Skukuza Court Hands Rhino Poacher 16-Year Prison Sentence

By: The Youth Voice Reporter

The Skukuza Regional Court has sentenced 28-year-old Bethuel Baloyi to 16 years’ directimprisonment for a string of poaching-related crimes committed in 2020, including the killing of two rhinos in the Kruger National Park.

Baloyi was convicted on multiple counts, among them trespassing, killing protected species, possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm with an obliteratedserial number, conspiracy to commit an offence, and possession of a dangerous weapon.

The conviction stems from an incident on 28 March 2020, when rangers patrolling the Pretoriuskop Section spotted three armed suspects  identified as Million Masilane, Bethuel Baloyi and Mozambican national Andries Baloyi. During an attempted arrest, Andries allegedly pointed a firearm at the rangers. The rangers opened fire and he was fatally wounded.

Rangers arrested the remaining suspects and recovered a rifle with its serial number removed, along with live ammunition. A search of the area led to the discovery of two freshly killed rhino carcasses.

Although Baloyi pleaded not guilty, the State presented strong evidence, including ranger testimony and expert analysis linking bloodstains on his clothing to a rhino. In 2023, his co-accused Masilane was convicted and received an effective 16-year sentence.

Baloyi absconded before judgment and was later arrested in KwaZulu-Natal’s Hluhluwe Game Reserve for a similar offence, a matter that remains before court. The State subsequently applied for a separation of trials, allowing his case to proceed independently.

The court imposed the following sentences:

• 2 years for trespassing
• 10 years for killing two rhinos
• 5 years for possession of a firearm
• 6 years for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number
• 5 years for possession of a firearm to commit a crime
• 2 years for possession of live ammunition
• 4 years for conspiracy to commit an offence
• 1 year for possession of a dangerous weapon

Some of the sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective 16-year term. Baloyi was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the ruling, saying it reinforces the message that poaching, a persistent threat to South Africa’s biodiversity  will be met with firm accountability.