NPA confiscates rhino syndicate property

According to a Cape Times report the NPA confiscated farms and aircraft belonging to the alleged members of the syndicate and centralised their cases, which were being held in various courts across the country, said NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga. He said Nicolaas Barend van Deventer, Gideon Gerhardus van Deventer and Pieter Johannes Swart had already been convicted for their involvement. Nicolaas van Deventer was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, half of which was suspended; Gideon van Deventer received 10 years, two of which were suspended for five years; and Swart was fined R50 000 or 12 months' imprisonment. They had turned State witness against the other six, who would stand trial in the Pretoria High Court on 11 October, said Mhaga. He said George Fletcher, Gerhardus Bartlomeus Saai-man, Frans Andries van Deventer and three others would face charges of racketeering, money laundering, theft, malicious damage to property and contravening provincial conservation acts and the Aviation Act. Full Cape Times report Act

Meanwhile, Environment Minister Buyelwa Sonjica has confirmed that 51 rhinos were killed between January and the end of March, compared to 125 for the whole of last year. A report in The Mercury notes that, responding to written questions in Parliament from DA environment spokesperson Gareth Morgan, she said that this was 10 times higher than the average between 2005 and 2007. Full report in The Mercury (subscription needed)