Pretoria - Rhino poachers will feel the full might of the law and face heavy sentences.
To drive home this message, the Skukuza Regional Court this week sentenced three poachers to lengthy prison sentences.
Mozambican nationals Lawrence Makamu, 28, George Miyanga, 48 and Nulo Burro, 31, were convicted of trespassing, contravention of the Immigration Act, possession of a firearm, conspiracy to commit illegal poaching, killing of a black rhino, two counts of killing of a white rhino, possession of ammunition and possession of two hunting knives.
Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the Director of Public Prosecutions in Mpumalanga, said on June 30 last year, the trio entered Skukuza National Park using the Malelane section and killed a black rhino.
They did not exit the park until the next day, and rangers heard gunshots around the Malelane section and started searching for the suspects using a helicopter.
They found another two white rhinos killed and continued with the search until they found Makamu, Miyanga and Burro hiding, while in possession of six fresh rhino horns, firearms, two hunting knives and four live rounds of ammunition.
All three pleaded guilty, but the prosecution still led evidence of DNA-positive results linking the suspects to the carcasses of a black rhino that was killed. A ballistic report confirming that the rhino horns found in their possession were of the two white rhinos, was presented.
In aggravation of the sentence, the court took into consideration that the suspects did not kill only a white rhino, but also a black rhino, regarded as a critically endangered species.
Miyanga had a previous conviction of illegal poaching and was sentenced to effective 33 years in jail, while Makamu and Burro were sentenced to 22 years’ direct imprisonment each.
The NPA welcomed the sentence and said poaching is a serious threat to the economy.
In May last year the same court sentenced three other rhino poachers to a total of 63 years’ imprisonment.
Isaac Zitha 41, Oscar Ndlovu 38, Richard Mkhombo 39 – all South Africans – were convicted by the court on 12 charges related to rhino poaching.
The three were convicted for an incident in the Stolznek section of the Kruger National Park after rangers followed up after hearing gunshots.
Ndlovu was found hiding in the area, and rangers called in the K9 unit, who led them to a backpack and the two other accused. The backpack contained a pair of rhino horns and a rifle linked to a carcass found nearby.
While on bail, the three’s poaching activities continued, and a few months later rangers found human tracks in the Kingfisherspruit section of the Kruger National Park, which led to Ndlovu yet again being arrested. The K9 unit also tracked down Zitha and Mkhombo. Their backpack contained a pair of rhino horns and a rifle, linking the three to a carcass found nearby.
In a similar case where a stern message was sent to rhino poachers in April 21, the court sitting in Skukuza sentenced two rhino poachers to an effective 19 years each in jail, after the two Mozambican nationals were arrested in the Kruger National Park.
Lawrence Flaveo Cuetsele, 21, and Nelson Mhlongo, 34, were arrested after they had entered the park through Tshokwane and Lower Sabi sections.
The pair were apprehended after field rangers heard gunshots, and the South African National Parks helicopter lent assistance.
Pretoria News