An X5 collided with an elephant on a public road in Limpopo after the beast escaped from a reserve that is struggling to contain its wildlife.

As if life couldn’t get harder for an ANC municipality boss who lost his job after being found guilty of corruption, an elephant has now completely destroyed his car.
His car, which appears to be a BMW X5, was wrecked beyond recognition in the early hours of this morning when it hit a rogue elephant roaming on the Mica-Hoedspruit main road in Limpopo.

The driver and owner of the vehicle is believed to be former Mopani municipal manager Tim Maake, Letaba Herald reported. Maake was suspended and then dismissed this year for financial mismanagement. Maake, one of the longest-serving municipal managers in the country, was dismissed after the disciplinary committee found him guilty of 18 charges, including gross negligence, gross misconduct, gross dereliction of duties and gross dishonesty emanating from the contravention of several sections of the Municipal Finance Management Act and Municipal Supply Chain Management Act.

Tim Maake. Picture: Letaba Herald
Nobody was seriously injured in the accident and no injured elephant was found on the scene.
The elephant was part of a herd of seven that was since guided back to the area they escaped from next to the Olifants River.

The accident was possibly predictable as there have been a sudden raft of elephant sightings in the area over the past two weeks.
This after a herd of elephants were spotted roaming the road in Hoedspruit on Tuesday.
Wildlife specialists warned that rogue elephants roaming around the Hoedspruit area of Limpopo could pose a major danger to motorists and residents.

The herd of elephants roaming on a main road near Hoedspruit, Limpopo earlier this week.
The week before, motorists spotted another elephant walking down the same road. The animals all came from the nearby Balule Nature Reserve. On Tuesday night, the five young bulls were spotted near a shopping complex and heading towards Phalaborwa. 



The five young elephant bulls roaming the main road under the watchful eye of Hoedspruit Farm Watch Members. Photos: Lafras Verwey-Hoedspruit Farm Watch