2 Men Sentenced to 15 Years Each for Rhino Poaching in SA
- Two men who were arrested with 27 rhino horns at the OR Tambo six years ago have been handed down a hefty sentence
- The men were on their way to Vietnam to sell the poached rhino horns with an estimated value of R2.9 million
- Some South Africans were dissatisfied that the men received 15 years for poaching and believed they deserved to be locked up for longer
Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered police investigations and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.
Source: Getty Images
KEMPTON PARK, EKURHULENI — The Kempton Park regional court sentenced two men to 154 years each after they were caught trying to smuggle 27 rhino horns out of the country.
Two men sentenced for poaching
According to TimesLIVE, Miaas Maluleke and Vutivi Chabalala were given 15 years after they were caught with the rhino horns in 2018. They were trying to smuggle the rhino horns to Vietnam when caught at the OR Tambo International Airport.
The horns weighed 29.47 kilograms and were estimated to be worth R2.9 million. When their case began, they were given bail in 2018, but they absconded. They were rearrested in 2020 in Vhuwani, Limpopo.
South Africans disappointed in sentences
Netizens on Facebook were unhappy with the sentences they received.
Lazarus Luvalo said:
"Compare it with the VBS saga. There is no fairness in SA justice."
Senzo Bojela Sncono said:
"Only 15 years? Are they serious?"
Kevin Knipe said:
"15 years is a joke. They should be forced to build boundary fences and do hard labour for 15 years.
George Koekemoer said:
"Not long enough."
RSA Citizen said:
"You have to get rid of the rogue rangers."
Harry Kalashnikov said:
"It's nothing. They will be out soon."
Nadine Boyer Lazarus was disappointed.
"Only 15 years. Pathetic."
SAPS arrest suspects harvesting endangered plant illegally
In a similar article, Briefly News reported that the South African Police Service arrested men for harvesting an endangered plant.
The men allegedly harvested 424 Clavias Marebelius plants in the Northern Cape, worth almost R3 million.
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Source: Briefly News
