News

The South African National Parks today expressed delight at the heavy sentence meted out by the Mhala Regional Court on a poacher who was arrested in the Kruger National Park (KNP) in 2015.

Norman Khoza was convicted on seven charges related to rhino poaching. The court found him guilty on charges of:

1. Being an illegal immigrant.
2. Trespassing in a National Park.
3. Possession of an unlicensed firearm.
4. Possession of unlicensed ammunition.
5. Possession of a firearm with the intent to commit a crime.
6. The killing of two rhinoceros.
7. Possession of a dangerous weapon.

He has been sentenced to an effective thirty years in prison for all the crimes. The CEO of SANParks Fundisile Mketeni has welcomed the sentence and congratulated all who ensured that the evidence presented to the court was convincing enough to guarantee a successful prosecution. “The sentence will send a message to all the criminals who are awaiting trial and those intending to plunder our natural heritage that their criminal acts will not go unpunished. This illustrates that the cooperation between SANParks Rangers Corp, Environmental Crime Investigative Unit (ECI), South African Police Services and the National Prosecutions Agency is crucial in fighting the scourge of rhino poaching “said Mketeni.

SANParks went on to report that there are still 182 poaching related cases that still need to be finalised and it is hoped that the courts will continue to mete out appropriate heavy sentences to send out a message that crime does not pay.

Issued By

Communications & Marketing Department – Kruger National Park

Enquiries

Ike Phaahla
Media Specialist, SANParks
Tel: 012 426 5315; Cell: 083 673 6974
Email: [email protected]