MPUMALANGA – Two men convicted of poaching-related offences in the Kruger National Park have each been sentenced to 11 years’ direct imprisonment by the Skukuza Regional Court.
Ephraim Bheki Siwela (43) and Kobus Simon Sambo (40) were found guilty on seven counts, including trespassing in a national park, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for the commission of an offence, conspiracy to commit an offence, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a dangerous weapon.
The court heard that on 30 May 2021, the technology operations manager of the Kruger National Park detected suspicious movement in the Pretoriuskop section of the park believed to be that of poachers. Aerial surveillance was deployed, leading investigators to two sets of footprints.
Field rangers discovered a firearm and hunting knives whilst tracking the footprints. Approximately five metres from where the items were recovered, the rangers found Siwela and Sambo hiding in nearby vegetation. The pair was arrested immediately.
Investigations established that the footwear worn by the accused matched the footprints being tracked by the rangers. The accused were released on bail pending trial.
During the trial, both accused pleaded not guilty. State prosecutor Lot Mgiba led evidence from the technology operations manager and presented expert testimony linking the footprints to the accused’s footwear. Ballistic analysis connected the firearm recovered at the scene to the accused.
The court sentenced each accused to three years’ imprisonment for trespassing in a national park, eight years for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, six years for unlawful possession of a firearm, four years for possession of a firearm for the commission of an offence, four years for conspiracy to commit an offence, two years for unlawful possession of ammunition, and one year for possession of a dangerous weapon.
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The sentences for unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for the commission of an offence, conspiracy to commit an offence, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a dangerous weapon were ordered to run concurrently with the eight-year sentence for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
The three-year sentence for trespassing was ordered to run consecutively, resulting in an effective sentence of 11 years’ direct imprisonment for each accused. The court declared both accused unfit to possess firearms.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the sentence demonstrates that those involved in poaching and related criminal activities will face serious consequences.
- Earlier this year NovaNews reported that rhino poaching in South Africa’s Kruger National Park nearly doubled in 2025, despite interventions including dehorning programmes and lie detector tests for rangers, the government announced on Tuesday. The park lost 175 rhinos to poachers last year, compared to 88 in 2024, according to the environment ministry. However, national figures showed a decline, with 352 rhinos killed by poachers across South Africa in 2025, a 16% drop from the previous year.
