Cape Town - The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has already spent more than R7 million on disciplinary hearings involving two former SANParks staff accused of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm linked to a sexual assault incident.
Despite this amount, the two matters are yet to be finalised.
This emerged in Parliamentary questions where DA MP Annerie Weber asked about progress in the disciplinary hearings of the two men and the outcome of each disciplinary hearing.
She also asked for a breakdown of the costs to conduct the hearings.
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said the total amount spent for disciplinary hearings for the two employees was R7 153 394 which includes R1 277 219 for chairpersons of the hearings.
“The disciplinary process for (employee one) was concluded in June 2022. The disciplinary process for (employee two) is continuing and has not been finalised. (Employee two) has also lodged two CCMA applications and the cases are pending. (Employee one) was summarily dismissed on June 29, 2022.
However, soon after the verdict, he lodged a CCMA application and the dispute remained unresolved after the CCMA conciliation meeting held on August 15, 2022. SANParks is awaiting a CCMA arbitration date,” said DFFE
One of the senior employees is alleged to have invited a woman and her friend to his house at Skukuza staff village, in the Kruger National Park, according to police.
He allegedly asked the woman if she was comfortable with going to a private place where he closed the door and started touching her inappropriately, according to the police.
After she pushed him away he allegedly insulted her and then pulled her hair and kicked her. The other two employees are alleged to have hit the woman.
The men were acquitted of the charges. This did not mean they were off the hook as they still had to answer to charges related to the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct Policy.
One of the staff members was fired as a result. Asked for an update relating to CCMA proceedings involving the dismissed employee who was found guilty on charges against him based on having breached the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct Policy and the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure of SANParks, Creecy said: “R2 951387,34 was paid for both the attorney and the Chairperson of the disciplinary hearing.
The CCMA case has not been finalised. A CCMA conciliation meeting was conducted on 1 July 2022 and the alleged unfair dismissal dispute remained unresolved.
A CCMA arbitration hearing is scheduled for 20 September 2022. There is no time frame for the matter to be finalised as the dates for arbitration hearings are decided by the CCMA.”
There is no time frame for the matter to be finalised as the dates for arbitration hearings are decided by the CCMA,” said Creecy.
Weber told the Cape Times that the cases could have been concluded faster.
“Gender-based violence it is a serious matter,” she said.
Cape Times