Africa Wild

Are they kidding? this is not a game, it's serious stuff

Guards fired for stealing gate money

31 May 2013
John Harvey

FIVE gate guards at the Tsitsikamma National Park have been fired by SANParks after pocketing money paid by motorists at the Storms River Mouth resort's gate.

Although SANParks officials have not disclosed how much money was stolen, The Herald had been told by sources close to the park last week that it was a "substantial" amount, with a figure of R1.3-million being bandied about.

The sources had also seen the guilty guards driving around in Land Rover Freelanders in their personal capacity.

"That is quite an expensive vehicle to own on the salary of a gate guard," they said.

SANParks Garden Route National Park spokesman Nandi Mgwadlamba said yesterday: "Following an intensive investigation, SANParks has dismissed five gate officials in connection with their involvement in fraudulent activity.

"The investigation uncovered evidence which led to the five members being charged. Internal disciplinary procedures were then followed and five members of staff were found guilty of defrauding the organisation by pocketing gate entry fees at the Storms River Mouth resort's gate. One of the gate officials has subsequently appealed against his dismissal."

Mgwadlamba said park management had, as a result, initiated a number of precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future. Control permits granting access to the park had been tightened, while manual documentation was checked daily against the electronic system to ensure that any irregularities were spotted promptly.

"SANParks will act with resolve to bring any staff members involved in fraudulent activities to book. We owe it to the public and to ourselves that we should have a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to any form of theft or corruption."

In the Garden Route National Park, of which the Tsitsikamma National Park forms a part, the total number of visitors to forestry facilities amounted to 12860 paying visitors and 2230 non-paying visitors. Forestry attractions include tubing, woodcutters, horse-riding, guided hikes and a woodpeckers trail.

So far this year, 139768 guests have visited the Storms River camp. About 50929 were overnight visitors. An additional 4051 were visitors to the National Park, and 288 were day visitors. The Big Tree lured 48742 visitors.

park management had, as a result, initiated a number of precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future

An excellent precautionary measure would be to have them arrested immediately...perhaps reclaiming the money from them, taking their luxury vehicles...?


Far more info required, and if they are just fired with millions of rands in their pockets...well that sends exactly the opposite message!

Erm? They have been found guilty? By who? Regardless of the crime, they are innocent until proven otherwise by a jury of their peers. If I've missed somehing here, pleaase correct me.

(I'm not condoning stealing here, but want to know how they were "convicted")

As said, Dewi, in SA (Maybe some other countries/planets too), .gov organisations discipline their own workers, and often reprimand, relocate or, in extreme cases fire the offenders. This trend is set by National Government, where "wrist-slapping" is the order of the day. Unless offences are patently obvious, like this one, and the offenders are expendable, "internal investigations" may last for months or years, until the heat dies down.

Larger debacles are only forced to courts through public/media outcry, unfortunately!