The joint security forces including the Endangered Species of the Hawks, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Asset Forfeiture Unit, Department of Environmental Affairs and the curators are continuing to make giant strides in our undying effort to thwart rhino poaching in South Africa.
Today the team has seized assets in the region of R11 million, believed to have been acquired through criminal activities from convicted game farmer, Jan Karel Pieter Els from Thabazimbi, Limpopo. Els (40) was sentenced to ten years of which 2 was suspended for five years for illegally dealing in 38 rhino horns between 2009 and 2010. This he did when he bought seven rhinos from Limpopo Valley Conservancy in Musina informing Environmental Affairs department that he was taking them to Thabazimbi.
Instead he dehorned five rhinos without a permit in Musina and moved some without horns.Els bought 30 horns from Tommy Fourie who was a manager at Maremani Nature Reserve in Musina.
All of them were transported to Thabazimbi without the required permit.Fourie committed suicide on 08 November 2010 after he was arrested with Els. All the horns involved were never recovered, since he claimed that they were all stolen from his farm.
Nevertheless Els was convicted for purchasing, possession and transportation of all 38 rhinos to the value of R11.4 million over and above this, the court ordered him to also pay an amount of R1 million to the National Wildlife Crime Reaction Unit fund within 10 months from 30 April 2012. Els previously made an application for leave to appeal against his sentence. The court has refused his application and is currently serving his sentence at Sinthumule – Kutama Maximum Prison.
The schedule of movable, immovable assets and properties and bank accounts seized are as follows:
1. Movable
1.1 Gold Toyota Fortuner
1.2 White Toyota Hilux
1.3 Silver BMW R1 200GS motorbike
1.4 2X Black Bombadier ATV DSX 2X 650 motorbikes
1.5 White Rhino box body gas bottle carrier
1.6 Flack deck trailer
1.7 Household goods and assets a 135 Doornhoek farm number 318
2. Immovable property
2.1 135 Doornhoek Farm number 318, Thabazimbi
3. Incorporeal Property
3.1 50% shares on Dalton Imports and Investment Close Corporation
3.2 25% Shares on East Buffalo Breeders Close Corporation
4.Bank Accounts
4.1 Standard Bank Account
4.2 Absa Cheque Account
For enquiries please contact:
Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi
Cell: 082 373 2408
