Focus on protecting people

Cher Poznanovich, Green Point

I am deeply saddened by this weekend’s horrific murder of a tourist (in Hout Bay) who was enjoying our scenic mountain.

As the crime in our city increases and no steps are taken to protect people – there is no TMParks board plan for security as far as I know – petty laws are put above real issues.

I have been attacked twice out in our natural environment in Cape Town, where the one time I had my dog with me, the guy ran away.

However, the other time I didn’t have my dog I had to fight for my life for what felt like hours and was horrific.

Just last week I was swimming in Clifton in the day, when it is convenient for me to swim and thankfully legal to take your dogs, unlike the summer, a guy came near my clothes but my dog seemed to scare him away.

Seconds later I could see him trying to break into the club house when the security alarm went off.

Now my dog is no scary creature, a loving Labrador, who would more likely befriend a stranger, but he is a deterrent to perpetrators. It is, after all, proven that there are less house-break-ins with homes where dogs sleep inside

But SANParks spends more time policing my permit for dog walking on the mountain and the City of Cape Town spends more money putting up boards banning dogs on beaches.

I don’t propose any vicious dog movement, but I do propose that without any way of defending ourselves out there, that more time be invested in protecting civilians than focusing on issues that are simply vastly irrelevant in a crumbling society.