Durban - Adopting a strict stance against those found illegally possessing rhino horns, the State is pursuing an application to seize R7 420 found on two men who contravened the Nature Conservation Ordinance.
Israel Khoza and Thulani Mbatha were stopped at the Blood River crossing, between Vryheid and Utrecht, on March 15, 2013. Two rhino horns were found in a bag in the vehicle they were in. In addition, R5 335 was found on Khoza and R2 085 on Mbatha. The horns were from a rhino killed at the Tala Game Reserve.
On Wednesday, the forfeiture order was adjourned in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. In the meanwhile, an order to preserve the money, granted a few months ago, stands.
The NPA deputy director of public prosecutions, Kenneth Samuel, said in court papers that constables Sifiso Khumalo and Xolani Mbense were performing patrol duties when they stopped a Toyota Tazz.
Khoza was asked to produce his driver’s license, but showed someone else’s. Khumalo then searched the vehicle and found a black plastic bag next to the front passenger seat.
When questioned, both men denied knowing what was inside. A big horn and a small one were found. Mbatha then said they had bought the horns from someone in Vryheid, but could not say whom.
The men were arrested and charged under the ordinance, for being in possession of, handling or dealing in game reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully hunted.
Samuel said rhino were regarded as specially protected game.
The men were each given a six-month prison term and fined R1 000 or three months in jail by the Utrecht Magistrate’s Court.
Samuel said the carcass of the dead rhino at Tala, and the horns, were sent for forensic analysis and it was found that the DNA profiles matched.
He said both men were unemployed and they could not explain where they got the money.
Samuel added the men had not made any attempt to claim back the money. Two cellphones had also been found on them and it was established they had been in contact with other rhino horn smugglers.
He said the killing of rhino and trade of horns had reached alarming proportions. In 2012, 668 rhino had been poached, 947 in 2013, and 1 213 in 2014.
In a similar case, the State obtained an order in July to preserve R68 000 gained illegally through the sale of two rhino horns.
A police trap had been set whereby two horns, supplied by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, had been given to a hunter who acted as a police agent to supply two Durban men who had buyers in Johannesburg.
Carel Nel, a broker, and Suraj Rampersad, a former attorney, had been arrested and their case was pending in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
The Mercury