Alleged rhino kingpin-poacher on trial
HE MAY be the alleged “rhino poaching kingpin you’ve never heard of ”, but when Dumisani Gwala is led into the Ngwelezane courtroom in KwaZuluNatal for the commencement of his trial on Monday, Jamie Joseph, a wildlife activist, will be sitting in the front row.
The 36-year-old from Saving the Wild has been on a “mission” for the past two years, she says, to ensure Gwala gets convicted. “We only hear about (poaching kingpins) Dawie Groenewald and Hugo Ras, but these guys look like altar boys compared to Gwala,” claims Joseph.
Gwala, too, has long been on the police’s radar for his alleged links to organised crime through rhino poaching. In July, the Mercury reported on how Operation Racketeer led to the Asset Forfeiture Unit seizing some of Gwala’s assets.
The ringleader of a syndicate, he had reportedly bragged to an undercover police officer that he could sometimes earn R13 million through a rhino hor n enterprise, operating near the Mozambique border.
“We can absolutely save the rhinos, but the government needs to seriously start exposing corruption and dismantling syndicates, otherwise we will lose this war before the demand is stopped in Asia,” says Joseph.
“It’s not rocket science. We know who the bad guys are, but the police and anti-poaching units need to be empowered to go after corrupt individuals, and right now the system is broken,” she warns.
Joseph says magistrates and defence attorneys with alleged links to the Gwala syndicate have been exposed.
“Poachers who killed a rhino in iMfolozi in July claim they were working for Gwala, and are now sitting in the Hluhluwe jail without bail. Gwala’s brother is also behind bars, serving an eight-year sentence after being convicted on August 11 for possession of rhino horn.”
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife did not respond to the Saturday Star, but Joseph says more needs to be done in KwaZuluNatal to tackle poaching. “We can have all the weapons in the world, dogs, helicopters and boots on the ground, but if we lose the war on corruption we lose the war on everything.”
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s of f i ce has launched a provisional investigation into her claims regarding corruption enabling rhino poaching. Joseph describes herself as a “bush gypsy”, who survives on the kindness of friends. “I have lawyers and police willing to stand beside me during the trial.
“The killing has not stopped. And neither have I. But to get a conviction, to keep the courtroom honest and ensure justice will finally be done, it’s going to take a united force of global citizens to stop the rot.
“Gwala must be convicted. And then, finally, justice will be done,” she says.
On Tuesday, the Department of Environmental Affairs will hold its quarterly update rhino briefing.