The SANParks (South Africa National Parks) employee accused of selling protected animals illegally appeared in court together with a hunter.

The pair appeared last Friday (7th) in the Louis Trichardt District Court. This employee, Michael Sematla, appeared with Marius Marinus Slabbert from Benoni.

Slabbert was officially charged with the illegal shooting of a leopard on Den Staat farm next to the Mapungubwe Nature Reserve. The charges against him follow investigations that were done after it was discovered that Sematla had allegedly “sold” him a permit to hunt the leopard on Den Staat.

Den Staat is an open-system park, state owned and falling under the control of Mapungubwe, which is also a world heritage site. Both parks border on Zimbabwe and boast a great variety of small and big game. Sematla worked as a general worker for Mapungubwe but was arrested during January 2014 when the Environmental Crime Investigative Unit (Green Scorpions) discovered his possible involvement in the illegal issuing of permits that were sold to hunters.

Since Sematla’s arrest, 11 hunters had already been fined, and a total of R37 000 in admission-of-guilt fines have been paid. Each hunter’s fine was determined by the animal that he had hunted. They will not stand further trial with Sematla and Slabbert but might be asked to become state witnesses.

During his last court appearance, Sematla’s case was postponed to 3 and 4 June, when it is expected to start. Slabbert’s case was postponed until 16 April for trial.