Two traffickers of rhino horns have been sentenced by a South African court in what police described as the world's largest such case, partly bringing to an end an almost two-decade legal saga. Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus faced more than 1,700 charges ranging from illegally hunting and dehorning rhinos to racketeering and money laundering.
Sentencing Details
Groenewald, described by South African police as the mastermind of the enterprise, was handed a 2 million rand (approximately £92,000) fine or four years' imprisonment after reaching a plea deal with the state. His co-accused, Tielman Erasmus, was fined 100,000 rand or three years in prison, according to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks unit.
Rhino Population at Risk
South Africa is home to about a third of the world's critically endangered black rhino population, according to the International Rhino Foundation (IRF). The country also hosts more than 75% of all southern white rhinos, whose global population dropped by 10% to fewer than 16,000 in 2024. Rhino horn poaching remains a severe problem, with South Africa accounting for 81% of poaching cases in Africa in 2024, as per the IRF.
Rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine but has no proven health benefits for humans. While up-to-date estimates are difficult to obtain, a 2022 research paper suggests that rhino horn can fetch tens of thousands of dollars per tonne on the black market.
Background of the Case
Groenewald and his brother Janneman were accused by the US Justice Department in 2014 of selling illegal rhino-hunting trips to Americans under false pretences. South African police first started investigating the case in 2007. In 2010, 11 people were arrested, including professional hunters, veterinary surgeons, a helicopter pilot, and general workers involved in an organised criminal enterprise.
However, more than 15 years of delays followed, amid legal challenges, including in the Constitutional Court. Two of the original 11 accused died while the case was in progress, as well as 10 of the state's 185 witnesses, while others emigrated. The case against three others—Karel Toet, Marisa Toet, and Koos Pronk—was postponed to 20 August, police said.
Related Developments
Last year, a South African rhino farmer, John Hume, was charged with five others with being part of a horn trafficking syndicate. Hume bred white rhinos on his farm and campaigned for horn trading to be legalised and regulated in South Africa. He had about 2,000 rhinos on his farm when he sold it in 2023, claiming he could no longer afford to run it.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this article.
