South African court sentences two in major rhino horn trafficking case
via The Namibian2 min read
A South African court has sentenced Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus in a rhino horn trafficking case, described by police as the world's largest. Groenewald, identified as the mastermind, received a R2 million fine or four years' imprisonment after a plea deal, while Erasmus was fined R100,000 or three years in prison. The case, which began with investigations in 2007 and arrests in 2010, involved over 1,700 charges including illegal hunting, dehorning rhinos, racketeering, and money laundering. South Africa holds a significant portion of the world's black and southern white rhino populations and accounts for 81% of Africa's rhino poaching cases in 2024. Rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine despite lacking health benefits. The legal proceedings faced over 15 years of delays, during which two of the original 11 accused and 10 of the state's 185 witnesses died. The case against three other individuals, Karel Toet, Marisa Toet, and Koos Pronk, has been postponed to August 20. Last year, South African rhino farmer John Hume was also charged with involvement in a horn trafficking syndicate.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
Must ReadIn Kilifi, Kenya, a region facing climate change impacts like rising temperatures and droughts, reproductive health coordinator Kenneth Miriti and his team are observing a connection between extreme heat and adverse maternal health outcomes. For nearly a decade, Miriti has noted numerous miscarriages and pregnancy complications, often linked to anemia, lack of clean water, and inadequate healthcare access. However, recent studies, including one Miriti participated in in 2021, highlight how extreme heat exacerbates these issues, causing heat exhaustion in pregnant women and discomfort in uncooled healthcare facilities. Researchers globally are finding that high temperatures increase the likelihood of preterm births, low birth weight babies under 2,500g, and stillbirths. Pediatric hospitalist Lisa Patel noted a surge in pregnancy complications during record-breaking heatwaves in California. Pregnant individuals are especially vulnerable to heat due to their bodies working harder to maintain core temperature, increasing risks of dehydration and heatstroke. High humidity further impairs the body's natural cooling. Environmental epidemiologist Sari Kovats explains that early conception heat exposure can lead to birth defects, and increased blood flow to the skin for cooling can reduce placental blood flow, potentially restricting fetal growth, triggering early labor, or inducing preeclampsia. A study in rural Gambia found a 17% increased risk of fetal strain for every 1°C rise in
Cazaly Resources has obtained ground access to the Cadix anomaly at its Abenab North project in northern Namibia, which the company identifies as its highest-priority target. Managing director Tara French stated that fieldwork, including geophysical surveys and drill planning, is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of this year. The company plans to conduct baseline geological mapping, detailed magnetic surveys, and finalize drill program designs before field activities begin. French noted that the Cadix anomaly is an untested magnetic target over 800m in diameter and is the largest magnetic feature within the exclusive prospecting licence 9852 area. This target was identified after reprocessing regional aeromagnetic data and remains undrilled despite previous exploration. The Abenab North project spans approximately 790 square kilometers within the Otavi Fold Belt, about 450km from Windhoek and 20km from the historic Tsumeb Copper Mine. Historical drilling in other parts of the licence confirmed carbonatite-hosted rare earth element mineralization, with reported intersections including 45m grading 0.73% total rare earth oxides. The larger Cadix anomaly, however, has not been drill-tested, making it the company's primary exploration focus.
Must ReadThe Namibian government's cash balance reached zero at the end of May, leading it to utilize an N$1.8 billion overdraft facility to meet its financial obligations. This information comes from the latest statement of assets and liabilities released by the Bank of Namibia BoN. While the government had a negative balance of N$3.23 billion in March, which improved to a N$379.2 million deposit in April, it moved into an overdraft position by May. This overdraft contributed to an increase in the central bank's domestic assets, rising from N$1.21 billion in March to over N$3.37 billion in May. Economist Omu Kakujaha-Matundu stated that the overdraft is not an indication of the government being broke, but rather a result of cash flow timing issues, with the BoN acting as the government's banker. The central bank's international investment holdings increased from N$47.15 billion in March to N$50.92 billion in May, despite a N$2.9 billion decline in May alone, primarily due to movements in foreign currency reserves, including the South African rand and other currencies. Gold holdings, however, nearly doubled, increasing by N$155 million to almost N$320 million by the end of May. Meanwhile, currency in circulation rose by N$400 million, from N$5.42 billion in March to N$5.82 billion by the end of May. Despite these fluctuations, the BoN's overall asset position remained strong at N$65.77 billion.