‘Poaching’ court’s future in balance

The future of the Skukuza Regional Court – and the war on rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park – is hanging in the balance pending a decision by Mpumalanga Judge President Malesela Legodi, following news the court is to be closed.

“Judge President Legodi, exercising his powers in terms of section 8 (4)(c) of the Superior Courts Act, has written to the relevant stakeholders informing them that the Regional Court in Skukuza will remain operational until a meeting of stakeholders to discuss the issue is convened,” his office’s spokesperson, Nathi Mncube, told The Citizen yesterday.

Elise Serfontein of Stop Rhino Poaching, a registered NGO, said both the presiding officer (regional magistrate) and prosecutor had received instructions to transfer all pending cases to Mhala, nearly 85km from Skukuza.

But Kruger Park spokesperson Ike Phaahla said: “We have been assured by the judge president that the court will continue operating and are not concerned about the rumours. We have no reason to doubt his assurances.”

In September last year, a storm broke when the court was accused of giving lenient sentences to poachers. The chief magistrate of Mpumalanga was then already accused of wanting to close down the court and move its cases to Bushbuckridge – and it was apparently at Legodi’s behest that the court remained open.

Now, according to Serfontein, cases will be moved to Mhala in Acornhoek, nearly 85km away.

“Rangers testifying in court will need to travel vast distances to Mhala, taking them further away from their bases,” Serfontein said in a petition, Help Save Skukuza Regional Court from Closure, on change.org.

“This means they are far away if needed in the veld, making it very difficult for them to get back quickly, especially when there are poaching groups active in the park. Fewer rangers in the park with long travel times to return is a death sentence for rhinos.”

“Seen in parliament as the benchmark of good practices as to how the quality of rhino cases should be handled, the court has boasted a 99.8% conviction rate and up to recently had a 100% success rate in opposed bail applications,” the petition reads.

In the first half of this year, 122 alleged poachers were arrested within the park, which also had about 190 rhino poached.

Fewer rangers in the park is a death sentence for rhinos.

Elise Serfontein Stop Rhino Poaching