Soldier claims he was looking for cattle, not rhino horn
A rhino carcass with its horn removed was found in the area shortly before the arrests.
NELSPRUIT – A SANDF soldier and his co-accused who appeared in court for rhino poaching, have been charged with the poaching of six more animals. This came to light when Mr Michael Sithole and Mr Boet Leonard Mashego, the soldier, appeared in court on Tuesday April 15.
State prosecutor Ms Isabet Erwee said the evidence linking the two accused to six more rhino would be presented in court in due course.
The two were arrested just outside the fence of the Kruger National Park (KNP) in September 2010.
Formerly, they had both faced three counts of performing illegal activities in a national park, five counts of restricted activity involving a threatened species, five counts of theft, four counts of possession of an illegal firearm, and four of illegal possession of ammunition. Six more charges have been added.
They were apprehended after a shoot-out with game rangers. Mashego was wounded in the shoulder during the encounter. He was taken into custody while wearing his army uniform.
They were suspected of being involved in rhino poaching incidents in the Stolsnek area near Pretoriuskop. Two rhino horns, two firearms and ammunition were apparently found in their possession. A carcass with its horn removed, was found in the area shortly before the arrests.
Last year in court, a ranger who cannot be identified, recounted the events of the night. He said it was at about 03:45 when they found Mashego inside the fence of the park. Sithole was on the outside. He said it was full moon so he could see the suspects quite clearly. He said Mashego pointed his firearm in the rangers’ direction and that was when they opened fire.
Mashego’s defence claimed he had been shot in the back as his exit bullet wound was lager in front than in the back.
The defence also claimed that he was apparently looking for his cattle at the time and Sithole was searching for herbs. Yet the ranger said no herbs had been found on Sithole. They had however found rhino horns and Mashego had the rifle in his posession.
The trial was postponed to September 8.
