Man pays R2,500 fine after monkey and hyena flesh is found in fridge

Pretoria – A 53-year-old man was fined R2,500 in Mpumalanga after he was found in possession of flesh from a monkey and a hyena, and three dried crocodile skins.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the 53-year-old was also found with fresh unskinned crocodile carcass.

The animal flesh and carcass were found inside a refrigerator at Dumphries C, near Thulamahashe outside Bushbuckridge.

“The man paid the fee as an admission of guilt,” said Mohlala.

“According to the information, some members of the public notified the authorities about somebody in possession of wild game.”

Upon arrival at the scene, officers from Mhala SAPS and other law enforcement agencies from Mpumalanga discovered the said items.

“The man was then arrested for contravention of Section 27, Act 10 of 1998 - Mpumalanga Nature Conservation Act which prohibits the receipt, possession or handling of dead game.

“After all administration processes were done, that was the time when Vincent Eric Lengwati paid the fine,” said Mohlala.

Meanwhile, provincial commissioner police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has encouraged citizens to shun criminal activities and to partake in conservation of nature for the future generations.

“Our concern is that some of these wild animals, like certain parts of the crocodile could be very poisonous for human beings. We therefore caution the public against hunting or being in possession of these species,” said Manamela.

Earlier this month, six people were remanded in custody after they appeared before the Zeerust Magistrate’s Court for possession of a pangolin.

At the time, North West police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh listed the accused people as Ntsimane David Mokgosi (49), Paul Gaafele Molatole (31), Tinashe Paradzai (30), Pule Petrus Ratshwene (30), Lekang Duncan Thabeng (38) and Sydney Vingirayi (28).

They have been charged with contravention of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004).