Africa Wild

MEDIA RELEASE
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL ANTI POACHING OPERATION IN THE KNP
The South African National Parks (SANParks) today announced another well executed operation which led to the arrest of three suspected poachers on Wednesday, 21 April 2021 in the Crocodile Bridge Section of the Kruger National Park (KNP). A high calibre hunting rifle, ammunition and poaching equipment were seized during the successful operation.
Rangers detected spoor of three individuals early in the morning and made a follow up in pursuit of the suspected rhino poachers. The Airwing Unit was called in to support the ground teams using a helicopter and a fixed wing airplane; soon thereafter one suspect was arrested. After following tracks throughout the day, the two remaining suspects were apprehended in the late afternoon and handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further handling.
“Yesterday was another long day in the field for our anti-poaching teams in difficult conditions but they displayed tenacity and excellent team work. We congratulate all who were involved. The arrests bring the number of those arrested in the past five days to eight. In this time three rifles, ammunition and hunting equipment were seized boosting the morale of the Rangers, Aviators and K9 Unit in the battle to protect and conserve rhinos in the KNP which has borne the brunt of attack from international rhino poaching syndicates”.
The suspects will appear in court in due course.
Issued by:
South African National Parks, Kruger National Park - Communications & Marketing
Enquiries:
Isaac Phaahla, GM: Communications & Marketing - SANParks. Tel: 013 735 4363, cell 083 673 6974 or email: Isaac.phaahla@sanparks.org

REF: KNP-9/2/2 – (21)
Tuesday, 18 May 2021
MEDIA RELEASE (Sentences) 1 of 1
For Immediate Release
SANParks APPLAUDS THE SENTENCES IMPOSED ON FOUR RHINO POACHERS
South African National Parks (SANParks) has today, 18 May 2021 welcomed the finalization of two long running rhino poaching trials by the Skukuza Regional Court. One rhino poacher was sentenced on 14 May whilst three, including a former SANParks employee were sentenced on 17 May respectively.
Nito Mathebula was arrested in Tshokwane Section in January 2019 while hunting in the Park illegally. Two of his accomplices managed to evade arrest. He was found guilty of trespassing in a National Park, breaking the Immigration Act and the killing of a rhino. He was sentenced to an effective 13 years in custody after being found guilty on three poaching related charges.
Three accused Phineas Dinda a former SANParks full corporal in the Rangers Corps, Arlindo Manyike from Mozambique and Alfa Gwebana a South African citizen were arrested in Tshokwane Section in May 2019. All three persons were found guilty of trespassing in a national Park, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession on an unlicensed firearm, live ammunition an axe. Manyike was also found guilty of contravening the Immigration Act. They were all sentenced to an effective sixteen years in prison.
The Managing Executive of KNP, Gareth Coleman welcomed the sentences saying “we would like to congratulate the prosecution, SAPS and our hard working dedicated Rangers Corps who arrested the suspects and presented credible evidence that led to the sentences imposed by the courts. We hope this will send a message to others that justice will ultimately be served. It is particularly concerning that one of our own employees has been arrested and imprisoned. We are aware of the involvement of employees in colluding with poachers. We call on all employees who have information pertaining to this collusion to come forward or use the Ethics and Fraud Hotline. With the opening of the Skukuza Court again we are seeing a significant increase in convictions. We expect this trend to increase and poachers may find short term benefit from poaching but they will be apprehended impacting on their own, their families and community livelihoods”.
Skukuza Regional court resumed hearing cases on 1 April after attempts were made to close it down.
****Ends****
Issued by:
South African National Parks - Kruger National Park: Communications & Marketing Department.
Enquiries:
Isaac Phaahla, GM: Communications & Marketing, KNP. Tel: 013 735 4363, cell 083 673 6974 or email: Isaac.phaahla@sanparks.or

Too many insiders committing crimes

Is this the same Phineas Dinda as this one in 2014?

viewtopic.php?p=231986#p231986

He ought to be in jail if there is any logic in the court procedures

» Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:00 am
Alleged rhino poachers’ appeal denied in the High Court

Acting Judge Francois Botes entrenched the refusal of accused police officers’ bail application.
Helene Eloff | 14 October 2014 16:18

TSHWANE – Three men suspected of poaching rhino in the Kruger National Park (KNP) earlier this year, appeared in the North Gauteng High Court on Monday to appeal their unsuccessful bail applications.
Three police officers, Constables Arnold Mashele, Morris Sehlabela and Dennis Mkhonto approached the North Gauteng High Court to appeal their respective bail applications that were unsuccessful before Magistrates Baloyi and Ntombeni on separate occasions in the White River Magistrate’s Court.
Messrs Mashele, Sehlabele and Mr Phineas Dinda, who was previously employed as a game ranger in the Kruger National Park, were arrested on May 27. They face charges of corruption, trespassing, conspiracy to commit a crime and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. After their first bail application was denied by Magistrate Winnie Baloyi on July 15, Mashele brought a new bail application on a fresh set of facts, which was also denied.
Magistrate Heki Ntombeni denied the bail application of Mkhonto on July 22.
Sehlabela, Dinda and Mkhonto’s appeal was denied by Acting Judge Francois Botes on Monday and they will remain in custody until the completion of the trial. No trial date has been determined in this matter yet and will be announced in the Skukuza Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

klippies!

How did he get back to being a ranger???

who was previously employed as a game ranger in the Kruger National Park

Until 2014