Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

Information & discussion on the Rhino Poaching Pandemic
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Richprins
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Re: Rhino Poaching: Arrests, Prosecutions & Sentencing

Post by Richprins »

Province’s most-wanted back behind bars
Mthobisi Lenox Ngwenyama, an alleged rhino poacher, robber and killer, was arrested on Wednesday.
8 hours ago


HAZYVIEW – Mthobisi Lenox Ngwenyama, one of the province’s most-wanted suspects, was arrested in Shabalala Trust on Wednesday morning. This alleged poacher, robber and murderer was at large for two weeks after he escaped from the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court.

It is believed that he shot and killed the detective who landed him in prison during this time.

On the day of his escape, he was facing charges of housebreaking, theft, robbery and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The crimes were all allegedly committed in KaBokweni. Ngwenyama and four other men were also arrested and charged for the poaching of Sabi, a rhino calf, in his boma in Care for Wild Africa in 2014.

On Wednesday May 13, Ngwenyama and three other prisoners overpowered a court orderly who was escorting them to the holding cells. They ran out of the building and made off in different directions. Three of the men were arrested shortly afterwards, but Ngwenyama had disappeared. A week later, the investigating officer in one of the cases against Ngwenyama was murdered. Const Joseph Baloyi (35) was shot seven times and died in his vehicle at his house in KaBokweni late that afternoon. The suspect fled, but eyewitnesses provided the police with a description that fitted that of Ngwenyama. It was presumed that he escaped from the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court to hunt down Baloyi.

According to Hawks’ spokesman Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi, an investigation revealed that Ngwenyama had more names on his hit list, including members of the Hawks. “We secured the safety of our unit’s members by increasing security measures,” he said. The Hawks’ all-out war on Ngwenyama ended when they arrested him on Wednesday morning.

“He was alone in a house in the Hazyview area at the time of his arrest,” said Mudlaudzi. Provincial SAPS spokesman Brig Selvy Mohlala reportedly claimed that Ngwenyama was sleeping when the police broke the front door down. He then tried to hide in a closet and attempted to jump through a window before he was arrested. Community members reported seeing Ngwenyama arriving at the Pienaar Police Station at 17:00.

Lowvelder approached Mohlala for confirmation of the details of the arrest, which he refused to give. “I had a miscommunication with another journalist. That is where this information came from. I cannot comment on the case,” he said.

Mulaudzi refrained from providing any additional comments in the case and labelled Mohlala’s comments as “out of order”. “The investigation is not complete. There are still some things outstanding and providing any additional information may jeopardise the police’s case,” he said. Ngwenyama will appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court today.


http://lowvelder.co.za/272078/provinces ... hind-bars/


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Re: Taking care of the survivors

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http://www.gov.za/speeches/npa-forfeits ... tre-infant


Prosecuting Authority forfeits vehicle used by poachers

3 Feb 2016
National Prosecuting Authority forfeits the vehicle that was used by poachers to kill a rhino to the victim (Rehabilitation Centre for Infant Rhinos)

On Friday 29 January 2016 the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) obtained an order in the Pretoria High Court in terms whereof a Mazda pick-up vehicle (the Mazda) was declared forfeited to the victim of a rhinoceros poaching incident, namely the Care for Wild Africa Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (Care for Wild Africa). Petronella Nieuwoudt (Nieuwoudt) is the owner and manageress of Care for Wild Africa.

Care for Wild Africa is a wildlife rehabilitation centre (the Centre) near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga that specializes in the nurturing of infant rhinoceroses that had lost their mothers due to poaching or injury. It includes emergency medical care, veterinary services and daily maintenance of the infant rhinoceroses.

On 25 June 2015 the AFU obtained a High Court preservation order in respect of the Mazda as a result of a poaching incident that occurred on Friday, 8 August 2014 at the farm where the Centre is situated.

On the day, an infant white rhinoceros calf named “Sabie” was found shot in his enclosure at the Centre and his small horns were removed. The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, in conjunction with the South African Police Service’s Organised Crime Unit in Nelspruit, conducted a thorough investigation.

Five men were subsequently arrested in connection with this poaching incident, including Thokozani Jabulani Ngwenya (Ngwenya) who was working at the Centre as a security guard who looked after the infant rhinoceroses and the owner of the Mazda, namely Kenneth Alex Mthombothi (Mthombothi). The group of poachers allegedly sold Sabie’s horns for R34 000 to a Chinese national.

The SAPS seized the Mazda on 21 August 2014 from the possession of Mthombothi, because it was used as an instrument to commit the mentioned offences at the Centre. The Mazda was used to transport the group of poachers, the firearm that was used to shot Sabie and Sabie’s cut off horns to and from the Centre. The criminal case against the five suspected poachers is still pending in the Nelspruit Regional Court.

Nieuwoudt made an affidavit on behalf of the Centre to the Pretoria High Court, wherein she requested that the Mazda be forfeited to the Centre. In her affidavit, Nieuwoudt stated that as a result of the poaching of Sabie, the Centre was forced to improve security. They employed security guards to conduct regular patrols on the farm where the Centre is situated.

The Mazda will be used to conduct these patrols as it is perfectly suited to fulfil this function given the rugged terrain of the farm. The Mazda will also be used to fulfil day to day tasks on the farm, like the transportation of feed and medicines for the infant rhinos. Nieuwoudt stated that the Centre is a registered non-profit rehabilitation organisation that is dependent upon donations. Accordingly, the Centre will immensely benefit from the forfeiture of the Mazda to them.

The NPA and the SAPS are committed to the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the 2007 Service Charter for Victims of Crime (the Victims’ Charter) that enshrined the concept of restorative justice. In terms of the Victims’ Charter a victim of crime has a right to compensation from the offender for loss of or damage to property that was suffered as a result of a crime.

A victim also has a right to restitution from the offender in cases where he/she was unlawfully dispossessed of goods or property, or where goods or property have been damaged unlawfully. The provisions of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (the POCA) are a very effective tool for the NPA’s AFU to implement and enforce the provisions of the Victim’s Charter and to ensure that the principle of restorative justice in our society is achieved.

The forfeiture of the Mazda to the Centre is a prime example how the POCA can be used to fulfil the provisions of the Victim’s Charter.


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Re: Taking care of the survivors

Post by Toko »

Five men were subsequently arrested in connection with this poaching incident, including Thokozani Jabulani Ngwenya (Ngwenya) who was working at the Centre as a security guard who looked after the infant rhinoceroses
That's new to me :shock: :shock:


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Re: Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

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Ja, it was in one of the articles somewhere! \O


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Re: Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

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Suspected poacher killed while on bail
The baby rhino, Sabi, was brutally mutilated and killed after he was rescued when his mother was poached in Sabie Sands in August 2014
9 hours ago


MBOMBELA – An accused rhino poacher was shot and killed while allegedly attempting to poach again in the Kruger National Park (KNP). He was out on bail at the time.

Mr Russel Mokoena was one of five men accused of poaching a baby rhino at Care for Wild Africa Rehabilitation Centre.

His co-accused Messrs Thokozane Jabulane Ngwenya, Kenneth Alex Mthombothi, Promise Mandla Lamula and Lenox Ngwenyama, appeared in the Regional Magistrate’s Court without him on Wednesday. The men face various charges related to rhino poaching.

Two of the accused, Ngwenya and Mthombothi, were working at Care for Wild at the time of the incident.

The baby rhino, Sabi, was brutally mutilated and killed after he was rescued when his mother was poached in Sabie Sands in August 2014. His front legs had also been chopped off.

The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, in conjunction with the police’s organised crime unit, conducted a thorough investigation. Sabi’s little horns were allegedly sold for R34 000 to a Chinese national.

An informed source told Lowvelder that one of the suspects had allegedly said Sabi had not even tried to get away from them on the night that he was poached.

The doomed animal actually approached them, having known Ngwenya and being used to humans.

“It was like shooting a dog that had been eating from your hand,” the source said.

The case was postponed, until August 30, for a provisional court date.


http://lowvelder.co.za/349777/suspected ... e-on-bail/


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Richprins
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Re: Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

Post by Richprins »

Excellent news, karma is a bitch, and may Mokoena rot in hell! :-)


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Re: Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

Post by Lisbeth »

Is it known who shot him?


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Re: Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

Post by H. erectus »

The shooter needs a gold medal!!!!,

and lotsa bounty claim!!!!!


Heh,.. H.e
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Re: Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

Post by stefan9 »

This is a terribly sad story. Only good part being the poacher get what he deserves.


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Re: Baby Rhino Poached in Rehab centre

Post by Flutterby »

You just know that someone else will take his place! :evil:


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