SKUKUZA, Mpumalanga – Two former field rangers who betrayed their conservation mission have been sentenced to 14 years in prison each for killing a rhino in the Kruger National Park and lying about it to their superiors.
Freedom Mabilane, 39, and Tshifiwa Ramunashi, 49, were convicted by the Skukuza Regional Court on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and killing a rhino during what was supposed to be a routine patrol in May 2018.
The case unraveled when tourists reported hearing gunshots in the Houtboschrand section of the park on 3 May 2018. When questioned by management, the two rangers claimed they had fired at an elephant that was attacking them.
However, their story fell apart when park management requested GPS coordinates of the alleged elephant encounter. An investigation revealed a rhino carcass and cartridge cases 3 km away from where the rangers claimed the shooting had occurred.
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“The NPA welcomes this sentence, which reaffirms our commitment to holding poachers accountable and demonstrates the effectiveness of the justice system in ensuring that no offender escapes justice,” said Monica Nyuswa, NPA Regional Spokesperson for Mpumalanga.
Despite pleading not guilty and maintaining their innocence throughout the trial, the rangers were convicted after State Prosecutor Lot Mgiba presented what the court found to be overwhelming evidence.
The prosecution’s case included testimony from senior rangers who investigated the incident, GPS data that placed the accused at the actual crime scene, ballistics evidence linking cartridge cases to the rangers’ firearms, and DNA evidence found on their clothing that matched the rhino carcass.
The court rejected the defendants’ version of events entirely, accepting the state’s case in full. Each received four years for conspiracy to commit a crime and 10 years for killing the rhino. Both sentences will run concurrently, meaning they will serve 14 years total.
As an additional measure, the court declared both men unfit to possess firearms.
The case highlights the ongoing challenge of rhino poaching in South Africa’s flagship national park, made more troubling by the involvement of those entrusted to protect the animals.
