Harry Giddey Park's disciplinary matters finalised

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - All internal disciplinary matters regarding Harry Giddey Park have been finalised.

This is according to the Mossel Bay Municipality, who recently responded to some queries Mossel Bay Advertiser sent.

In October 2024, 52 tortoises and several birds housed at Harry Giddey Park were euthanised, allegedly as a result of animal cruelty and neglect.

On 9 June last year, a special internal audit review on the park, compiled by the financial consulting and auditing firm, Moore Consulting Southern Cape, was handed over to the municipality, whose disciplinary board discussed the matter in a sitting on 13 June.

The minutes of the meeting were then discussed in a council meeting on 27 June, as well as a report on the board's recommendations for the Council to consider.

According to the municipality's report, Moore Consulting's internal audit found unauthorised animal sales, animal neglect and euthanisation, and asset mismanagement had taken place at Harry Giddey Park.

The audit stated that due to these finds, it was established the park was non-compliant in terms of the Local Government Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and the municipality's Supply Chain Management (SCM) Policy and Asset Management Policy.

The audit also found irregular sales at the park of just over R22 000, fruitless and wasteful expenditure of just over R27 000 (euthanisation costs) and unconfirmed losses due to missing records, registers and invoices.

It stated that while the investigation found no evidence of deliberate intent by officials to cause financial losses or mismanagement at the park, significant lapses in oversight and operational management and lapses in compliance with the Asset Management Policy 2025 and SCM Policy were identified.

The municipality's disciplinary board recommended a legal opinion be obtained, and that appropriate action be taken to recover the fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

It also recommended that the report be made available and that the Mossel Bay Municipality's manager, Colin Puren, determine the necessity for reporting any disciplinary actions in terms of the Financial Misconduct Regulations.

The Advertiser sent the municipality questions about the disciplinary hearings, asking if they had indeed taken place and if so, when, with how many municipal employees, and which.

The paper also asked about the outcome of these hearings, as well as what action has been taken so far to recover the fruitless and wasteful expenditure at the park, what further action still needs to be taken and if the municipality still plans to house more animals at Harry Giddey in future.

It was also asked about the criminal case of animal cruelty the Garden Route SPCA opened against it in July last year.

The municipality responded. "All internal disciplinary matters with regard to the Harry Giddey Park have been finalised, the criminal and civil proceedings are still in process and a report will be referred back to Council in due course with regard to animals housed in the park."

The Southern Cape Police's spokesperson, Warrant Officer Chris Spies, said the investigations into the animal cruelty case were still ongoing.

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