Rhino poacher sentenced to 14 years after fleeing justice
A 62-year-old man who had absconded from court after getting bail in 2019 has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment by the Skukuza Regional Court for killing two rhinos.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, on February 17, 2019, Philip Mfana Masuku from Bhekiswayo Trust in Kabokweni, Mpumalanga, was apprehended after field rangers detected the movement of three suspects near the Pretoriuskop Section of the Kruger National Park.
She said the rangers responded with the aid of sniffer dogs, and Masuku was apprehended; however, his accomplices managed to escape and were never found.
“A search of the crime scene led to the discovery of two knives and a bag containing fresh rhino horns,” Nyuswa added.
She said that after Masuku was arrested, he got bail but later absconded. “A warrant of arrest was issued, and he was re-arrested in 2023,” said Nyuswa.
Masuku pleaded not guilty to trespassing, conspiracy to commit an offence, killing two rhinos, and possession of a dangerous weapon.
However, State prosecutor Lot Mgiba led evidence, including that of the rangers who effected the arrest of Masuku. The DNA analysis confirmed that the blood on Masuku’s clothes matched that of the poached rhinos.
The court sentenced Masuku to three years for trespassing, 10 years for killing the rhinos, four years for conspiracy to commit an offence, and one year for possession of a dangerous weapon.
The sentences will run concurrently, and Masuku was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Nyuswa said the NPA welcomed the sentence. “Poaching remains a serious threat to South Africa’s biodiversity and endangered species, with devastating long-term impacts.”
She said the sentence sends a strong message that crimes against the country’s protected species would not go unpunished.
“Despite absconding after being granted bail, the accused was tracked down, re-arrested, and successfully prosecuted. Demonstrating the NPA’s unwavering commitment to holding poachers accountable and the effectiveness of the justice system in ensuring that no offender escapes justice, no matter how long it takes,” Nyuswa said.
nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za