Joao Langa (48), a Mozambican man, will now spend the next 18 years behind bars after the court found him guilty of rhino poaching. He was bust poaching in the Kruger National Park and opened fire on rangers.
Magistrate Elmarie Theron found him guilty on counts of possession of an unlicensed firearm, live ammunition and a knife, and for trespassing.
He appeared in the Mhala Regional Court in Thulamahashe, near Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga, on Tuesday.
The court heard Langa was arrested by rangers following a shoot-out and was wounded. A .375 hunting rifle with ammunition and a knife were seized.
The incident happened in 2014. Langa denied he was poaching and instead claimed the rangers shot him although they were unprovoked.
The court rejected his claim and found him guilty after he’d spent three-and-half years awaiting trial. Prosecutor Ansie Venter said the accused had tried to mislead the court.
“It’s clear people like him aim to kill our rangers when they enter the park illegally, so the state is asking for direct imprisonment,” said Venter.
Source: Daily Sun
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