SAPS, SANDF & SANParks Employees Involved in Poaching

[Toko]

Three rhinos poached every day in nation’s parks

The Department of Environmental Affairs revealed this week that 277 rhinos have been poached since the beginning of the year.
This week, two Kruger National Park field guides appeared in court on charges of conspiracy to kill a rhino and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. One of the men was said to be the son of a Phalaborwa regional ranger.
The alleged rhino poachers were arrested after the Gravelotte police in Limpopo received a tip. A .375 hunting rifle with its serial numbers filed off, nine rounds of ammunition, an axe and a panga were confiscated.
“The… firearm is being investigated,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi. “The accused were remanded in custody for further investigation until April 16.”
SANParks spokesperson Isaac Phaahla said it was discouraging that the work of SANParks was being undermined by colleagues.
“We have said from the start of this war, [SANParks] is not an organisation full of angels, but those that involve themselves with criminality will be treated as criminals and shown no mercy.”

This brings to three the number of people arrested this year from within the national parks organisation’s ranks.
Phaahla could not be definite as to how staffers were being tempted to kill animals. However, he noted that syndicates often made promises of quick wealth without mentioning the risks faced by poachers.
Fortunately, the rhino birth rate is keeping just ahead of poachers. “We have not reached the tipping point yet, there are still more rhinos being born than poached,” said Phaahla.
He added that some 86 poachers have been arrested so far this year.

[Duke]

“We have said from the start of this war, [SANParks] is not an organisation full of angels, but those that involve themselves with criminality will be treated as criminals and shown no mercy.”

I must have missed this when it was first said

Fortunately, the rhino birth rate is keeping just ahead of poachers. “We have not reached the tipping point yet, there are still more rhinos being born than poached,” said Phaahla.

Would like to see the data to back this up.

[Toko]

Suspected poachers remanded in custody

Suspected poachers remanded in custody

They were arrested on Monday after the carcass of a rhino was discovered on the S4 dirt road the previous day, about 5,5 kilometres from the gate

11 April 2014 | Nicolene Smalman


SKUKUZA - The son of the regional field ranger of Phalaborwa appeared in the local Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a charge of poaching after the carcass of a white rhino was discovered near Paul Kruger Gate in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on Sunday.

Mr Derrick Mashale’s 27-year-old son, Mr Tshepo Marvin Mashale, also an employee of SANParks, appeared with his co-accused, Mr Exelence Blues Shabangu, a 26-year-old field guide and water-control officer, stationed at the gate.

They were arrested on Monday after the carcass of a rhino was discovered on the S4 dirt road the previous day, about 5,5 kilometres from the gate. It was also seen by various visitors as it was only about 20 metres from the road. Both horns had been hacked off.

Mashale and Shabangu appeared briefly and were remanded in custody until their next appearance on April 16.

Mr Abe Sibiya, acting CEO of SANParks, said the strategies employed in the fight against rhino poaching were focused not only on external forces, but also within its own ranks. “We will not leave any stone unturned and this should send out a stern warning to those who are conspiring with poachers that we will deal with them decisively and swiftly.”

He added that the use of advanced technology which was now in place in the park also led to the breakthrough in apprehending Mashale and Shabangu. “This technology, made possible through funds donated by the public, various corporations and foundations, is assisting us to build the much-needed intelligence in the fight against poaching.

“A lot of work is underway to stabilise the situation and we are confident that the collective interventions of all law-enforcement local and international agencies will eventually curb or reduce, if not stop rhino poaching,” Sibiya concluded.

Later on Wednesday, the department of environmental affairs issued the latest statistics: 277 rhino have been poached since the beginning of the year, 166 of them in Kruger and 32 arrests have been made in the park in the same period.

This is not the first time that SANParks employees have been implicated in rhino poaching. Messrs Duncan Mnisi (former field guide), Tiyene Mabunda (former field guide), Charles Mabunda (former field guide), Doctor Mgwenyama (former traffic official) and Mr Jennifer Brown - Mgwenyama's wife - will appear in court again on May 19.

They are suspected of having poached two white rhino bulls at Nape Boulders Loop near Pretorius Kop on February 27, 2012.

It was testified during the four men's bail application, that the horns had been given to Mr Elton Maluleke, a former field ranger who was dismissed that same year after having been found guilty on various charges at a disciplinary hearing. He was never arrested.

[Duke]

I have been watching too much of Gerrie Nel ( WNs he is the prosecutor in the Osacar Pistorius case)

Mr. Abe Sibiy added that the use of advanced technology which was now in place in the park also led to the breakthrough in apprehending Mashale and Shabangu. “This technology, made possible through funds donated by the public, various corporations and foundations, is assisting us to build the much-needed intelligence in the fight against poaching.

The alleged rhino poachers were arrested after the Gravelotte police in Limpopo received a tip. A .375 hunting rifle with its serial numbers filed off, nine rounds of ammunition, an axe and a panga were confiscated.

[Toko]

“We have said from the start of this war, [SANParks] is not an organisation full of angels, but those that involve themselves with criminality will be treated as criminals and shown no mercy.”

I must have missed this when it was first said

I remember a statement by Mabunda (I think?) along the line when the four SANParks officials based in the Pretoriuskop section of KNP have been arrested in Feb 2012

[Duke]

I remember the arrest of those four Toko, not the statement. My impression is the startegy was one of keeping mum about staff involvement. Then I unearted the minutes of the Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Even this was met with silence. We are a year down the road now.

[Richprins]

I quite like the idea of making a separate thread "naming and shaming" SP/Kzn employees...AFTER being convicted?

Not because of "Sanparks Bashing", but because they are meant to be the protectors, and the rot starts there!

[Toko]

Bail application of suspected rhino poachers postponed

[Richprins]

SKUKUZA – The bail application of two SANParks employees accused of having poached a rhino near Paul Kruger Gate in the Kruger National Park (KNP) about two weeks ago, has been postponed to next week.

Mr Tshepo Marin Mashale (27) and Mr Exelence Blues Shabangu (26) were remanded in custody until April 21. They briefly appeared in the Magistrate’s Court in Skukuza on Wednesday for their bail application which was postponed because court proceedings had started late.

Their attorney consulted with them for a long period of time, which left little time for the hearing to proceed. It was then decided to rather have it rolled over until next week.

Mashale was a water-control officer stationed at the gate and is the son of Phalaborwa regional field ranger Mr Derrick Mashale. Shabangu was a field guide.

They were arrested on April 7 after the dehorned carcass of a white rhino was discovered on the S4 dirt road, about 5,5 kilometres from Paul Kruger Gate, the previous day.

[PennyinSA]

http://corridorgazette.co.za/154885/six ... -to-sheet/