Northern Farms - attempted murder

[Tumbleweed]

Got this today:

 

To all Northern farm guests,

 

You may have heard of an incident at Northern Farm on Sunday afternoon 14 November 2010, which I would like to put into perspective.

 

Like many of you, I received the e mail below (Begins with Dear Mike), clearly aimed at generating additional members for e blockwatch and read the contents with some dismay, prompting this response.

 

At the outset, I must emphasise that the volunteer body which runs Northern Farm, and of which I am chairperson, considers the safety of farm users as a primary concern, this evidenced by the amount of security we provide and the lengths we have gone to in order to assist the police in investigating previous incidents.

Secondly, as a mountain biker of some 13 years, I must make the point that the safety of mountain bikers is something that I believe we should all be involved in improving, and have for this reason played an active role in improving cyclists safety over the years. Earlier this year I even went so far as to accompany the SAPS into Diepsloot looking for stolen bicycles.

Now on to the contents of the e mail below distributed by e blockwatch and posted on the hub.

To be clear, we have no doubts that there was a potentially dangerous confrontation with two men at Fish Eagle Dam , and have accordingly increased security in that area as well as additional security patrols in the afternoons.

My concern is the expression of an opinion as a statement of irrefutable fact, the conclusions reached by these opinions and the fact that this e mail has been widely distributed to the detriment of Northern Farm's on-going viability as a venue.

Having discussed the incident with security experts and farm management, I believe that a second, more likely explanation for the incident should have been considered and that in failing to do so the writer of the e mail has done the very thing that he accuses the powers that be of in the e mail, namely, discouraging mountain bikers from using the farm.

The two guys encountered at the farm were most likely poachers who entered the farm in order to illegally hunt small game. While this makes them no less dangerous potentially, it makes the conclusion that they intended to cold bloodedly murder in order to hijack a bicycle unlikely. The reason it did not feel like a typical hijacking as stated in the e mail, is that it was most likely not a hijacking. The reason they did not chase after the cyclists is that they did not want his bike, they wanted animals they were hunting.

The conclusion reached that because the farm was being sold, the powers that be were somehow responsible for this incident as part of their endeavour to discourage cyclists is a wild and unlikely hypothesis by any measure.

Firstly there has never been any intention to sell the farm, secondly, the recreational user group is an important part of the efforts by JHB Water to retain the nature reserve status of the farm and finally the conclusion itself represents a conspiracy theory of monumental proportions without the support of evidence.

The distribution of this communication by e mail and via the hub has served to ignite the mountain biking community and make many afraid to use the farm out of fear of being "murdered for their bikes".

All I ask, is that anyone who received the original correspondence or read the article on the hub consider the probability that the alternative conclusion for the reason that these guys were on the farm be considered and that as users of the farm you are then able to fairly reach your own conclusions as to the safety of the on-going use of the farm without having to depend on a single dimensional opinion which has been stated as a fact.

Should the cycling community widely accept the communication distributed as fact, then I have no doubt that the future of the farm as a cycling venue will be short and the mountain biking community will lose this magnificent asset. It is very simple, the venue is run by volunteers for the benefit of the user group and with a reduced income stream there will be insufficient funds to pay for the security, which will then further reduce entries and inevitably the farm will then be closed.

Please distribute this e mail to as many people as you see fit and whom you believe will have an interest in the debate.

 

Regards

 

Simon Nash

Chairperson

NFRUG

 

------------------

Dear Simon

This cyclist was not registered on eblockwatch cycle line and so the hijacker lives to kill another day.

 

Take a look at how we have set up traps to nail bike jackers and then scream with frustration that the cyclist never registered. www.eblockwatch.co.za

 

------------------

Dear Mike

 

I am fortunate to be alive after yet another hijacking incidence I have had the misfortune to be caught up in. I was riding at Northern Farm yesterday afternoon and one of two thugs tried to shot me but the pistol must have jammed. I was riding anticlockwise around the farm (route marked in yellow).

 

I crossed the Fish Eagle Dam wall and was crossing the spill way (marked by a blue flag). I had decided to bomb through the water when two guys jumped out from the reeds in the spill way. I saw a gun and heard a "click".

 

These guys did not shout or run after me. I speed away as fast as I could not knowing if they would shoot again. What bothers me the most is that they did not stand in front of me to stop me with their gun. It just did not feel like a typical hijacking!

 

To me it was obvious that they just wanted to kill me and get my bike. They also did not seem to have accomplices in bushes ahead of me unless I choose a route they did not expect.

 

I am sickened by the thought of the shear cold bloodedness of the attack. I know Northern Farm may be in a process of being sold. It is my conclusion that "powers that be" just want to scare cyclists off from enjoying this wonder and relatively unspoilt bit of country. Where will MTB'er go from here?

 

Regards

Julian

[perry]

I dont know, who wants to ride at place where you always need to be worried about some punk jumping out of the bush with a gun.

[Arkadion]

@ eyecandy - are we now safer on the spruit?

I have a training partner with a fondness for tequila so I end up riding alone most weekends. Used to got out to NF by myself all the time.

 

On a positive note, I saw a clearup team of about 10 cops evicting/searching the squatters near the DHL building just past the river crossing on the Spruit on Saturday 13th

[Drenalinjunkie]

As disturbing as it may sound I would love to ride past their corpses after a cyclist has shot them for trying to hijack him...

 

Same issue at Emmarentia a few years ago... 2 guys where mugging people on a regular basis until they where found dead in the botanical gardens... They obviously tried to mug the wrong person... he gave them what they deserved.

[Drenalinjunkie]

Tumbleweed,

 

I beg to differ, if they where poachers they would have tried to remain hidden in the reeds. In my past experiences poachers are always very stealthy and try to remain hidden. In most cases poachers also have dogs with them to bay their quarry... Also who uses a pistol for poaching if your not intending on being stealthy... You would have to get awefully close to your quarry to make a decent shot with a pistol and the mountain reedbuck that I've seen in that area are wide awake!

[Tjokkits]

with reference to Simons mail, the intention, whether to steal a bike or hunt animals is irrelevant, they alledgedly pointed a gun and alledgedly pulled a trigger, that could have been a murder.

 

Having said that I am all for NF and the efforts to safeguard cyclist is noted, but it seems more is needed. Personally I am concerned to ride there and will only do so peak times and in a group. Iam also happy to pay more to fund additional security measures, face it NF rides are cheap compared to some other venues

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Got this today:

 

To all Northern farm guests,

 

 

My concern is the expression of an opinion as a statement of irrefutable fact, the conclusions reached by these opinions and the fact that this e mail has been widely distributed to the detriment of Northern Farm's on-going viability as a venue.

Having discussed the incident with security experts and farm management, I believe that a second, more likely explanation for the incident should have been considered and that in failing to do so the writer of the e mail has done the very thing that he accuses the powers that be of in the e mail, namely, discouraging mountain bikers from using the farm.

The two guys encountered at the farm were most likely poachers who entered the farm in order to illegally hunt small game. While this makes them no less dangerous potentially, it makes the conclusion that they intended to cold bloodedly murder in order to hijack a bicycle unlikely. The reason it did not feel like a typical hijacking as stated in the e mail, is that it was most likely not a hijacking. The reason they did not chase after the cyclists is that they did not want his bike, they wanted animals they were hunting.

 

Hmm, I think this is an equally very dangerous assumption that they were only hunting small animals.

 

How on earth can they deduce this.? Do's someone actually have to have a firearm stuck in his face to confirm it was a Hi-jacking.?

 

In my opinion hearing a distinct "click" tells me there was an attempt to shoot, and that should suffice to confirm the notion that it was a lethal attempt on the cyclists life.

 

These are not highly trained assasians with plans to block escape routes and back up to chase, they are opportunistic thugs who have nothing to lose by killing you or anyone else.

 

Personally, I stopped riding there a few months ago when I heard of the initial incidents and I am unlikely to return now.

[Zula]

Thats it, im done with NF as well as JHB. Very excited for my move down to the Wester Cape. I know its not perfect there and peeps still get bike jacked, but I have'nt heard of it being as violent as it seems to be up here.

 

I know some may think Im part of the problem in that I dont stand up and be counted in the fight against these b@stards, but these guys have nothing to lose and to be honest I do.

 

Just is'nt worth it.

 

This is very very very sad news.

[Tumbleweed]

Tumbleweed,

 

I beg to differ…

 

Just the messenger.

[Wyatt Earp]

Just the messenger.

And you've been shot..........

[Tumbleweed]

And you've been shot..........

 

…not shot, but I did hear a distinctive click.

[Drenalinjunkie]

Maybe they are poachers with a taste for human flesh...

[Starvin' Marvin]

I'm a roadie and alays thought MTB was safer. It is from a car perspective, but not so much when you're out on a trail with no chance of a car coming past and someone attacks you. Just glad Julian came through it ok.

[Wyatt Earp]

…not shot, but I did hear a distinctive click.

I am shocked, an "attempt" at shooting the messenger

[Drenalinjunkie]

My friends and I will ride there again... we'll just be armed.

[TiBones]

My friends and I will ride there again... we'll just be armed.

 

otherwise how you gonna hold onto your bars?

 

Big up, take a spade!