Family of missing Kruger Park ranger still wants answers two years after his disappearance.
A field ranger’s family is asking for clarification after he vanished while on duty in the Kruger National Park. Two years have passed when Checkers Mashego vanished from the park. The family claims that the Kruger National Park broke its commitment to help them while the hunt for him is ongoing.
Mashego reportedly vanished in November 2020 while he and a companion were on patrol in the park. Mashego was the family’s sole source of income, and now the family is having difficulty making ends meet.
Nomsa Maseko, Mashego’s wife, has given up on her husband making a full recovery and coming home. Results from remains thought to be those of Mashego that were discovered nearby were negative. All she needs is to find closure.
‘My hope is to get the remains and lay him to rest in a decent manner so that the children and grandchildren will know where he is buried, the children and grandchildren keep on asking when their father is coming back home from work”
According to Pat Mashego, the family is waiting on the results of police inquiries. He claimed that the Kruger National Park had broken its promise.
” They promised that they will support us until the end of this case and it’s solved, but none of them has shown up to us, we are surprised. Police say the docket on the matter has been transferred to the provincial office following the results which came back negative.
“The results that we got last time indicate that the skull that was found was that of a woman and did not belong to Mr Mashego, it was only the clothes that were positively linked to Mr Mashego and as a result, we will continue with the investigation,” says Mpumalanga police spokesperson Selvy Mohlala.
The Kruger National Park claims that it is also awaiting the police report before deciding the case. Ike Phaahla, a spokesman for the Kruger National Park, claims that the family has received support.
“We have been giving the family support when he went missing, as per our policies but once that ran out we gave an offer to Checkers wife to come and work for the Kruger National Park in order to continue supporting the family, she declined and there was no way we will force her to take the offer, we are waiting for the finalisation of the case and we will give it to our Human Capital Division.”
The Mashego family members gave up about three DNA samples. The family has been urged by the police to be patient as the inquiry goes on.
