Three men accused of poaching a rhino in the Alldays area claim that they were in the area to buy watermelons. They further claim that they were never involved in a shoot-out with police officials.

The men who, according to information available, were caught in a police trap, appeared in the Louis Trichardt District Court on Monday. They have been charged with single counts of attempted murder and the carrying out of a restricted activity on a protected species without the necessary permit.

Machava Januarie (37), Juda Mphyi Nyembe (38) and Mathews Pedro Ngwenya (42) were arrested during a police road block in October last year. The road block was set up after the three had allegedly fled from the police.

Police apparently set up the trap, following an incident in which a rhino was poached and the horns removed at a lodge in the Alldays district.

According to information available, the men got wind of the trap and started to shoot at the police. They were arrested and brought before court on 24 October last year.

During their bail application, the men claimed that it was their first time in the Alldays area and that they wanted to buy vegetables, and specifically watermelons, to re-sell at their respective businesses in Gauteng. Januarie and Nyembe testified that they were driving in a borrowed bakkie when they were arrested at the road block. They told the court that the bakkie was searched and that nothing was found in it. According to Januarie, they were on their way to meet up with Ngwenya, who was supposed to introduce them to vegetable sellers.

Ngwenya told the court that he was unable to meet with his co-accused, due to the fact that he had been assaulted while on his way to meet them. He said he was left for dead next to the road. He claimed that the people who had given him a lift had first drugged him, robbed him of all his money, assaulted him and thrown him out of the vehicle. The only thing he could remember, he testified, was waking up in the Alldays police station. Ngwena, like his two co-accused, also claimed that police had strong-armed them into admitting that they had poached a rhino.

Opposing their bail, the investigating officer testified that a police agent was used and had met with all three accused. He also told  the court that the men were in possession of two large-calibre guns, one small-calibre gun and one axe.

Bail was denied, due to the fact that Januarie and Ngwenya are Mozambicans and pose a possible flight risk. Nyembe is a South African, but has previous convictions and pending criminal cases against him.

Their case was transferred to the regional court, where they will appear from 16 to 20 April.