Four alleged rhino poachers’ assets including luxury cars, stashes of cash and night vision equipment have been forfeited to the state.
According to court papers, Nomatter Bhamani, Mbekezeli Nyathi, Vusumzi Dube and Zonke Maqanda have been linked to the poaching of some five rhino in the Sterkstroom area, as well as the attempted poaching of rhino in the Great Fish Reserve.
This week, the Grahamstown high court declared some of their assets be forfeited to the state.
These include three top-of-the range bakkies and two luxury vehicles, night vision equipment valued at more than R40,000, and three separate stashes of cash totalling some R70,000, seized from the men at various times.
This was confirmed by attorney for the Asset Forfeiture Unit Marius Wolmarans, who moved the forfeiture application this week.
Bhamani, Nyathi and Dube are Zimbabwean nationals.
The senior deputy director of public prosecutions attached to the AFU in Port Elizabeth, Chris Ndzengu, said in an affidavit that the assets should be forfeited to the state as they were either the proceeds of unlawful activities or had been used in the commission of offences.
He said poaching of endangered rhinos was a serious and prevalent offence that was threatening their survival.
Ndzengu said the four men, and others, were linked to the killing and dehorning of five rhinos in the Sterkstroom area.
Two, valued at more than R900,000, were killed in September 2017and three, valued at about R1.3m, in October. They were also implicated in an attempted rhino poaching at the Great Fish River Reserve, which was part of a police sting.
The offences in that case were conspiring to commit rhino poaching and attempted theft.
SAPS AFU investigator W/O Michael Damens said in an affidavit that there were a number of syndicates involved in poaching rhino in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Southern Cape.
He said in the illegal trade, a horn could fetch up to R80,000 per kilogram.
He said Bhamani bought his top-of-the-range bakkie and Dube his luxury vehicle just two days after the killing of the first two rhino in Sterkstroom in 2017. “Although the suspects reported themselves as self-employed, I have established they are in truth unemployed and rely on proceeds of rhino poaching for livelihood and acquisition of assets,” he said.
The forfeiture order was granted by acting judge Vic Nqumse. The items include: A Toyota Hilux double cab;
Two white Ford Ranger 3.2l four-wheel drive vehicles;
A white BMW 3-series;
A Mercedes-Benz CDI;
Night vision equipment;
A stash of R46,000;
A stash of R22,388; and
About $20 (R278)..