Senior SANParks officials receiving full pay while on special leave amid sexual harassment allegations

SANParks CEO Fundisile Mketeni and two senior officials are receiving full pay while investigations into assault and sexual harassment allegations are conducted.

TimesLIVE reported that Mketeni requested special leave in May, after complaints were laid against him in Skukuza, Kruger National Park.

He appeared in court at the time along with two other officials on similar charges.

It emerged during an answer to a recent parliamentary question posed by the DA to forestry, fisheries and environment minister Barbara Creecy, about the investigation among other issues, that the trio are still on special leave and receiving 100% of their salaries.

The DA also questioned why the trio had not been suspended but granted special leave instead.

Creecy said: “The executive in question requested special leave and at that point the board didn't have full information about the matter and decided to accede to the request. The same applied to the two senior managers who were subsequently granted special leave.

“The employees in question are receiving 100% of their salaries,” said Creecy.

The minister said the three were still on special leave “pending the finalisation of an internal disciplinary process”.

She said the investigation was being led by an independent law firm.

TimesLIVE