‘Poachers must get 25 years’

State calls for harsh sentences for one of SA’s worst rhino slaying cases

The state on Monday called for sentences of at least 25 years’ imprisonment for each of the three members of the notorious Ndlovu rhino-poaching gang, who were convicted of more than 50 criminal counts related to the poaching of 13 Eastern Cape rhinos.

But their counsel, advocate Terry Price, says his clients would rather be sentenced to pay a R1m fine, which they would undertake to pay off over five years.

He later proposed this should be combined with a far shorter custodial sentence than that proposed by senior state advocate Buks Coetzee.

Zimbabwean citizens Jabulani Ndlovu, 41, and Forget Ndlovu, 38, and South African Sikhumbuzo Ndlovu, 39, testified in mitigation of sentence yesterday.

All three persisted in their claim that they were innocent and declined to apologise to the landowners, game owners or the South African public for the crimes for which they were convicted.

Director of the Green Scorpions in the Eastern Cape, Div De Villiers, testified to the devastation poaching had caused to rhino populations in SA, where the majority of the world’s remaining rhinos are now concentrated.

He said in the six years between 2012 and 2018, 6,913 rhinos had been poached across SA, with 91 of these cases in the Eastern Cape.

But, when Coetzee invited the men to testify to their remorse, they said they could not apologise for crimes they had not committed.

Jabulani would only say he was sorry the rhino were shot but he was not responsible.

All three also refused to answer any questions to do with the merit of their conviction.

All testified that they had dependent children who required support.

Jabulani said he had two families to support and had done so through a variety of enterprises including buying and selling properties.

Forget had been a game ranger at both Gondwana and Plettenberg Bay game reserves.

He professed to have a great love of wildlife.

Sikhumbuzo said he had supported his family as a taxi operator in Fort Beaufort.

Coetzee, who said it was “one of the most serious cases [of rhino poaching] ever brought before our courts”, said the men should each be sentenced to at least 25 years in jail.

Judge Jeremy Pickering said he would sentence the men on April 3.