Eleven people believed to be connected to hundreds of rhino poaching incidents are out on bail.
Today, the world shakes its head in disbelief: Eleven people arrested this week for their involvement with the slaughter of hundreds of rhinos in South Africa have reportedly been released on bail by the Musina magistrate’s court.
This outcome is even more disappointing as it happened on World Rhino Day. People around the world had hoped that today would be a turning point in the battle to protect South Africa’s rhinos from poachers who kill them to supply illegal rhino horn to Asian markets.
Rhino poaching has returned to South Africa with a vengeance. The scourge has reached a 16-year high, with more than 600 rhinos killed since 2005. Although rhino horn has been proven to have no medicinal properties, it is still in high demand in China and Vietnam.
The wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC found that most rhino horn leaving southern Africa is destined for China and Vietnam.
Case postponed until April
According to South Africa’s Times Live, the case is postponed until April 11th.
Game farmer Dawie Groenewald was released on R1 million bail and his wife, Sariette, on R100,000 bail.
Veterinarian Karel Toet received R50,000 bail while his wife, Mariza Toet, received R20,000 and his colleague, veterinarian Manie du Plessis, was released on R20,000.
The other accused, professional hunter Tielman Roos Erasmus, Dewald Gouws, Nordus Rossouw, Leon van der Merwe and Jacobus Marthinus Pronk. were released on R20,000 bail each while Paul Matoromela received R5,000 bail.
The conditions of their bail included handing in their passports and giving police a week’s notice before leaving the province.
They also agreed not to tamper with 32 rhinos currently on Groenewald’s game farm, Pragtig, in Musina.
Source: Times Live and Mail & Guardian Online
Image via Wikimedia Commons
![Rhino Horns and Trophies Exported to Asia from South Africa 2000 – 2010 [Infographic]](http://www.rhinoconservation.org/wp-content/plugins/special-recent-posts/lib/phpimage.php?width=100&height=100&rotation=no&file=L2hvbWUyL2Jpb2RpdmUxL3B1YmxpY19odG1sL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDEyLzA1L1JoaW5vVHJvcGhpZXNIb3Juc0luZm9ncmFwaGljVGh1bWJuYWlsLmpwZw==)
Let these selfish and immoral specimens out on bail. We are in Africa and it is only a matter of time before they wind up in the cross-hairs of someone’s sniper scope. I am incensed by their actions and sooner or later they too will suffer the fate they deem themselves worthy to dispense. Word of advise…. Keep looking over your shoulders.
@ Nick Matthews: Your’e statement above about shooting ACCUSED people puts you basically in the same class as a poacher… Let justice take its cause first before you make immature statements.
I am 28 now and have been in the Black rhino conservation since i was thirteen. I have walked hundred of KM to raise awareness and funds for this friend. All i can say is that South Africa has been very ignorant about the plight of rhinos. They have been campaining on the lift of the ban to hunt for trophy rhinos and elephants from CITES. We Kenyans will “NEVER KISS OUR RHINOS GOODBYE” so they can forget their so called campaign unless Kenya gets excluded on CITES meetings, we will forever fight for the endangered rhinos protection
Does anyone know how to send personal messages to any of these accused? I want to communicate my revulsion directly?
I would also love to get contact details for the same reason, imagine them receiving thousands
of emails, they deserve to be hounded. As To Mr. Anderson, maybe he has a vested interest in this group, does he not watch Carte Blanche and the media in general, the evidence is overwhelming. I suppose he also don’t believe in global warming?