City of Cape Town reviews mountain safety after couple violently attacked on Lion’s Head

The couple were reportedly approached by three suspects who allegedly pretended to engage them before drawing knives.

The woman was stabbed in the face and abdomen, while her husband was pushed to the ground and sustained a concussion. Both survived the incident.

"This particular incident happened outside of the normal footprint of patrols. So it does look like pressure being applied on some of the other hotspots caused the assailant to simply move their activity to an area outside of the normal area of attack, which is obviously predictable. But the point is, the mountain is a very large area without any access control, so very difficult to securitise the whole thing," explained Smith.

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He said the city is working with the police and other agencies to improve crime intelligence and has appealed to the public to come forward with information.

Smith stressed that community tip-offs are critical to addressing crime in vast, open areas like Table Mountain.

"If you think you may know something or you may have seen something, please contact the emergency communications line on 021 480 7700 or the tip-off line on 0800 110 077. There is a reward for information, as with all these crime alerts."

To listen to Smith in conversation with CapeTalk's John Maytham, use the audio player below: