The South African National Parks (SANParks) today, 16 August 2013, welcomed the prison sentence meted out to a Mozambican National convicted of rhino poaching by the Nelspruit Regional Court.
Leonard Mhlongo and his accomplice Kenneth Sibiya were arrested by the Kruger National Park Rangers on the 19 January 2013 in the Tshokwane section of the iconic Kruger National Park (KNP). They were found in possession of three horns from a black rhino cow and her calf.
Mhlongo was found guilty on two counts of rhino poaching and trespass in the KNP. On count one of trespass he was sentenced to a four year prison term, then on count two of poaching an adult black rhino he was sentenced to ten years and given an eight year sentence for the poaching of a juvenile black rhino. The eight and ten year sentences will run concurrently.
His co accused, Kenneth Sibiya absconded after being given bail earlier in the year. Their third accomplice, who was in possession of the rifle managed to evade arrest and escaped back into Mozambique.
Officer Commanding Special Projects in the Kruger National Park, Major General (RET) Johan Jooste welcomed the conviction and sentencing “On behalf of our men and women on the ground, we’d like to congratulate the prosecuting team led by Isbet Erwee, the investigators who worked tirelessly to close any loopholes and the court for the steep sentence meted out yesterday. I would like to also congratulate my team for their part in arresting these criminals and preserving the crime scene. This battle is going to be won from outside and we welcome these kind of developments” concluded Jooste.
Meanwhile Jooste also welcomed the cooperation that is being provided by his counterparts in Mozambique, saying that the visit by the Minister of Environmental and Water Affairs to that country has contributed to a good working relationship that is taking shape and hopefully will turn the tide against poachers and their handlers.
Issued By:
South African National Parks
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Friday 16 August 2013
Rhino Poacher Sentenced To 14 Years
A man was sentenced in effect to 14 years in prison for poaching by the Nelspruit Regional Court on Thursday.
A Sapa correspondent reported that rangers arrested 21-year-old Leonard Mhlongo, from Mozambique, and his co-accused Kenneth Sibiya, in the Mjokwane section of the Kruger National Park (KNP) on January 19.
They had killed and dehorned a black rhino cow and its calf.
Prosecutor Isbet Erwee told the court the two men were found in possession of three black rhino horns, two from the cow and one from its calf. She said a third suspect, who carried the rifle used in the killing, escaped when the two men were arrested.
The two faced charges of entering the KNP to commit a restricted activity without obtaining permission from management, and two charges of performing a restricted activity in a designated area.
"The other accused, Sibiya, skipped bail and has disappeared. Police are tracking his whereabouts," Erwee said.
In a statement read out in court, Mhlongo, who worked in Mozambique and earned 3700 meticals (about R1230) per month, said Sibiya fetched him from home and invited him to come work in South Africa.
"I did unlawfully cross and enter the border into the Kruger National Park with Sibiya. After we met up with another man inside the park, it was when I realised what they wanted us to do," he said.
"I had no authority to kill the two rhinos and I request the court for a fine as I plan to raise R20,000 to pay,” he said.
In passing sentence, magistrate Edward Hall said that according to Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, if no solution was found to stop the killing of rhinos, there would be none left in the country by 2026.
"It is a nationwide problem as we read in newspapers every day. The accused is from Mozambique and a second one skipped bail, which shows the attitude of poachers.
"To enter illegally in the KNP with a firearm is a planned criminal activity. The calf could have been saved and been there for generations to come, but it was killed together with its mother,” Hall said.
Hall said the number of rhino killed in the current year to August exceeded last year’s figure by 140.
He sentenced Mhlongo to four years in prison for entering the KNP illegally, 10 years for killing the rhino cow, and eight years for killing the calf. The eight years would run concurrently with the 10 years. Mhlongo was declared unfit to own a firearm.
By:
South African Press Association
A Sapa correspondent reported that rangers arrested 21-year-old Leonard Mhlongo, from Mozambique, and his co-accused Kenneth Sibiya, in the Mjokwane section of the Kruger National Park (KNP) on January 19.
They had killed and dehorned a black rhino cow and its calf.
Prosecutor Isbet Erwee told the court the two men were found in possession of three black rhino horns, two from the cow and one from its calf. She said a third suspect, who carried the rifle used in the killing, escaped when the two men were arrested.
The two faced charges of entering the KNP to commit a restricted activity without obtaining permission from management, and two charges of performing a restricted activity in a designated area.
"The other accused, Sibiya, skipped bail and has disappeared. Police are tracking his whereabouts," Erwee said.
In a statement read out in court, Mhlongo, who worked in Mozambique and earned 3700 meticals (about R1230) per month, said Sibiya fetched him from home and invited him to come work in South Africa.
"I did unlawfully cross and enter the border into the Kruger National Park with Sibiya. After we met up with another man inside the park, it was when I realised what they wanted us to do," he said.
"I had no authority to kill the two rhinos and I request the court for a fine as I plan to raise R20,000 to pay,” he said.
In passing sentence, magistrate Edward Hall said that according to Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, if no solution was found to stop the killing of rhinos, there would be none left in the country by 2026.
"It is a nationwide problem as we read in newspapers every day. The accused is from Mozambique and a second one skipped bail, which shows the attitude of poachers.
"To enter illegally in the KNP with a firearm is a planned criminal activity. The calf could have been saved and been there for generations to come, but it was killed together with its mother,” Hall said.
Hall said the number of rhino killed in the current year to August exceeded last year’s figure by 140.
He sentenced Mhlongo to four years in prison for entering the KNP illegally, 10 years for killing the rhino cow, and eight years for killing the calf. The eight years would run concurrently with the 10 years. Mhlongo was declared unfit to own a firearm.
By:
South African Press Association
Thursday 15 August 2013
Criminal Networks In Rhino Horn Trade
It takes just 48 hours for a rhino horn to go from a live rhino in South Africa to a shop in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Poachers go into a reserve on foot under the cover of night, without a torch. They received a tip about a rhino's whereabouts and track it. They shoot the rhino using a silencer, then shoot its young calf in the chest as it tries to defend its mother. The rhino falls, and the poachers quickly start cutting out the horn, hacking deeply into the rhino's face to get as much of the horn out as possible. They do not check to see if the rhino is actually dead. The shooting and dehorning process takes just 10 minutes in the early hours of the morning. The rhino is left in shock, missing half her face, and her traumatized calf remains at her side.
Just 12 hours later, the horn has been trucked to Mozambique where it will board a plane to Vietnam. Twelve hours after this, the horn is in Vietnam and is passed on to an illegal dealer. Another 12 hours, and the horn is for sale in a shop in Hanoi.
This demonstrates the efficiency and complexity of the criminal syndicates at work here. With eight or more people in the chain, investigations are very difficult. Each person in the syndicate only has contact with the person directly above and below him, so arresting people at the bottom does not increase chances of catching the middlemen or people at the top. At the very bottom of the chain is often a farm laborer who spots the rhino and communicates its location -- without even knowing who gets this information, or why they need it. Each level of the chain gets more money than the person below them, and the horn is passed up until it gets to its final destination, usually in Vietnam or China.
We need to understand these criminal networks to curb illegal trade. However, changing trafficking patterns and their general complexity makes it difficult. There are harvesting networks, theft networks, and distribution networks that work together, making up links in the supply chain for illegal rhino horn trade. Some networks are opportunistic, and others fit the definition of organized crime. General knowledge is slowly growing, but we do not yet have enough information on what makes these networks so resilient. Despite anti-poaching units, military that has been brought in, and other deterrent techniques, illegal trading continues, bringing huge profits to poachers and middlemen, which is only further incentive for poaching and more illegal trade.
Poaching has the capacity to drive rhinos, as well as other species, to extinction. So what makes these poaching networks so resilient? What makes them stable, or able to bounce back when interfered with? The few challenges that criminal networks face are law enforcement, deterrents in the form of dye, poison, or dehorning, and environmental jolts. But these illicit networks have many sources of resilience: the complexity of the networks, the bush environment in which they function, and community support for their criminal activity. Syndicates are small, but with long chains. Each role within the networks is highly specialized as well -- poachers have usually grown up in the bush, and are skilled trackers who can live there for weeks. Some syndicates have access to expensive equipment, but even those that do not gain resilience by being supported by their communities: For example, poachers in Mozambique are often conspicuous and proud of their newfound wealth.
We need to break down these illegal networks and reduce poaching. It will be difficult, but not impossible. We need to increase penalties for poachers and middlemen, and strengthen enforcement strategies. More rangers and anti-poaching units on the ground, in addition to more training and better equipment, has also been shown to make a difference.
Interventions including dye and poison and DNA barcoding are also helpful. Involving local communities in protecting the rhinos near them is key: hire them as anti-poachers; educate them about rhino poaching.
You can help. Funds are always needed -- just make sure the NGO you choose is legitimate. But the easiest way to help make a difference in the war on rhino poaching is spreading global awareness and educating those around you. Together, we can make rhino horn a social taboo, and save the species from imminent extinction. Let's not let rhinos go extinct on our watch.
By:
Natalie Lapides
The Huffington Post
Poachers go into a reserve on foot under the cover of night, without a torch. They received a tip about a rhino's whereabouts and track it. They shoot the rhino using a silencer, then shoot its young calf in the chest as it tries to defend its mother. The rhino falls, and the poachers quickly start cutting out the horn, hacking deeply into the rhino's face to get as much of the horn out as possible. They do not check to see if the rhino is actually dead. The shooting and dehorning process takes just 10 minutes in the early hours of the morning. The rhino is left in shock, missing half her face, and her traumatized calf remains at her side.
Just 12 hours later, the horn has been trucked to Mozambique where it will board a plane to Vietnam. Twelve hours after this, the horn is in Vietnam and is passed on to an illegal dealer. Another 12 hours, and the horn is for sale in a shop in Hanoi.
This demonstrates the efficiency and complexity of the criminal syndicates at work here. With eight or more people in the chain, investigations are very difficult. Each person in the syndicate only has contact with the person directly above and below him, so arresting people at the bottom does not increase chances of catching the middlemen or people at the top. At the very bottom of the chain is often a farm laborer who spots the rhino and communicates its location -- without even knowing who gets this information, or why they need it. Each level of the chain gets more money than the person below them, and the horn is passed up until it gets to its final destination, usually in Vietnam or China.
We need to understand these criminal networks to curb illegal trade. However, changing trafficking patterns and their general complexity makes it difficult. There are harvesting networks, theft networks, and distribution networks that work together, making up links in the supply chain for illegal rhino horn trade. Some networks are opportunistic, and others fit the definition of organized crime. General knowledge is slowly growing, but we do not yet have enough information on what makes these networks so resilient. Despite anti-poaching units, military that has been brought in, and other deterrent techniques, illegal trading continues, bringing huge profits to poachers and middlemen, which is only further incentive for poaching and more illegal trade.
Poaching has the capacity to drive rhinos, as well as other species, to extinction. So what makes these poaching networks so resilient? What makes them stable, or able to bounce back when interfered with? The few challenges that criminal networks face are law enforcement, deterrents in the form of dye, poison, or dehorning, and environmental jolts. But these illicit networks have many sources of resilience: the complexity of the networks, the bush environment in which they function, and community support for their criminal activity. Syndicates are small, but with long chains. Each role within the networks is highly specialized as well -- poachers have usually grown up in the bush, and are skilled trackers who can live there for weeks. Some syndicates have access to expensive equipment, but even those that do not gain resilience by being supported by their communities: For example, poachers in Mozambique are often conspicuous and proud of their newfound wealth.
We need to break down these illegal networks and reduce poaching. It will be difficult, but not impossible. We need to increase penalties for poachers and middlemen, and strengthen enforcement strategies. More rangers and anti-poaching units on the ground, in addition to more training and better equipment, has also been shown to make a difference.
Interventions including dye and poison and DNA barcoding are also helpful. Involving local communities in protecting the rhinos near them is key: hire them as anti-poachers; educate them about rhino poaching.
You can help. Funds are always needed -- just make sure the NGO you choose is legitimate. But the easiest way to help make a difference in the war on rhino poaching is spreading global awareness and educating those around you. Together, we can make rhino horn a social taboo, and save the species from imminent extinction. Let's not let rhinos go extinct on our watch.
By:
Natalie Lapides
The Huffington Post
Wednesday 14 August 2013
Field ranger, field guides and traffic officials back in court over rhino poaching
Three former SA National Parks (SANParks) employees, a provincial traffic officer and a former traffic official, all accused of rhino poaching, appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Tuesday.
Former SANParks field ranger Tiyani Mabunda, 25, and former field guides Charles Mabunda, 29, and Duncan Mnisi, 34, appeared alongside provincial traffic officer Ellaraine Jennifer Brown, 28, and former traffic official Doctor Ngwenyama, 33.
On Tuesday, the court rejected an application to strike the rhino poaching charges against the five from the court roll, following a request by defence lawyer Erwin Sithole.
The defence, which applied on August 6 for the State to provide them with documents and affidavits signed by a commissioner of oaths, said the State had responded to their request.
However, the copies received were not properly completed, and some were unsigned.
Magistrate Andre Geldenhuys advised the defence to put together another application for proper documentation by September 30.
“The State will be allowed to respond by November 18, and if not done we will place the matter to stand in court for the state and defence to discuss further,” he said.
Geldenhuys said if all went well the trial would begin on December 2.
Ngwenyama, Mnisi and the two Mabundas were arrested in February last year after two white rhino carcasses were discovered in the Pretoriuskop section of the Kruger National Park.
Brown, who is married to Ngwenyama, was arrested in May this year, after she was suspected of having transported a rhino horn out of the park.
She first appeared in the White River Magistrate's Court last June, and was released on R5000 bail.
The case was transferred to the Nelspruit Regional Court so it could be combined with her husband's and the three other men.
All the accused are out on bail.
By:
South African Press Association
Former SANParks field ranger Tiyani Mabunda, 25, and former field guides Charles Mabunda, 29, and Duncan Mnisi, 34, appeared alongside provincial traffic officer Ellaraine Jennifer Brown, 28, and former traffic official Doctor Ngwenyama, 33.
On Tuesday, the court rejected an application to strike the rhino poaching charges against the five from the court roll, following a request by defence lawyer Erwin Sithole.
The defence, which applied on August 6 for the State to provide them with documents and affidavits signed by a commissioner of oaths, said the State had responded to their request.
However, the copies received were not properly completed, and some were unsigned.
Magistrate Andre Geldenhuys advised the defence to put together another application for proper documentation by September 30.
“The State will be allowed to respond by November 18, and if not done we will place the matter to stand in court for the state and defence to discuss further,” he said.
Geldenhuys said if all went well the trial would begin on December 2.
Ngwenyama, Mnisi and the two Mabundas were arrested in February last year after two white rhino carcasses were discovered in the Pretoriuskop section of the Kruger National Park.
Brown, who is married to Ngwenyama, was arrested in May this year, after she was suspected of having transported a rhino horn out of the park.
She first appeared in the White River Magistrate's Court last June, and was released on R5000 bail.
The case was transferred to the Nelspruit Regional Court so it could be combined with her husband's and the three other men.
All the accused are out on bail.
By:
South African Press Association
Monday 12 August 2013
On Safari With Mark From 8 August 2013
8 August 2013
Route: Napi - Eloff (alpha & bravo loop) - Napi – Nkambeni Tented Camp
A early mornings start with guests today to see what Africa will bring us. The drive started out quiet down Napi with general game spotted.Giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, warthog, rhino, impala, and a herd of elephant on their way to drink water. Great photos of hippos and crocodiles out of the Sabi river enjoying the sun.
On our return we heard about a leopard at klipspringer koppies and proceeded in that direction but on arrival it had already moved on. 3 x buffalo bulls near to boulders exit.
Further to this it was a very quiet drive back to camp with once again general game and not much else available.
9 August 2013
Route: Napi - Skakuza - Napi – Nkambeni Tented Camp
A new day awaits us. We headed out early hoping to find some Cats for the guests.
On our drive we had many general animal sightings during the course of the morning and afternoon. Sightings include Kudu, impala, warthog, common duiker, steenbok, zebra, giraffe, waterbuck, vervet monkeys, hippos and klipspringer. Different sightings of buffalo's throughout the day with most of them right on the road. 4 different sightings of male elephants. No herds as yet. 4 lions in the sabi riverbed all lying enjoying the morning sun. 5 lions lying on the opposite side of transport dam. We then heard that 6 lions had caught a giraffe and killed it 2kms from shithave dam we proceeded in that direction and found them about 20m off the road all lying flat as carpets, stomachs full.
Afternoon drive was quite, due to the Change in weather conditions (cold and wet). We then headed back to camp for the evening hoping for a warmer better day tomorrow.
10 August 2013
Route: Napi - Nkambeni - Albaseni - Doispan - Albaseni – Nkambeni Tented Camp
Great general game was experienced today with sightings of Giraffe, waterbuck, kudu, impala, warthog, steenbuck, vervet monkeys, zebra and klipspringer. We decided to go check if our lion friends were still lying eating on the giraffe they had killed yesterday morning on our return, the pride had moved off and the vultures had started feeding on the remains. Further to this we had a quiet days game viewing with my clients wanting to do some birding.
Great variety of birds seen for the afternoon and clients were very happy with their photos.
While driving around we got a interesting sighting of a rock hyrax running down the road due to a honey badger in the area which must of disturbed it and hence why it came running down the road.
After a good laugh and some photos we moved on to camp for a good evenings rest.
Route: Napi - Eloff (alpha & bravo loop) - Napi – Nkambeni Tented Camp
A early mornings start with guests today to see what Africa will bring us. The drive started out quiet down Napi with general game spotted.Giraffe, kudu, waterbuck, warthog, rhino, impala, and a herd of elephant on their way to drink water. Great photos of hippos and crocodiles out of the Sabi river enjoying the sun.
On our return we heard about a leopard at klipspringer koppies and proceeded in that direction but on arrival it had already moved on. 3 x buffalo bulls near to boulders exit.
Further to this it was a very quiet drive back to camp with once again general game and not much else available.
9 August 2013
Route: Napi - Skakuza - Napi – Nkambeni Tented Camp
A new day awaits us. We headed out early hoping to find some Cats for the guests.
On our drive we had many general animal sightings during the course of the morning and afternoon. Sightings include Kudu, impala, warthog, common duiker, steenbok, zebra, giraffe, waterbuck, vervet monkeys, hippos and klipspringer. Different sightings of buffalo's throughout the day with most of them right on the road. 4 different sightings of male elephants. No herds as yet. 4 lions in the sabi riverbed all lying enjoying the morning sun. 5 lions lying on the opposite side of transport dam. We then heard that 6 lions had caught a giraffe and killed it 2kms from shithave dam we proceeded in that direction and found them about 20m off the road all lying flat as carpets, stomachs full.
Afternoon drive was quite, due to the Change in weather conditions (cold and wet). We then headed back to camp for the evening hoping for a warmer better day tomorrow.
10 August 2013
Route: Napi - Nkambeni - Albaseni - Doispan - Albaseni – Nkambeni Tented Camp
Great general game was experienced today with sightings of Giraffe, waterbuck, kudu, impala, warthog, steenbuck, vervet monkeys, zebra and klipspringer. We decided to go check if our lion friends were still lying eating on the giraffe they had killed yesterday morning on our return, the pride had moved off and the vultures had started feeding on the remains. Further to this we had a quiet days game viewing with my clients wanting to do some birding.
Great variety of birds seen for the afternoon and clients were very happy with their photos.
While driving around we got a interesting sighting of a rock hyrax running down the road due to a honey badger in the area which must of disturbed it and hence why it came running down the road.
After a good laugh and some photos we moved on to camp for a good evenings rest.
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