Three South African rhinoceros poachers who tried to drag out their trials indefinitely have finally been sentenced — a decade after their crimes.
Senior Regional Court Magistrate Logan Naidoo convicted the men based on “overwhelming evidence” and declared that it would be a “travesty” to allow them to further prolong their cases.
On August 26, 2009, a rhino was shot to death in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. Hours later, three men were arrested for the crime: 50-year-old Mutugokwakhe Khoza; 40-year-old Ayanda Buthelezi; and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) officer Mduduzi Xulu, 51.
The men were intercepted at a roadblock and discovered wearing bloodstained clothing and with a rifle, bloody axes, and a pair of rhino horns in their possession. DNA evidence later connected the severed horns to the carcass of the poached animal.
Cell phone records proved that extensive correspondence occurred between the criminals in the days leading up to the crime, despite some of them claiming not to know each other when they were caught.
To stall the proceedings and delay a verdict, Khoza and his accomplices hired and dismissed somewhere between 12 and 25 private and public lawyers throughout their trials.
On March 25, they sought further delays by firing their team of defense attorneys; but by then, court officials were fed up.
Despite threats from Xulu that the men would appeal their cases, Naidoo concluded that they had unreasonably delayed the trial and were therefore responsible for their own defense.
The three men were convicted on all eight of their original poaching charges. Khoza, who was convicted on a separate case of poaching that he committed while out on bail and served six years in prison for, was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. Buthelezi and Xulu were each sentenced to ten years, with five years suspended.
Took them long enough!!! Murderers like these should not be allowed to waste the court’s time. Just fling them in jail and leave them there.
Yes, cruelty needs to STOP!
Hallelujah! It’s about time these poaches are held accountable for their actions! I’d take it a step further and amputate a limb, issue a criminal record, made to wear an ankle bracelet for life, made to report to their local police every month, confiscate passport, banned from ever owning animals and barred from any governmental assistance! Only when the consequences are so dire will animal cruelty cease to exist!
There’s no excuse for these creeps to be allowed to let their sentencing take so long.
It has taken so long to decide what punishment should be given to these criminals, because MOST of those so called Layers are also CROOKS as same as the POACHERS. Once when the country’s politicians & the governing bodies are in full swing moving on to the top of the ladder by Corruption the results are Horrendous. Poor animals have to pay a very high a price with their fragile lives to satisfy the Greedy creeps. All of these criminals are interconnected to their own ring leaders who hold the higher positions in the Governing parties. What a pathetic messed up brainwashed society we live in is Beyond belief…
The sentences should have been a lot longer especially for that fool who was already convicted of a previous poaching and served six years. Instead of learning for his transgressions, that clown returned to a life of poaching and received 14 additional years in prison. The other two accomplices got ten years with five of that suspended. Sorry, but political activists have gotten 30 years-to- life for there noble causes and low-life poachers get let off easy. I suppose I should be happy that their government took some kind of action but it’s not nearly enough. Justice was half-served for the animals.
They should NOT have been allowed to delay so long–their should be some law against KNOWN criminals (not people that might actually be innocent) doing that–the courts need to be in control, not the poachers. They also need to go after the individuals that paid these poachers–and anyone else involved, all the way down the line.
If they can’t rot in hell, can they please rot in jail?
They should lock them up forever! We are eliminating a species for ridiculous products! It is sad, barbaric and inhumane. These poor animals cannot defend themselves and suffer in pain until death!
Like i said and will continue to say…… the laws and justice system are…… A BIG FAT JOKE.! WOW….. it only took 10 years for the court to decide to send these imbaciles to prison. They let these pieces of crap continue to have lawyers after lawyers to help delay their sentence. These idiotic lawyers continued to defend these morons, even seeing that they had hearts of stone and were cold-blooded killers of innocent animals, helping to cause the extinction of the species. I would have liked that the defenders be locked up too right along with those heartless twits. So NOW they decide to send them to prison. Whoop de dooo! The justice system has finally did their stinkin job. They will most likely live a life of luxury in prison…you know with gyms, libraries, computer room, tv and all. Being fed, clothed. Not being horrendously shot and killed like the poor rhino’s whose lives they ended. MORONS !!!!!! They will get to live on treated like royalty. Yes justice system …… A BIG FAT JOKE!
I agree with you. It’s ridiculous. The system is on the take and maybe these guys ran out of money to keep out of jail. Regardless, it is a joke.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY THESE POACHERS KEEP REPEATING THEIR CRIMES WHILE FULL WELL KNOWING THAT THEY WILL BE EVENTUALLY CHARGED?
OF COURSE, ONCE WHEN THEY ARE CAUGHT THE SO CALLED ” P U N I S H M E N T” WILL BE JUST A SIMPLE SLAP ON THEIR WRISTS.
So pay the fine gt the punishment and so go back again to do the same Crime. PLEASE AUTHORITIES WAKE UP & GIVE THEM THE HARSH PUNISHMENTS, LENGTHY JAIL TERMS WITH HARD WORK WHILE BEHIND BARS & UNTIL THEY GET WAY OLDER & then ONLy will be able to eliminate these Murders of the wild animals. ONCE WHEN ALL OF THESE MAJESTIC ANIMALS ARE GONE FROM YOUR LAND, ONCE WHEN NO FOREIGN INCOME FLOWS TO THE LAND, THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE FOR YOU TO DO ANYTHING.
Two words “HELL YEAH”!
Save all animals and these rhinos.
Give them the electric chair. The best thing that could happen all round.
While in jail, these criminals must be productive, working for the government’s profits, not being fed costless on behalf of taxes payers!!!
THANK YOU to the wonderful, rational, sane, clear-thinking, compassionate Court Officials WHO STOPPED these monster-poachers dead in their tracks — I must admit, 10 years is a long time — I HOPE these idiot-monsters WILL NOT be released early — if anything, they should remain even longer — ALSO, I hope these imbecile-murderers NEVER return to poaching, killing animals — it’s the whole point of their sentence/punishment — to NOT continue their criminal, sadistic, depraved crimes against animals. — PLEASE, keep an eye on them — continuously.
The S.A Just ice system seems as bad as UK’s. 10 years !!, with the over-whelming evidence they should have been executed the day after they were arrested.
Poaching of any animal should carry a mandatory death sentence.
WHAT TOOK SO LONG?????????????? THESE JERKS MUST STAY IN PRISON FOREVER!
Hi Phyl I totally agree with you 100%. Before they go to prison they should have a go-round one on one with a rhino.
Take care Coreen
That good they need to go to prison
Unbelievable that it took so long to bring them to justice. Obviously wasn’t considered a serious enough crime by those in power.
OMG……………….these monsters got a slap on the wrist. GREEDY AND VILE MONSTERS WILL POACH UNTIL ALL THESE MAJESTIC ANIMALS ARE GONE FOREVER. THERE MUST BE EXTREME AND SEVERE LAWS THAT ARE ENFORCED. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THIS POACHING WILL STOP!
JAIL THEM FOR 25 YEARS FOR EACH POACHED ANIMAL, $250K FINES FOR EACH ANIMAL AND TAKE ALL PERMITS AND LICENCES TO BE IN ANY NATIONAL PARK AND NO GUNS ALLOWED EVER AGAIN.
RIP ALL POACHED ANIMALS AND WE THE PUBLIC OF THE WORLD DEMAND JUSTICE FOR YOUR HORRIFIC AND PAINFUL SLAUGHTERS FOR NOTHING BUT GREED. YOU POACHERS MAKE ME SICK AND MAD AS HELL AS YOU ARE RUINING FOR ALL OF US.
ATTENTIONS AUTHORITIES;
TOURISTS COME TO SEE THE ANIMALS AND THEY SPEND LOTS OF MONEY TO DO SO. IF THE ANIMALS ARE GONE THEY WILL NOT COME AND THEN THERE WILL BE NO MONEY …..NOW, DO SOMETHING EXTREME TO STOP POACHING BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE FOR THE ANIMALS AND YOUR COUNTRIES.
Justice trop lente, mais rendue…
People.need.to.stop.being.crueil.to.they.animals.people.i.ilke.that..need.to.go.to.jail.for.lifer
GOING TO PRISON AFTER 10 YEARS OF DOING THE CRIMES? Hell give them the SAME PUNISHMENT AS THE VERY “SAME WAY” THEY DID TO THE RHINOS. These monsters does not deserve to be living & breathing anymore on this planet earth. This is a big mistake.
Why should it ever take this long to get justice? They need to change their laws if there is ever to be a chance at saving this amazing species.
The names are very important.
We can ‘visit’ them when they are out.
One corrupt ‘defense force’ personnel was already killed in the streets of Durban, near the Hilton there, under the guise of ‘gang violence’. Looks like we have to wait 5 or more years to hit the rest
THE FACT THAT THESE MEN GOT AWAY WITH THIS FOR SO LONG (and reoffended) IS AN UTTER FAILURE ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS COUNTRY. AND THE PUNISHMENT WAS A SLAP ON THE WRIST. ONE CAN ONLY DEDUCE THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE ASSOCIATES,…WERE PAID OFF WHICH IS COMMON PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY AND AN EVERY DAY OCCURENCE. AND A SANDF E)MPLOYEE AS IN A PAID GOVERNMENT PERSON ( who has a freaking job in a country like this) IS UTTERLY SHAMEFUL AND DISGUSTING. GAMES GAMES GAMES GAMES. IT IS TOO BAD AS THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS SO INEPT AND SO NEGLECTFUL IN THEIR JOBS (SO MUCH CORRUPTION IN THIS COUNTRY IT IS LIKE GOING TO THE BATHROOM,..ABSOLUTELY NORMAL AND ACCEPTABLE AS……EVERYONE IS DOING IT),…AND THEY STILL CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP IT,…..AS IN POACHING,…AND HOW STUPID ARE THEY AS THIS IS JUSTICE FOR AN ENDANGERED SPECIES. A DECADE. PURELY SHAMEFUL. GUESS WHAT,…..THEY DON’T CARE….IN ANY WAY,….ABOUT ANYTHING LET ALONE A RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY IN THEIR PERSONAL POCKETS. PERIOD
They will be waiting for them in prison.
you just made my day, though they all deserved longer sentences
IT’S ABOUT TIME!!!
Good
I’m glad the court got fed up with the POS’s nonsense.
Now, with a little luck, none of them will make it out of prison alive.
Excellent, hope they rot in jail and never come out, scumbags.
WHAT THEE HELL TOOK SOOOO DAMM LONG .