WATCH: SANParks fines religious group for igniting Boyes Drive fire

CapeTalk's Clarence Ford speaks to Barbara Friedman about trending online topics.

Listen below: 

On the morning of Saturday, 14 June, at approximately 8.30 am, a fire broke out in Table Mountain National Park above Boyes Drive, around the Peck’s Valley area in Cape Town.

A coordinated effort by the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services, along with SANParks, led to the successful containment of the blaze. Firefighters first brought the right flank of the fire under control before focusing on the left side, which had begun advancing slowly toward Kalk Bay.

According to SANParks, a religious group is suspected of starting the fire illegally. Reports say that SANParks charged the religious group in question with a fine.

Friedman adds that there is chatter about this online, with many people on social media saying that they saw a religious group up on the mountain and that Park Rangers on the mountain allegedly saw the group start the fire. 

"Some people have reported on social media that they actually saw that group up there, lighting fires as part of a religious ceremony... What do we do? This is my question. You can't light fires on the mountain. If this investigation is found to be accurate, how do we go forward from that, because we can't have fires on the mountain... It's an unfortunate situation, giving them a fine... what's going to happen the next time?"

- Barbara Friedman

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