Five Table Mountain rangers involved in the scuffle which left Nicholas Dlamini with a broken arm have been placed on precautionary suspension.
The South African National Parks announced that it had decided to suspend the five after a meeting with them earlier on Saturday morning.
SANParks acting CEO Lize McCourt, said the five were on precautionary suspension pending the finalisation of the investigation.
McCourt expressed regret at the turn of events and assured the public that the organisation is taking the matter seriously and “will afford Mr Dlamini and his family all the necessary support at this stage”.
A video of the incident was widely shared on social media platforms. In it, four rangers can be seen aggressively trying to shove Dlamini into the back of a van. During the scuffle you can hear the sound of what appears to be Dlamini’s arm breaking after a ranger attempts to place Dlamini’s arms behind his back.
After visiting Dlamini in hospital, Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy instructed SANParks to suspend the officers involved.
SANParks is also in the process of appointing an independent service provider to conduct a preliminary investigation following the incident.
