Makhanda judge jails three rhino poachers for 12 years each

Two Zimbabweans and a Mozambican have each been sentenced to an effective 12 years in jail for conspiring to poach rhino and other offences.

The Makhanda high court recently convicted Kenneth Chigaweni, 26, Thomas Joao Machele, 53, and Amos Ncube, 44, of conspiring to poach rhino, steal rhino horn and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Machele and Ncube were also found guilty of unlawfully entering and remaining in South Africa.

The men, who were already on the radar of the police, were stopped on the road between Makhanda and Bedford in 2020 while on their way to poach rhino at the Ezulu Game Reserve. 

In the car, police found all the paraphernalia associated with rhino poaching, including an unlicensed .375 calibre rifle with a silencer and ammunition, an axe, saw, knife, torch and rolls of tinfoil. The tinfoil is usually used to wrap the severed horns.

As in previous rhino poaching cases, police pulled together a web of circumstantial evidence, including cellphone records, showing the three men had previously scouted the Ezulu game reserve.

The car registration also appeared on the register of road users who had recently used the public road that traverses the reserve.

Judge Thandi Norman sentenced them to 12 years each for conspiracy to commit theft of rhino horn, eight years for conspiring to poach rhino, and seven years each for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Machele and Ncube were also sentenced to a further three years for entering and remaining in the country illegally.

However, because the two were denied bail in 2020, this aspect of their sentence was considered already served.

The judge ordered their sentences to run concurrently, in such a way that they would each serve 12 more years in jail.

Senior counsel Buks Coetzee prosecuted. Vusi Sojada acted for Chigaweni, advocate Zama Somayele for Machele and Charles Stamper for Ncube.

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