Prison sentence for North West game poachers

After endless investigation and court delays, the Swartruggens Magistrates Court has found two men guilty of poaching and sentenced them to 18 months imprisonment.

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Manang Bopalale and Kgomotso Molefe pleaded guilty to the charge and were sentenced on 10 January.

Eight months of their sentence was suspended for five years. The pair had poached a prized nyala bull worth an estimated R12 000.

It took almost two years, 10 postponements and even the matter being struck off the roll, but with the intervention of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, the matter was brought to finality.

In February 2022, Molefe was found guilty of cable theft and imprisoned, but he was released early as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special remission process in August last year.

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Since his release, he has been charged in two more cases of cable theft and assault.

The police arrested the two accused on 26 September 2021 while in possession of a butchered Nyala carcass.

‘CONVICTION IS WELCOMED’

The Private Prosecution Unit represented the complainant Charl Visser, and commissioned DNA analysis which confirmed his ownership of the carcass. Despite this compelling evidence, the matter was continually postponed. 

In July last year, the matter was struck off the roll because the investigation had not been completed and the magistrate had refused further postponements. However, through the persistence of the unit, the matter was eventually finalised.

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Adv. Gerrie Nel, head of the unit, says while the conviction is welcomed, the state did not cover itself in glory.

“Without the intervention of the Private Prosecution Unit, the accused would still be free to continue their criminal exploits. Dealing with repeat offenders requires diligence and commitment from police investigators and state prosecutors. Sadly, this is lacking,” said Nel.

Eddie Wesetpfahl, a farming community representative, thanked the unit for its support, saying they had been let down by the authorities.

“The police did nothing about the case despite many promises. AfriForum did not leave it there. With their help, the case got going, and they never gave up until they were convicted in the nyala case. Molefe was a big headache for the community. The community is very grateful for AfriForum’s support,” said Wesetpfahl.

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