MBOMBELA – It appears as if a woman may physically have been on the front line of poaching rhino in the Kruger National Park. She was arrested last week after a bloodied axe and ammunition were found in her possession.
Although there are currently women being charged with rhino poaching – in the Lowveld and elsewhere in the country – no exhibits were necessarily found in their possession linking them to the physical act of poaching.
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Ms Margaret Mthetwa (41), was arrested in Zwelisha, Pienaar. Police officials allegedly found five 3.75 mm rounds, an axe with blood stains, a pocket scale as well as a large sum of cash in her possession. She was consequently charged with the illegal possession of ammunition, as well as the possession of rhino poaching equipment.
She appeared in the Pienaar Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday and was released on bail. Her next court appearance was scheduled for June 19.
In a separate incident, Mr Carlos Mathebula (34), a Mozambican national, was arrested by SANParks rangers on May 30 in Skukuza. He allegedly pointed a rifle at the rangers in an attempt to escape and was subsequently shot.
A .458 hunting rifle of which the serial number had been filed off, as well as two .458 live rounds were allegedly found in his possession at the time of his arrest. He is being charged with the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition as well as trespassing of a national park.
Since he had been recuperating in hospital, Mathebula’s case was heard in absentia in the Skukuza Magistrate’s Court on June 3. The case will be heard again tomorrow in the same court.
Brig Vish Naidoo, national police spokesman, said: “The illegal killing of rhino and illegal trade in rhino horn are crime priorities for the SAPS. These arrests are an indication that the task teams that were tasked with handling rhino poaching related crimes, are hard at work and their work is indeed bearing fruit. Curbing environmental crimes, particularly rhino poaching, is a hard battle to fight.”
