A POACHER IN SKUKUZA SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IMPRISONMENT
The Skukuza Regional Court has today convicted and sentenced Isaac Sithlangu (42), to fourteen years of direct imprisonment for poaching-related offences. Sithlangu was charged along with his co-accused Abel Manyike, who pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced in October 2022. The sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to the offence and was subsequently convicted of trespassing in Skukuza National Park, conspiracy to commit an offence, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, and possession of a dangerous weapon.
Through his lawyer, the accused told the court that on 01 August 2019, the rangers were doing their daily routine, using a helicopter in Stolznek Section when they were spotted. They were found in possession of a firearm, ammunition and hunting weapons and were subsequently arrested. Sihlangu absconded after he was granted bail and was later re-arrested. In aggravation of sentence, the state prosecutor Lot Mgiba handed in the ballistic report which revealed that the firearm that was found in his possession was meant to poach rhinos.
The court sentenced Sithlangu to two years imprisonment, for trespassing, four years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit an offence, five years imprisonment for possession of a firearm, two years imprisonment for possession of ammunition and one-year imprisonment for possession of a dangerous weapon. The court ordered the sentence of count 5 which is possession of a dangerous weapon and count 4 (possession of ammunition) to run concurrently with the sentence imposed on count 3 (possession of a firearm). The effective sentence is 11 years imprisonment.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the conviction and sentence.
