‘Big Joe’ trial moved to Mhala Magistrate’s Court
The trial is set to commence in February 2022.
The court case against the alleged poaching kingpin, Joseph “Big Joe” Nyalunga, was postponed on Tuesday until February 14, 2022, for the trial to commence.
He appeared in the Skukuza Regional Court. According to Monica Nyuswa, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, the case has been moved from the Skukuza Regional Court to the Mhala Magistrate’s Court in Bushbuckridge.
Nyuswa said the move is due to a lack of space in the Skukuza Court. On Tuesday recording equipment in this court was not functioning and this was another reason for the postponement.
Of the 11 accused in the case, only five appeared alongside Nyalunga on Tuesday.
“Five of the accused, who were out on bail, have absconded and the police are looking for them,” said Nyuswa. The charges against the accused in the trial are poaching related as well as one charge of racketeering. These offences were alledgedly committed in 2014.
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Nyalunga’s co-accused are Conrad Nkuna and four other South Africans, Happy Zitha (37) of Calcutta, Lang Nguyen (28) of Johannesburg, Tabang Shakwane (37) of Kaapmuiden, and Elijah Ngubeni (39) of KaBokweni.
The six Mozambican accused are Timothy Mcube (44), David Sigangwe (29), Colisto Massada (26), Zeka Santos (31), Checo Cossa (37) and Sam Mashaba (23).
Nyuswa confirmed that a case of murder is also pending against Nyalunga.
He was first arrested in February 2010, in connection with the the death Willey Shipalana.
