Polokwane court fines rhino horn trafficking ‘mastermind’ R2m in decade-long case

Staff Reporter

A decade-long rhino horn trafficking case linked to Limpopo’s private wildlife industry has ended in the Polokwane High Court, where Dawie Groenewald was sentenced to a R2 million fine or four years’ imprisonment after entering into a plea agreement with the State.

The State finalised its case against Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus on Wednesday.

“Groenewald is regarded as the mastermind behind a large-scale rhino horn trafficking enterprise finally entered into a plea agreement with the State in this matter ending the pending legal saga of more than a decade regarding allegations of trafficking rhino horns, racketeering and money laundering,” NPA Limpopo regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi said.

Groenewald was sentenced on the main count of managing an enterprise, in contravention of Section 2(1)(f) of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998, to a fine of R2 million or four years’ imprisonment. He was also sentenced to a