SANPARKS FUNDRAISER DISMISSED FOLLOWING DISCIPLINARY HEARING

SANPARKS FUNDRAISER DISMISSED FOLLOWING DISCIPLINARY HEARING

South African National Parks (SANParks) today announced that disciplinary proceedings relating to the Senior General Manager Fundraising, Mr Bryn Pyne James, have concluded and that Mr Pyne James has summarily dismissed with effect from 2^ndDecember, 2014.

Charges against Mr Pyne James related inter alia to the receipt of commissions on donor funds raised to which Mr Pyne James was allegedly not entitled. Mr Pyne James was appointed as Senior General Manager (Snr GM) Fundraising on 1^st February 2011. The conditions of employment for Mr Pyne James provided for a commission as an incentive be paid over and above a basic salary in respect of commercial sponsorships raised by him and paid in cash to SANParks.

During the period February 2011 to April 2014, twelve (12) such payments totalling R1, 9m made to Mr Pyne James in respect of incentive payments. Following queries on the regularity of some of these payments, the Board of SANParks decided to initiate an investigation into these and related issues. As a consequence of the investigation, disciplinary processes instituted against the Snr GM Fundraising and a disciplinary hearing held on 10 November, 2014.

The outcome of the disciplinary hearing was that Mr Pyne James found guilty on all charges levelled against him, with the sanction being one of summary dismissal. Criminal charges laid in respect of this matter.

The Chairperson of the SANParks Board, Mr Kuseni Dlamini, stated that “We will act speedily to deal with any allegations of impropriety at whatever level in SANParks. We are satisfied in this instance that due process was followed in every respect. We will not leave the matter there, however, and steps will now be taken to recover any amounts that were found to be paid to the Snr GM Fundraising, to which he was not entitled.”