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The Arboretum in Paarl, once regarded by the town as a very unique place in the world it was proud to call its own, has lost much of its lustre and become an unsafe place for public use and recreational purposes, due mainly to the vandalism of vagrants and people with criminal tendencies.
Now there are some who believe the time has come to take this asset back, particularly after another near-fatal incident last week, in which an elderly man literally had to fight for his life when he was attacked in the Arboretum by a group of teenagers.
The incident took place at about 11:30 on Thursday morning (14 March).
The 72-year-old man, who prefers to remain anonymous for safety concerns, was walking in the Paarl Arboretum when he spotted two teenagers, one with a golf club and another with a bag of golf balls. He walked further but on the other side of the railway bridge he was suddenly attacked and a jacket placed over his head.
And then the blows started to rain down on him as his attackers hit him over and over again with golf clubs.
During the gruelling attack he fell to the ground and only then could he see around him and that he was being attacked by five or six teenagers, the oldest of whom he suspected was only 15 years old.
The boys continued beating him and kicking him, but he managed to summon some strength and fought them off.
The mob then fled in the direction of the railway, and the injured victim stumbled towards the Cecilia Street end of the Arboretum. Here a tow-truck driver was parked and he immediately helped the injured man.
The South African Police Services were notified but did not respond to the emergency call, even though numerous calls were made to them.
Eventually the blood-stained victim was given a lift to his home and his wife then rushed him to Paarl Mediclinic where he was immediately placed in ICU, also having suffered cardiac arrest due to the attack.
Paarl police spokesperson Capt Louise du Plessis confirmed the incident and asked the public help in identifying any of the perpetrators.
Anybody with information is asked to contact Paarl police on 082 469 1431 or 021 807 4014.
This is not the first and probably not the last attack in the Paarl Arboretum.
Intended as a paradise for nature lovers, it is located on the banks of the Berg River and is laid out with 4 500 trees from all over the world.
The tree park stretches 2,8 km along the eastern bank of the river and was established precisely for Paarlites and visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
But over the years the Arboretum has turned into a haven for homeless people and criminals.
And despite a facelift over the past few years transforming the Arboretum into a Climate-smart Park, thanks to a financial contribution of R7,1 million by the City of Neumarkt in Germany, it still remains poorly supervised.
Early-morning joggers and cyclists say that there are scores of homeless people camping here under bushes at night as well as next to the nearby embankment of the Berg River.
None of the gates are ever locked and the fence on the Arboretum side is badly damaged.
Litter, including empty bottles of alcohol, are strewn across the tree park and ever so often signs of cable theft can also be seen.
In short, there is no control or law enforcement in the park whatsoever. Also the ablution facilities are either locked or in poor condition.
Faarieg Rhoda, acting director of community services at the municipality, said is the responsibility of the police to ensure the security of members of the public, also inside the Arboretum, while Drakenstein Municipality’s law-enforcement department makes sure regulations are not violated. Patrols are consistently conducted in problem areas.
“The gates at the northern entrance to the Arboretum are manned daily by municipal officers, who pass on all reported complaints to the relevant authorities,” he said. “The municipality previously fitted locks on the gates, but unfortunately they are often stolen.”
