Minister George Applauds 18-Year Sentence For Congolese Rhino Poacher, Money Launderer

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Dion George on Sunday praised the 18-year prison sentence given to a 51-year-old Congolese rhino poacher and money launderer by the Middelburg Regional Court last week.

The suspect pleaded guilty to all charges during a brief court appearance on Jan. 15, while his 15 co-accused are expected to appear in the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court in Mbombela later this month.

This sentencing comes after the Minister attended a course at the Southern African Wildlife College, where he gained important ranger skills and learned more about the challenges the country faces with poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

"I can assure South Africans that poachers' reign of terror on South African wildlife is coming to an end. The sentence imposed on the Congolese poacher is indicative of our renewed zero-tolerance stance on all forms of poaching, and we believe that the justice system will also find the rest of the suspected syndicate members guilty," George said, SA News reported.

George expressed disappointment that the poacher, who operated in the Kruger National Park, worked with locals. Reports show that members of the illegal group bribed park rangers for information to help with their activities.

He emphasized that a few bad rangers and locals should not overshadow the hard work of the many dedicated rangers protecting the parks. He urged South Africans to support the rangers who risk their lives to protect the country's wildlife.

To send a strong message that poaching will not be tolerated, the Minister instructed the legal team to oppose bail for any poacher caught in the country's national parks. He stated that this would make it clear that poaching is a serious crime, and those involved will face full legal consequences.

Last year in November, speaking at the United for Wildlife Global Summit 2024 in Cape Town, George urged for strong and coordinated efforts to address wildlife crimes, which pose a threat to the country's rich biodiversity and the eco-tourism industry.

The minister said that everyone acknowledges this global problem, which can only be addressed through a focused and coordinated international effort.