SKUKUZA – A Mozambican man who was out on parole after serving time in prison for trespassing the Kruger National Park (KNP) with an unlicensed firearm and ammunition in 2011, was killed in the park earlier this month when he returned, possibly to finish what he had started.
Mr Samito Sambo was shot and killed on January 8 shortly after midnight when he entered the park with two accomplices, most likely with the aim of poaching rhino.
He was first apprehended in Kruger on September 15, 2011. Rangers spotted the suspect in the Crocodile Bridge section late that afternoon. Sambo was detained and two firearms were recovered.
He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for trespass in the KNP, as well as the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
He was recently released and deported to the neighbouring country. He again entered the park earlier this month with the accomplices. This time, however, he was to pay with his life.
Rangers spotted the men in the Crocodile Bridge area and a shoot-out ensued. Sambo was wounded and died of his injuries. According to SANParks spokesman Mr Ike Phaala, a .375 hunting rifle and ammunition were found in his possession.
In the meantime, the scorecard looks as follows: rhino poachers 40 – rangers 11. By January 21, the poachers were obviously leading in the fight against law enforcers, but the latter are not giving up.
Seven poachers were killed in four encounters with field rangers last weekend alone, with one set of rhino horn, four hunting rifles, ammunition and other poaching equipment being recovered. Six more carcasses were discovered in Kruger, but it was clear that they had already been slaughtered late last year.
Most of these armed contacts take place at night and pose a great risk to members of the KNP ranger corps. More than 80 per cent of the incursions are from Mozambique. Multiple incursions of up to 15 heavily armed groups operate in the KNP at any given time, especially at full moon. They operate in groups of four to six, are aggressive and shoot at the rangers on sight.
The recent recovery of a handgun at a contact scene is testimony to the fact that these guys mean business. This heightens the fear of losing a ranger to a poacher’s bullet.
Despite all this, the commanding officer of the ranger corps, Maj Gen Johan Jooste (retired), is optimistic that his well-thought-out long-term strategy will bear fruit. “We curbed the number of poaching incidents last year to 42,6 per cent of 2012’s incidents. We have also arrested 123 individuals in connection with poaching activities. It is now up to the prosecuting teams, investigators and the police to conclude what we have started.
“We would like to ask the public, law-enforcement agencies and our counterparts in Mozambique, to play their part, match the
work that is being done by the rangers and we will reap the rewards and win this war,” Jooste concluded.
