The case of the alleged poaching case was heard again earlier this week at Witbank Magistrates Court the case was postponed once again.
Two prominent businessmen who were arrested for the alleged poaching case from last year sat in the gallery of a jammed pack Regional Court on Tuesday, June 28 waiting for their case to be heard.
The two businessmen along with their lawyers and the witnesses were seen briefly in court. The businessmen are facing two charges: the first charge is for illegal hunting and the second charge is for hunting game at night.
They were released on R5 000 bail after they were arrested on Wednesday, October 7 by Vosman Police officers.
These men were arrested after they were caught red handed by a farmer in Balmoral with carcasses in their possession, night sight equipment, silencers on their firearms and they did not have permits with them.
The lambs that were taken out of a couple of Blesbuck and left in the open.
The two men allegedly used night sight equipment, had silencers on their firearms and used spot lights to wipe out all the Blesbuck except four.
“This is all considered illegal hunting as the equipment they used was illegal and the it’s breeding season. Of the 20 ewes, five were pregnant,” said the owner of the Blesbuck.
An accredited hunter in the National Shooting Association (NSA) takes an oath; this code is centred on the principals of life: respect for life; respect for nature; respect for the law and respect for fellow hunters, land owners and fellow conservationists.
After these ewes were butchered and their lambs were taken out and left for dead, the carcasses were then sold to the public of eMalahleni for R800 a carcass.
“At a legal hunt a Blesbuck can be shot for between R1 200 and R1 400, that’s besides everything else that you need to shoot a Blesbuck,” said the concerned farmer.
The case was postponed until Tuesday, July 26.
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