Mozambican poacher jailed

On Friday, Antonio Sendes Langa, 36, of Maputo, pleaded guilty in the Mtubatuba Regional Court to contravening the National Biodiversity Management Act by hunting a white rhino in September last year.

Langa’s plea was accepted by State advocate Yuri Gangai, who withdrew charges against Langa’s co-accused Xolani Mkwanazi and Mbhekiseni “Absa” Mkhwanazi because of insufficient evidence.

Handing down sentence, Magistrate Malcolm de Klerk said rhino poaching was “getting out of control” and the court had a responsibility to impose stiff sentences.

Langa admitted that his actions had been “wrong and unlawful”, as he knew that rhinos were a protected species