"Anti-poaching unit's morale at its lowest"

[Rooies]

I quote from today's Citizen Newspaper;

"Morale among members of the critical environmental crime investigation services at Kruger National Park is reportedly flagging over concerns of repeat poaching offenders being given bail and minimal sentences being handed to poachers. KNP spokesperson Ike Phaala confirmed the mood was dark over uncertainty over the courts.

Kobus de Wet from ECIS told the SABC that morale was dropping due to the uncertainty of what was happening at Skukuza District Court.

The complaint noted an "onslaught" against the court, and alleged complicity by by Mpumalanga Chief Magistrate Tule-Tu Tonjeni and Skukuza District Court Magistrate Simon Fankomo.

The main concerns are;
A drop in the severity of sentences'
The granting of bail to repeat offenders;
The transfer of cases to a court outside the KNP where the specialist Prosecutors appointed by the National Prosecuting Authority cannot attend to them."

In Skukuza, a repeat offender nowadays walk away with a R3000,00 fine where previously, 15 years behind bars was the norm.

There is also a complaint against a senior Magistrate in KZN (Nzimande if I remember correctly)

[renierdutoit]

Thank you Rooies. On the Afrikaans news website Netwerk24 there was a similar article published today.

https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Hof/sanp ... e-20180918

[Mischief]

And good news some big pins in Poaching syndicates arrested this week in the
Lowveld

https://lowvelder.co.za/451463/poaching ... n-ins-law/