City Press reports that an investigation into racism, torture and the killing of black rangers, as well as their arbitrary dismissals and suspensions from Kruger National Park (KNP) is allegedly being swept under the carpet.

In 2019, the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) stepped in to investigate the game reserve after whistle-blowers wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa and leaked information to the media about how black staff members, particularly field rangers, were often targeted with false accusations of rhino poaching and other offences, and then suspended and dismissed unfairly. The complaint also implicated the Skukuza police for allegedly colluding with the white managers of KNP to charge black employees without any evidence. The SAHRC conducted the investigation jointly with the CCMA. SAHRC Mpumalanga manager Eric Mokonyane presented the investigation report to the KNP management on 18 October, but not to the victims who gave evidence or to their unions. When pressured last week to give reasons for the SAHRC’s refusal to make the report public, Mokonyane said the report was being “processed”. SANParks spokesperson Isaac Phaahla commented: “We have not compiled a report which we can share with you. The SAHRC compiled it and should be able to share it with you.” Recommendations from the report, which City Press says it has seen, confirmed that the SAHRC and CCMA had found the allegations, particularly those by field rangers, which Phaahla had repeatedly dismissed as being baseless, to be true.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sizwe Sama Yenda at City Press (subscriber access only)

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page