Drive-by muggings, sex shenanigans in a historical fort and attacks by scholars on vulnerable park visitors are among the shocks sightseers can experience when visiting Port Elizabeth’s tourist attractions and heritage treasures.
This emerged after a review of many of the city’s more popular heritage sites in Central where both domestic and international tourists have traditionally flocked to view the eclectic array of historical buildings and ornate architecture.
Other significant hotspots, such as the renowned Red Location Museum in New Brighton, were last week exposed as having been shut to visitors for years, and being in a total shambles, by The Herald’s sister publication, Weekend Post.
At the centre of the woes facing some of the city’s most important tourism spots is the withdrawal of security guards – a function formerly contracted out to Metro Security Services – in September.
This has left staff, visitors and tour operators vulnerable in terms of their personal security, and the attractions open to neglect, vandalism and misuse.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), which had been at the forefront of introducing private security services to “bring back stakeholder confidence in the inner city”, on Sunday noted with great concern the deterioration of security in these areas, while committing to address the challenges.
Bay tour operator Lyn Haller recently tore into the metro’s leadership over the state of some of the tourist sites.
Haller warned that the situation could i negatively affect on the city’s reputation as a safe tourism destination.
Her assertions follow the closure of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism after the metro decided to stop subsidising it.
This has forced some tourism industry players to take matters into their own hands.
At Fort Frederick, where faeces, litter and foul graffiti had become commonplace, neighbouring guesthouse and tour operating enterprise Island Vibe, The Harbour Master’s House has its own security guards who regularly patrol, clean and clear out bad elements from the historic fort.
Island Vibe manageress and tour operator Samantha Dullisear said the guesthouse had also taken over the responsibility of opening and locking the fort each day, without remuneration from the municipality.
“There is no longer any security supplied by the municipality and many of the city heritage tours start at the fort.
“The tourists come by the busload and start here, so this is the first impression of the city they will get, and the fort is situated directly next to us.”
The situation had recently shown improvement, but Dullisear said the security guards caught people, including alleged prostitutes, having sex in the fort up to three times a day.
“Parts of the fences below the fort are broken and there is an unlocked gate. This means criminals and vagrants come up from the bush into the area.
“Some of the vagrants have dogs, which also prove a threat to visitors to the area.”
Heritage tours, which include visits to landmarks and architecture, were popular with international visitors.
She said one of her guests had been mugged in Bird Street in December.
Speaking from the Campanile, manageress of the recently restored attraction, Wendy Kulela, said the newly installed lift inside the tower had not been in operation for the past month, leaving visitors to scale dozens of stairs.
She said security was a major issue. Alleged local gangsters had been seen sniffing what was suspected to be cocaine at the top of the tower.
“We have had problems with vagrants at the entrance and people have been observed using the area to smoke dagga.
“There have been occasions when we have had to lock ourselves in due to safety concerns,” she said.
She said tour groups from cruise ships accounted for many of their visitors. A security guard would vastly improve their safety and that of visitors.
While well maintained, both the Prince Alfred’s Guards Drill Hall and No 7 Castle Hill are situated just metres from vacant derelict buildings reportedly used by vagrants, prostitutes and criminals.
Guesthouse 21 on Prospect Hill owner Petro van Rooyen said crime was a major problem, with car break-ins prevalent.
“Our guests pay to park their cars at a garage around the corner, because it is not safe to park here at night.
“I remember when the municipality was running campaigns saying “Let’s take our city back” – well, its looks as if they have just given it back.
“They used to place a Metro security guard here, now there is no more security around here and crime and security is a problem,” she said.
Steve Serunjoyi, who manages one of two Sky Bridge Guesthouses in historic Havelock Square, said drug dealing and car break-ins were their major concern.
He said drive-by muggings of tourists walking in the area had become common.
“These criminals use cars and choose an opportunity, like when a tourist is on the phone, to drive up, mug them and speed off. It is not even safe for us here,” he said.
At the Donkin Reserve, where Vital Risk Solutions has now been contracted to secure the area, security guard Nelson Ndaza said he and his colleague had their hands full to keep the attraction secure.
Speaking from opposite the historic King Edward Hotel – which again shut its doors in December – Ndaza said prostitution, drug dealing and muggings were among their biggest and most frequent challenges.
“A big problem lately is scholars. They come and hang around and wait for opportunities to rob tourists.
“In fact, I have just chased a group of them away,” he said.
He said the situation had worsened after the closure of the adjacent hotel and the withdrawal of Metro Security Services, which had manned an office on the hotel premises.
MBDA chief executive Ashraf Adam said: “When the MBDA was formed, it introduced private security services to bring back stakeholder confidence in the inner city.
“This was always meant to supplement the work of the SAPS and Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s safety and security directorate, not replace law enforcement agencies.
“In fact, the programme was introduced during mayor [Danny] Jordaan’s term in preparation for the introduction of Metro Police Services.”
“In the 2017/18 financial year, the municipality told the MBDA this security function was a basic service meant to be performed by them and with the hiring of safety and security volunteers and the Metro Security contract nearing termination, this function would be reviewed by the MBDA.
“The agency’s 2018/19 budget therefore did not include the renewal of the CBD security contract,” he said.
“The NMBM has recently resolved to insource some of the private security staff after the expiry of these contracts and the plan was that some of these new recruits would be deployed in the CBD.”
“The agency has noted with great concern the deterioration in security in the inner city and as part of its adjustments budget is planning to issue a few small, separate security contracts to cater for some of the MBDA’s key project sites, such as the Donkin Reserve and the Athenaeum, to reinforce law enforcement,” he said.