MBOMBELA – SANParks’ board has suspended both its head of conservation and that of legal services this week. The reasons remain a mystery as the organisation is not willing to disclose them.
Dr Hector Magome, conservation head, was suspended on Monday. Mr Rey Thakhuli, a SANParks spokesman, on enquiry said Magome had been put on precautionary suspension and that they were not at liberty to discuss it, as it was a matter between the employer and employee.
However, Lowvelder was confidentially informed that the board had questioned his authority to allow the sale of white rhino – a process SANParks had been undertaking for years to generate an income.
The newspaper pulsed Thakhuli about these rumours, but he merely said, “Discussing the charges with the media may be deemed as prejudicing against an individual. We have an obligation to protect both the organisation and the employee.”
Mr Sibu Nyembe, head of legal services, was suspended on Wednesday. Again Thakhuli commented that his suspension was a matter between the employer and employee. Both Magome and Nyembe’s suspensions have sparked rumours that it was an attempt by the board to get rid of former SANParks CEO, Dr David Mabunda’s loyalists. Mabunda left the organisation earlier this year when his contract hadn’t been renewed.
“The allegation is far from the truth. This is malicious and designed to drag the good name of SANParks through the mud. The organisation would like to distance itself from this,” Thakhuli commented.
The services of Pathfinder, which was contracted to provide aspects of risk management to the Kruger National Park’s anti-poaching unit, were also terminated. “The area around which this contract was drawn is very sensitive and it is not possible for SANParks to go into detail on the reasons behind the termination. “Due process was followed in the termi-nation of the contract,” he concluded.
