Senior SANParks official on special leave after sexual assault charges

According to a statement by police spokesperson, Sgt Jo-anne Mashaba, a 35-year-old woman alleged that she was violated on May 6.

The statement indicates that she was at a grill house at Skukuza Rest Camp when she was approached by a colleague.

He reportedly said that a man outside wanted to meet the her. He introduced himself to her and stated that he was a senior official at SANParks. The man invited her and her friend to his house in Skukuza staff village.

According to Mashaba’s detailed statement, the victim was invited to the man’s bedroom after he poured her a glass of wine, where he allegedly closed the door and started touching her inappropriately and tried to kiss her.

She reported trying to pull away, but alleged that he forcefully pulled her towards him. “She pushed him away for the second time,” stated the SAPS’ press release.

It is alleged that he then started insulting her. The woman alleged that when she tried to open the door, but the man pushed her and started hitting her, pulled her down by her hair and kicked her while she was on the floor. She eventually managed to open the door and ran outside.

The man appeared in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday May 11, together with three other individuals on similar charges (two males employed by SANParks and a female who is not a SANParks employee).

He was released on bail of R2 000. The case was postponed to June 2.

SANParks board chairperson, Joanne Yawitch, said in line with SANParks’ commitment to ethical conduct and the seriousness of the allegations, the senior official has requested to take special leave until such time that this matter has been resolved and the law has taken its course.

The name of the accused is known to Lowvelder, but on advice of our legal adviser we will not name him at this point.