Rhino Poaching: Arrests, Prosecutions & Sentencing

[Lisbeth]

Illegal wildlife trade suspects arrested

BY HERALD REPORTER - 03 August 2018

Six men allegedly involved in illegal wildlife trade and crimes have been arrested.

The six – between the ages of 25 and 30 – were expected to appear in the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of unlicensed firearms and possession of ammunition.

Police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci said the suspects were arrested about 2km outside Grahamstown at about 4pm on Tuesday as part of Operation Full Moon.

“It is alleged that the suspects’ vehicles were stopped and upon investigation and during a search of the vehicles a 375 calibre rifle, nine rounds of ammunition and a large sum of money, two knives, two axes and nine cellphones were confiscated from both vehicles,” Soci said.

“All the suspects are Zimbabwean Nationals and the investigation continues to ascertain if they cannot be linked to other rhino poaching incidents in the province and/ or country.”

Provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga commended all the members involved in the operation.

“Significant progress had been made by specialist detectives assigned to tracking down rhino poaching syndicates... This is an indication that we are committed to turning the tide on illegal wildlife trade,” Ntshinga said.

[Flutterby]

KNP RANGERS ARREST 23 POACHING SUSPECTS IN 18 DAYS AND CONFISCATE 12 HIGH CALIBRE RIFLES

South African National Parks today announced the arrest of 23 suspected rhino poachers in the Kruger National Park (KNP) since Thursday, 19 July 2018, a day when the Rangers Corps lost a colleague in a contact with a poaching group. Respect Mathebula became the second Ranger casualty since 1958 involving a poacher contact in the KNP.

The Managing Executive of the KNP, Glenn Phillips commended the work of the Rangers saying they are resilient in the aftermath of the tragic loss of a colleague “the arrests are a sign that the Spirit of Respect is being honoured by the Rangers Corps. Further to this, the fact that no poachers were wounded or killed in these contacts is a clear demonstration of the professionalism and discipline that embodies our Ranger Corps.

There has been relentless poacher activity since his passing, with 156 activities reported and that includes contacts. We are still making a plea to our neighbouring communities to help us in this fight by exposing those who are exploiting their children, husbands and relatives to illegally hunt rhino. These people do not have the welfare of the communities at heart but are criminals without a conscience and they need to be put behind bars for a long time for their criminal acts” said Phillips.

The 23 arrested suspects were also in possession of 10 high calibre rifles and poaching equipment. They will be facing charges related to poaching and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

……Ends

Issued by:
South African National Parks, Kruger National Park - Communications & Marketing Department.

Enquiries:
Isaac Phaahla, GM Communications and Marketing - KNP. Tel: 012 426 5315/013 735 4363, cell 083 673 6974 or email: Isaac.phaahla@sanparks.org

[Lisbeth]

Respect Mathebula became the second Ranger casualty since 1958 involving a poacher contact in the KNP.

Only

[Richprins]

Actually the only one killed by poachers.

[Lisbeth]

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The six suspected rhino poachers will remain in custody for now
BY GARETH WILSON - 17 August 2018


Rhino. File picture -Image: 123RF/Jacoba Susanna Maria Swanepoel

The six suspected rhino poachers who were arrested in the Eastern Cape two weeks ago will remain in custody until a Shona interpreter is available.

All six appeared in the Grahamstown Magistrate's Court on Thursday for a bail application, which was later postponed.

Police spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci said the bail application was postponed indefinitely for the court to allocate a Shona interpreter to the case.

No date has been set yet for the new bail application as it is reliant on the allocation of the interpreter.

Asked why the police are not naming the men, Soci explained that on other occasions, when some of the men had been previously arrested, they gave different names.

Soci said that the names would only be revealed once detectives establish their real identities as well as their legitimacy for being in the county.

The men were arrested on July 31 as part of an anti-poaching exercise dubbed Operation Full Moon.

The latest rhino carcass was found on August 2 on the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, situated between Makhanda and King William’s Town. The animal was believed to have been shot, and de-horned, several days prior to the discovery.

Soci said the suspects had been arrested about 2km outside Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) as part of Operation Full Moon.

“It is alleged that the suspects’ vehicles were stopped and upon a search of the vehicles, a 375-calibre rifle, nine rounds of ammunition and a large sum of money, two knives, two axes and nine cellphones were confiscated from both vehicles,” Soci said.

“All the suspects are Zimbabwean nationals and the investigation continues to ascertain if they cannot be linked to other rhino poaching incidents in the province or the whole country.”

Police are still awaiting the ballistic results to determine if the weapon can be tied to other poaching’s across the country.

[Lisbeth]

Rhino poacher jailed for 20 years


ll.09.2018 AFP


File: AFP

Johannesburg - A Mozambican rhino poacher caught at the Kruger National Park has been jailed for 20 years, police said.

Mapoyisa Mahlauli, 30, was sentenced on Thursday following his arrest last year in the game reserve.

"Mahlauli was sentenced to an effective 20 years imprisonment after he was found guilty... for various rhino-poaching related crimes," said police spokesperson Katlego Mogale in a statement on Monday.

"This will send a strong message to other potential rhino poachers about the consequences of their actions if caught."

Rangers tracked the poachers after they heard gun shots and discovered a white rhino whose horns had been freshly sawed off, in March last year.

A shoot-out ensued before Mahlauli was discovered with a rifle and a pair of rhino horns. His accomplice had fled.

Police said they also arrested a Chinese national at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday, after he was found in possession of five rhino horns wrapped in foil.

South Africa is home to around 20 000 rhinos, about 80% of the worldwide population, but has suffered a record loss at the hands of poachers in recent years.

Poachers have killed more than 7 100 rhinos across Africa over the past decade.

Rhino horns are highly priced in Asia, where they are mistakenly believed to have medicinal powers.

The horns consist mainly of keratin, the same component as in human nails, and are sold in powdered form as a supposed cure for cancer and other diseases - as well as a purported aphrodisiac - in Vietnam and China.

[Richprins]

Really...Shonas all the way down in the Eastern Cape! a red flag straight away...

[RogerFraser]

Skukuza court accused of letting poachers off with slap on the wrist

17.09.2018 Amanda Watson


FILE PICTURE: Kruger National Park staff walk near the carcass of a rhinoceros killed by poachers at Houtboschrand in the southern part of Kruger National Park, northeastern South Africa, on November 27, 2013.

The Kruger Park’s spokesperson says sentencing at the flagship court has reached lows ‘never seen before’.

A damning letter of complaint against the Mpumalanga chief magistrate and Skukuza District Court magistrate by South African National Parks’ Kruger National Park (KNP) management has accused them of sabotaging the war on rhino poaching.

KNP spokesperson Ike Phaahla said sentencing at the flagship Skukuza court has reached lows “never seen before” and is leading to an increase of insurgents to the park looking for rhino horn, which had apparently led to increased contact between poachers and rangers.

The court previously boasted a 99.8% conviction rate and “up to recently had a 100% success rate in opposed bail applications”, stated the complaint.

The KNP has accused recently appointed magistrate Simon Fankomo of granting bail to repeat offenders with previous convictions, “despite the two specialist prosecutors addressing the presiding officer properly, comprehensively and at length like they always did”.

“They in fact went further than that: they handed in sworn statements explaining the bleak situation of our wildlife; they supplied statistics and put a comprehensive picture before the court,” Phaahla wrote to the department of justice and constitutional development.

“Magistrate Fankomo apparently simply ignored all of it. Sentences like a R3 000 fine [are] now [meted out] for the possession of an unlicensed hunting rifle in the KNP!”

Phaahla said the offence was usually met with direct imprisonment of between five and 15 years, due to the offence being compounded because it was committed inside a national park.

Calling the actions an “onslaught on the ongoing existence of the Skukuza courts”, the complaint noted the court was established in March 2017 “despite huge controversy and resistance by the regional court president of Mpumalanga”.

It is believed the current actions were at the chief magistrate’s behest.

“The chief magistrate of Mpumalanga also wanted to close down the district court in Skukuza and move the cases to Bushbuckridge,” Phaahla said, noting it was due to Mpumalanga Judge President Malesela Legodi’s intervention the courts were not closed.

Justice department spokesperson Stephens Mahlangu said yesterday the Magistrates’ Commission would have an answer by today.

[Lisbeth]

I thought that I could not be surprised anymore

[Richprins]

This is wonderful. AT LAST SanParks is flexing their muscles, as is their right. We suggested this to them at our meetings last year, and said we would support them!