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The body of an alleged poacher was found in the Kruger National Park on July 12. According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, the body was found at about 08:30, and it is suspected that he was killed during an exchange with field rangers the previous night, July 11, around 21:00.

A suspected poacher has been killed and another injured after a shootout with game rangers in Kruger National Park in the early hours of Saturday, June 14. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), a group of rangers were on patrol in the Satara area, at approximately 12:45am, when they came across three men, who immediately aroused suspicion. One carried a firearm, and the others had backpacks. The rangers instructed them to stop and demanded that the armed individual drop his weapon to the ground, but the men refused and opened fire.

The Skukuza Regional Court sentenced Silas Mathebula (38), a Mozambican national, to 30 years behind bars on March 10 for poaching-related offences committed in 2019. According to a provincial National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, Mathebula was convicted on multiple charges, including trespassing, conspiracy to commit a crime, killing three rhinos, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and possession of a hunting rifle and ammunition.

The Kruger National Park (KNP) expects a decline in rhino poaching incidents due to heavy sentences imposed on five poachers in November. The acting managing executive of the KNP, Dr Danny Govender, commended the Skukuza Regional Court for imposing lengthy jail terms in recent cases and said it shows they are making good progress in fighting rhino poaching.

The reopening of the Skukuza Regional Court is producing positive results, with a 100% conviction rate for rhino poachers over the past two years. The court had been closed by the Mpumalanga Regional Court president Naomi Engelbrecht in August 2019, who wanted it to be moved to Mhala Court about 100 kilometres from Skukuza. However, this decision was overruled and the court was reopened again in April 2021.

Four men were arrested after allegedly being found in possession of perlemoen and diving equipment near Port Alfred on Tuesday. An off-duty Port Alfred police officer apprehended four men after allegedly catching them with about R13,000 worth of perlemoen. Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said the officer, based at a unit in Port Alfred, received information about possible perlemoen poachers in the Kasouga area.