SAPS arrest their own in alleged kudu poaching
The four suspects were arrested on Sunday after the owner heard gunshots in the bush while doing his routine inspection of the farm.
LYDENBURG – A police officer and his three co-accused appeared in the Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for allegedly illegally poaching a pregnant kudu and leaving it to die on Waterval Farm in the Beetgekraal area.
The four suspects were arrested on Sunday after the owner heard gunshots in the bush while doing his routine inspection of the farm.
The warrant officer (47) was supposed to report for duty on Monday and is stationed at Malipisdrift SAPS in Limpopo. All four accused are originally from Mathabathe in Limpopo.
“They have been charged with hunting on a public road, catching of game without a permit, hunting of ordinary game and hunting with a weapon with a silencer,” said Lydenburg Police spokesman, Sgt Elizabeth Selwaletau Magoa.
According to Mr Themba Msimba, a principal conservation law-enforcement officer of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), he received a phone call from the owner of the farm informing him that there were four poachers who had invaded his premises and he immediately rushed to the scene.
With the assistance of the neighbourhood watch, the suspects were spotted attempting to flee and were caught. “On our arrival, we found that the neighbourhood watch had already apprehended them. We went to the scene and found a lifeless pregnant kudu on the ground,” Magoa said.
“We immediately contacted Lydenburg SAPS K9 Unit to take over. They then detained the suspects.”
Police recovered a hunting rifle and an official vector pistol. “The pistol belongs to the police officer and it is his official firearm that he uses at work and the rifle belongs to one of the suspects,” said Magoa.
Msimba said poaching was increasing due to people not being informed of the relevant laws. “Most people who are caught poaching are not aware of the laws that have been laid out about when to hunt or where to hunt,” he said.
“Most of the offenders are not originally from Mpumalanga and they don’t know the importance of nature conservation, when they see an animal they think of hunting and some want meat.”
Limpopo SAPS spokesman, Col Ronel Otto confirmed that a police official was among the four suspects. “It is true that a warrant officer stationed at Malipisdrift SAPS in Limpopo was arrested on Sunday,” she said.
The case has been postponed for a bail application on March 24.
