MBOMBELA – The mystery regarding how 112 rhino horns were stolen out of the offices of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) in April, is slowly unfolding in court.
The bail hearing of Mr Sizwe Leonard Malatjie (34), Mr Selby Khoza (39), Mr Gideon Mtshali (51) and Mr Veli Williams Zwane (43) continued in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Malatjie and Mtshali were arrested in June and their bail application had been continuing ever since.
State prosecutor Ms Ansie Venter stated that Malatjie and Khoza had had a meeting while both had worked together as police informants. Venter cross-examined Malatjie about his involvement with Khoza. When Venter told him that Khoza had told him what the safe at the MTPA looked like inside, he denied ever discussing it with Khoza.
How the suspects had obtained the knowledge about the safe and its contents, is yet to be revealed in court.
However, Lowvelder confidentially learnt that Malatjie had allegedly told police that Khoza had accompanied a prominent figure in anti-poaching circles to the MTPA’s safe when he signed in elephant tusks.
Khoza was apparently then able to have a close look at the safe and its contents.
Khoza’s legal representative, Adv Mr Pieter Naudé, also cross-examined Malatjie. The suspect insisted that he had not told police about Khoza, but that they had told him about the accused while he was being assaulted.
He did admit that he knew Khoza and they had both been police informants. Malatjie also told the court that they used to hold meetings with police and discuss the lists of names of people who were wanted by the police.
Defence for Mtshali and Malatjie then requested their clients have a separate bail hearing to speed things up. It was denied. Magistrate Ms Christa du Plessis told the court that, in the interest of justice, she would not split the hearings. Then Khoza and Zwane’s legal representatives requested the state give them copies of the docket which delayed the proceedings.
Du Plessis then postponed the hearing to July 25 and August 1. She also gave a stern warning that if the proceeding were held up again, she would decide the next date.
How the suspects were being linked with the crime to date:
• A total of R130 000 was recovered by police in one of Malatjie’s sister’s pit toilets. It is suspected that this money is the proceeds of selling the stolen rhino horn.
• Zwane had allegedly been linked to the crime scene by physical evidence.
• There was CCTV footage of Mtshali at the Lebombo Border Post. It was suspected that he took the stolen horn through the border to Mozambique.
