Rhino poachers will feel the full might of the law and face heavy sentences.
To drive home this message, the Skukuza Regional Court this week sentenced three poachers to lengthy prison sentences.
Mozambican nationals Lawrence Makamu, 28, George Miyanga, 48 and Nulo Burro, 31, were convicted of trespassing, contravention of the Immigration Act, possession of a firearm, conspiracy to commit illegal poaching, killing of a black rhino, two counts of killing of a white rhino, possession of ammunition and possession of two hunting knives.
All three pleaded guilty, but the prosecution still led evidence of DNA-positive results linking the suspects to the carcasses of a black rhino that was killed. A ballistic report confirming that the rhino horns found in their possession were of the two white rhinos, was presented.