In a series of races where trailblazers took to the mountains with all kinds of achievements in mind, Friends of Table Mountain were celebrated with perhaps the biggest win of all:
Cape Town, South Africa (27 November 2023) – Last week saw runners and mountain lovers unite for the Ultra-Trail Cape Town (UTCT) stretches. All competitors (both seasoned and rookies) had their own purpose for conquering what, for some, meant almost two days’ worth of racing and hundreds of kilometres done and dusted.
But, there is one group of people who earned what is perhaps the biggest win of all, and they go by ‘Friends of Table Mountain’.
The Friends of Table Mountain earned the Service Award at the UTCT—a huge nod considering that the entire series of races would not be possible without their constant care for the trails everyone gets to enjoy before, during and beyond events like the UTCT.
A force of nature’s fiercest friends, the lobby group are the unsung eyes and ears of the mountain who dedicate themselves to making sure trails are free from alien vegetation, remain in the best possible condition and that footpaths are cleared, cared for and safe.
The NPO also work with the SANParks Honorary Rangers who provide important oversight for all those who roll up their sleeves to keep Table Mountain National Park the beacon of public joy it’s loved across the world as.
The Service Award embodies so much more than those who made the races as beautiful as they were daunting, but the spirit of a community determined to take matters into their own hands.
However, FOTM’s achievement is also a nod to what can be done with a little more help from their friends through national support. In a recent statement by Chairperson Andy Davies, concerns about financial support for Table Mountain National Park were shared.
“FOTM’s requests for the latest income and expenditure reports from SANParks have been ignored. However, through parliamentary channels we have been informed that for the 2022/23 financial year, TMNP made a remarkably good income of R298m – but that it only spent R97m on TMNP (a significant profit margin of 207%). FOTM also takes note that TMNP’s operating budget/expenditure decreased by 11.5% in real terms compared to 2018/19.
“FOTM understands TMNP’s profits need to be shared amongst other parks that see a fraction of TMNP’s tourism – but there is now an urgent need to support TMNP regarding the current crime wave. Bearing in mind the surge in crime and its very negative impact on Cape Town tourism, FOTM finds it unacceptable that SANParks head office is not prepared to commit more funding to TMNP.
“Our demand to Minister Barbara Creecy, the SANParks board and executives is very simple: please prioritize the care of TMNP and provide the local management team with the resources they so desperately need.”
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