Dear Karkloof Country Club Members and Visitors
Please read this carefully, as we need every one of our members and day visitors to protect the land access that we are so privileged to enjoy.
There were three incidents on Saturday 17 October and Wednesday 21 October on private property.
• The first involved two members’ dogs that were not a lead, that then pursued and caught wildlife (the animal was then released unharmed)
• The second involved the intimidation of an employee by day visitors
• The third involved a member that drove their vehicle onto private land, past no entry signs, then parked on this land, and walked their dogs off lead (three offences at once).
In all cases Magma Security was dispatched and actively removed the people and dogs from the property. The trail network was then closed to walkers and runners at the request of the landowner.
The Karkloof Club has documented land access agreements with the landowners and the rules associated with the use of this land are clearly signposted at all entrances, communicated on groups and social media, published on the website, and documented to members when collecting their memberships.
The disappointing and unacceptable part here is that in the incidents above the perpetrators acknowledged that they were aware of the rules and chose to ignore / break them.
As a result, significant sanctions have been imposed on the people concerned.
• The club members have been banned from the club and access to all land for a period of 12 months
• The day visitors have been banned for life
• A Criminal case has been opened with SAPS in one case
• The people involved have also written apologies to the landowners concerned
The land access rules are not up for debate or discussion. They are a requirement of the many landowners whose properties we are privileged to use. The properties are not recreational areas; they are commercial farms and plantations where commercial agricultural activities take place daily and on a large scale.
Some of these activities like burning, harvesting and transportation can be dangerous to untrained public. All we ask is that you always obey the signage, as this is firstly what the landowners want and secondly, the respectful thing to do.
We have agreed the following with our landowners.
• Future offenders will be banned – follow the rules
• Criminal charges will be laid where applicable
• Security companies working for the club and the landowners will monitor compliance and remove offenders from the property, or call the police where required.
• The club and landowners will actively pursue criminal cases
• Where vehicles are involved, they will be wheel clamped or towed away
• If dogs off leads continue to be an issue, we will have no choice but to ban dogs
• We will continue to take serious action and impose long bans on people that disrespect the rules, however it needs to be known that if this becomes a culture of disrespect then trail closures will become a reality.
The land use rules will continue to be communicated regularly.
The real issue here is that these issues are created by a few people that cannot follow the rules and respect the landowner’s requirements. Please can everybody that uses the trails and land help each other by making sure that others you see on the trails and land are compliant. We urge you to contact the club immediately on the number on your board or armband and report issues. The club can then dispatch security to deal with the offenders.
We have agreed with the landowners that the trails will be open for use for everybody from Friday 23 October.
Thank you to all the wonderful people out there that enjoy being outside and on the trails. We hope that you continue to enjoy the trails, roads, and activities on these amazing tracts of land that we access. We have access to some of the most spectacular and beautiful land in the country here, and that’s special.
Thank you
Andrew Nicholson
Chairman
