South African authorities have initiated a psychological evaluation of a crew member at the South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) IV base in Antarctica following allegations of violent behavior, including physical assault and sexual harassment against team members. The incident, first reported by South Africa’s Sunday Times, involved an email from a crew member to government officials last weekend, pleading for rescue and stating that the aggressive crew member had made death threats. Psychological counselors have been providing remote support, and the accused crew member is reportedly cooperative. The team, led by technician Mbulaheni Kelcey Maewashe, is conducting scientific research at the base, which is approximately 4,000km from South Africa and is part of the Ahlmann Ridge’s glacial ice sheet area. The research includes climate monitoring, atmospheric studies, and geological surveys. The South African government confirmed receipt of a distress message on February 27 and stated they are investigating the allegations and mediating at the base, though no crew member has been named. The government has affirmed that all team members undergo psychological evaluations before deployment and that such incidents, while rare, have also occurred at other Antarctic research stations in the past.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/21/south-africas-antarctica-base-hit-by-assault-claims-what-happened?traffic_source=rss