• The five men accused of poaching Sabi, a subadult rhino, at a local wildlife rehabilitation centre, will appear in court again on August 10 and 11. Messrs Thokozane Jabulane Ngwenya, Kenneth Alex Mthombothi, Promise Mandla Lamula, Russel Mokoena and Mthobisi Lenox Ngwenyama are accused on various charges relating to rhino poaching. Sabi was shot in his boma at the centre on August 7, 2014 while he was recovering from injuries incurred during his mother’s poaching at Sabi Sands earlier that year. The bumpy bit of rhino horn that had developed on his nose and his front legs had been butchered from his body with a saw.
• Ngwenyama also faces at least four other serious charges. The crimes were all allegedly committed in KaBokweni. On May 13 last year, Ngwenyama and three other trial-awaiting prisoners overpowered a court orderly who was escorting them to the holding cells in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court. 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 him was murdered. Const Joseph Baloyi (35) was shot seven times and died in his vehicle at his house in KaBokweni late that afternoon. Ngwenyama was arrested and charged with Baloyi’s murder. Police spokesmen confirmed that he was on trial for four other cases ranging from housebreak to murder. The status of these cases must still be confirmed by provincial police spokesman
Sgt Gerald Sedibe.
• Elderly resident Ms Christine Otto was attacked and brutally assaulted in the Burnside area in 2014. She was getting into her car, to drive to a funeral, when three armed men overpowered her. Among other things, she was hit in the face, beaten with a sjambok and burned with a heated iron. The robbers fled with weapons, jewellery and her blue Kia Picanto. In June 2014 three men were arrested in connection with the incident, Messrs Thulane Nonyama, Senzo Masekob and Lucky Msibi will appear in the Nelspruit Regional Court on August 17. Otto will possibly testify against them on their next appearance.
• The case against alleged rhino-poaching middleman and syndicate key player, Mr Gert Lund, was transferred to the Mala Regional Court in accordance with the new judicial demarcations in May. The case against him commenced six years ago. Of the seven men who initially stood trial, only Lund remained. The seven were arrested in 2009 and 2010 following the poaching of nine white rhinos in the Kruger National Park and Lionspruit. The SAPS, the Environmental Crimes Investigations Unit, SANParks and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency joined forces to investigate the incidents. Lund and his co-accused, Messrs Vusimusi Mthombothi, Jack Thindimba,
Petros Mokoena, Goodman Mahlalela, Vincent Njunguna and Jian F Coil were identified as suspects. The authorities arrested the alleged poachers who formed part of the group, before zooming in on the man who had allegedly provided them with the weapons they used to commit the crimes they had been charged with. Over the course of time, Mthombothi and Mokoena died and Coil had been deported back to his home country of Vietnam. Thindimba’s bail had been forfeited as he failed to reappear in court. During Mahlalela and Njunguna’s court appearance on March 31, a plea agreement was negotiated between Lund and the state. In terms of this agreement, he would plead guilty on the charges levelled against him and those against Mahlalela and Njunguna were withdrawn. When the day of Lund’s intended plea arrived, he showed up in court without an attorney and applied for state-funded legal aid. His new trial date would be confirmed on May 6. Lowvelder received confirmation that his trial was still ongoing, but his next court date was not yet confirmed to the paper.
• Another case was recently transferred to Graskop – and back – following the new judicial demarcations. The men who killed Mr Koos Kruger were supposed to appear in court for his murder on May 23. However, the various state employees involved were at odds as to where the case was supposed to be heard. Some showed up in Graskop and some in Mbombela. The case continued in the capital the next day. On the Wednesday Given Makwendane Makhubela and Xolani Mnyambo were sentenced to 22 years behind bars for Kruger’s murder.
• A man with two identities was charged with making a bomb threat to the police’s 10111 line on Freedom Day. Mr Gustav Olivier (who identified himself as Mr Kenny Swart last year) appeared in court on June 1. He was released on bail of R500 and will appear in court again on July 15. The same man was charged with making a bomb threat at Produkta Nissan last year. However, the charge against him was withdrawn.
• Lowvelder recently reported that a 10-year-old girl from Tonga lives in constant fear, as the man who had allegedly raped her in 2013, has been released on bail. He lives in her neighbourhood. The case against Mr Anthony Hlahla has been postponed more than 17 times over the past three years. The case has, however, progressed recently and state witnesses have been testifying against the accused in the past two months. Hlahla appeared in the Tonga Regional Court on Tuesday and the case was postponed for more state witnesses to appear on July 15.
Also read: Annatjie Myburgh – second suspect in court
Also read: Haarkapper in die hof na mesvoorval
