Nicholas Dlamini SANParks

Image via: Twitter

Nic Dlamini: Rangers suspended as MCSA warn incident is not isolated

Five SANParks rangers have been suspended in the wake of the social media storm that followed the viral video of cyclist Nic Dlamini being manhandled at Silvermine.

Nicholas Dlamini SANParks

Image via: Twitter

The SANParks Rangers involved in the now-viral scuffle with Olympic hopeful Dlamini have been suspended, but Mountain Club South Africa (MCSA) have warned that the violent incident was not isolated.

SANParks have acted quickly to quell a storm of public outcry after their rangers allegedly broke the arm of the professional cyclist. The rangers accused Dlamini of not paying the R31 fee to enter the Silvermine Nature Reserve section of the Table Mountain National Park, in Cape Town.

On Saturday, SANParks acting CEO Lize McCourt revealed SANParks had moved to place the rangers on preliminary suspension after Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Creecy visited the injured Dlamini in hospital on Friday.

Dlamini underwent an operation on his injured arm on Saturday and it remains unclear what the extent of the impact will be on his cycling career in the short and long term.

Ranger conduct in the spotlight after Dlamini incident

When the video of the incident set social media ablaze, a number of commentators mentioned that SANParks rangers at Silvermine were known to be unduly aggressive – comments backed up by Mountain Club SA’s statement.

“While we have politicians focused on Table Mountain National Park rangers following the rather shocking incident involving Nic Dlamini on Friday, the MCSA [Cape Town section] would like to use the opportunity to bring to their attention the fact that this was not an isolated incident.”

Chairperson of South Africa’s oldest mountaineering club, Martin Hutton-Squire, threw his weight behind the statement, but wouldn’t comment on the matter further as MCSA are in the process of gathering information and feedback from their members. The club have promised to share their findings with interested parties and the press once it is appropriate to do so.

Another Cape Town cyclist commented in response to the viral video: “I’ve been pushed off the road by this same @TableMountainNP bakkie in Silvermine. I showed my permit at the bottom and was shouted at to show it again while doing an interval, so I said I’ll show it when I’m done. They got super aggressive and drove me off the road.”

“I was also abused by @SANParks rangers when I stopped on Silvermine Road one day. They were hectic to me, accused me of stealing plants when I was picking up glass. This is appalling. Criminal charges against all of them!” another Twitter user declared.

“This happened to me and a mate by the same guy handling him three years ago in Silvermine. Mate was taken to Kirstenhof police station and put in a cell. Mate got a lawyer involved and it landed up that everything SanParks did, including the arrest and fines they handed to us, were illegal,” a Twitter user claimed on Friday.

Dlamini is said to be in good spirits following the operation despite the ordeal and is grateful for the support he has received.