MBOMBELA – Sabi, the rhino calf, was poached just over a year ago. The five men who allegedly hacked off his horn and sawed off his legs, recently appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court again. Their case was postponed to December 3.
The poaching of Sabi at local rehabilitation centre, Care for Wild Africa, shocked community members on August 19 last year. The much-loved rhino was brought to the centre after having survived its mother’s poaching in Sabi Sands in 2013. The .375 bullet which killed Sabi’s mother and ricocheted to wound him, was recovered from his carcass along with the bullet that killed him.
Messrs Thokozane Jabulane Ngwenya, Kenneth Alex Mthombothi, Promise Mandla Lamula, Mthobisi Lenox Ngwenyama and Russel Mokoena have since been charged with poaching the sub-adult rhino.
The five’s court appearance last Tuesday resulted in the postponement of the case.
Ngwenya, Mthombothi, Mokoena and Ngwenya were granted bail, whereas Ngwenyama and Lamula were remanded in custody.
Lowvelder previously reported that Ngwenyama is accused of various other crimes in Mbombela and KaBokweni. Lumula is also under investigation for other criminal charges, the nature of which have not been confirmed. They will appear in court on these charges in September.
