we can now dare to dream.

Thanks to social media we have been in contact with victims wife. The attack was quite severe and he is still in hospital but thankfully recovering. For information for those who ride these trails, the attack seems to have occurred on the steep climb on the black route next to the pipeline. Please don't ride this section on your own.

Klapperkop Safety Update We have become aware of a bike jacking on Saturday Morning in Klapperkop reserve on the MTB trails. Unfortunately we only have scant information as to what happened from a passerby. What we can glean from his account was that the cyclist was mugged at around 9:30 on the trails near the R21 and it appears that he suffered a head injury with his bike and cycling kit stolen. If anyone knows who the victim is, it would be useful if we could be put in contact with him. The modus operandi sounds similar to the attacks that occurred in Groenkloof Nature reserve so it is vital that this case is reported so that a proper investigation can follow. We also believe that this is a consequence of the improved security efforts from council in Groenkloof as the criminals are looking for easier pickings. The Klapperkop community safety group responded to this attack by sweeping the area early Sunday morning under the guidance of Hi Risk Unit and Accon security who between them provided more than half a dozen vehicles and armed personnel, this is a free community service provided by these two security companies and we cannot thank them enough. Residents from Waterkloof, Monument Park, Muckleneuk and Groenkloof along with members of various CPFs and resident associations conducted a sweep of the area where the attack occurred. Please bear in mind that the weather on Sunday morning was atrocious so the attendance of over 40 brave souls is a serious commitment and I'd like to thank all those that assisted on the day. The sweep was a great success as vehicles, motorcycles, mountain bikes and hikers descended in a show of force that would frighten the living daylights of any criminal on the day. In fact we flushed out one innocent soul who panicked and ran when he saw us! Despite the heavy overnight rain we found fresh tracks which indicated they were indeed in the area shortly after the rain stopped which was half and hour prior to the start of the sweep. The tracks indicated that the owner of the tracks were running quite fast. We also found new evidence that they have once again taken to sleeping in the reserve despite the weather. We know where they operate from and we know how they escape which could prove very useful into the future. Upon reflection I think all of us have been lulled into a false sense of security as our previous efforts has made Klapperkop safer but, as we have seen, not yet safe. To be fair we knew that the Groenkloof activities could have a negative impact on Klapperkop safety and Colonel Pieterse had two police vehicles inspecting the fences and storm water outlets along the R21 on Saturday morning before the attack. Clearly these criminals are brazen to say the least and we have to be vigilant, so once again we urge you not to venture onto the trails on your own and to try and use the road areas during the peak hours. You can get more details of these by joining the Fort Klapperkop Cycle & Run WhatsApp group (number 0721362911). Further FGNR will be taking up improving security for Klapperkop when they meet with council.

Noooooo... that's a Vulcan quote, from Star Trek. You've just gone where no man should ever go!

One of the his victims has indicated that she is going to sue the council for negligence so it might be that council has a vested interest in having him convicted.