buy this article By Kotie Geldenhuys Photos courtesy of Flicr and Wikimedia It was a dark, moonless night in Namaqualand when a local man completed a sale. The next moment he was surprised as vehicles with flashing blue lights appeared out of the darkness and a police member from the Stock Theft and Endangered Species […]
Poaching succulents to the brink of extinction Read More »
buy this article By Brig Dirk Lambrechts IntroductionThis National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Act 10 of 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the Amendment Act 10 of 2024), appears in English and Afrikaans in Government Gazette No 50713 dated 27 May 2024. Its main object is to amend the National Prosecuting Authority Act 32 of 1998 (hereinafter
National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Act 10 of 2024 Read More »
Buy this article QuestionOne of Servamus’s readers, who is a private investigator, reminds us that “a lot of the times a SAPS fingerprint expert takes a long while to report at a crime scene”. Accordingly, our reader wants to know whether an SAPS fingerprint expert is the only authorised person who may dust for, and
Private Fingerprint Experts Read More »
Buy this article QuestionA reader refers Pollex to the Constitutional Court (“the Concourt”) judgment of AK v Minister of Police [2022] ZACC 14 (CC), and 2023 (1) SACR 113 (CC). This is the case in which Ms AK claimed damages (Afrikaans: “skadevergoeding”) from the SAPS in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), in that the SAPS failed
buy this article Article by Kotie Geldenhuys Rugged dirt tracks criss-cross the sandy river embankment where indigenous shrubs once adorned the area. As the handler manoeuvres the excavator back onto the riverbank, it leaks hydraulic oil which leaves an unsightly trail while the air is filled with dirt and the smell of diesel smoke. The
Illegal sand mining: Damaging, dangerous and costly Read More »
buy this article Article by Kotie Geldenhuys While many people may associate rangers with serene landscapes and wildlife observation, the reality is that their job can be extremely dangerous. Being a ranger is a highly challenging job that requires a lot of dedication, courage and love for nature and wildlife. Rangers play a critical role
Rangers: Willing to die in the name of conservation Read More »
buy this article Article by Kotie GeldenhuysSelected photos provided by Prof Ray Jansen The gentle, dragon-like pangolin, searching for juicy termites, is totally unaware of the approaching danger. Out of nowhere two greedy hands grab the scaly body, put the terrified pangolin in a bag and carry it to a hut where the next stage
Pangolins: The world’s most trafficked mammal Read More »
buy this article By Kotie Geldenhuys Corruption allows organised crime to function and flourish and wildlife crime, specifically the illegal wildlife trade, is no exception. The illegal wildlife trade is a highly profitable illicit business where corruption plays a significant role in enabling criminal networks to perpetrate, conceal and evade prosecution for their crimes. Corruption
Corruption: A threat to our wildlife Read More »
Buy this article Case law:There are still strong, impressive and innovative SAPS witnesses – S v Akhona Ntombana, case no 54/2022, circuit court sitting at the town of Komani (previously Queenstown), dated 29 November 2022 (ECG) Mr Akhona Ntombana (hereinafter referred to as the “rapist”), appeared before the circuit court* (“the court”) sitting at Komani,
Strong, impressive and innovative SAPS witnesses – S v Akhona Ntombana Read More »
Buy this article In the words of the High Court (sitting as a review court) in Mbombela in Mpumalanga, this is “a bizarre case” (Afrikaans: ” ‘n bisarre saak”). It can best be described by reading the verbatim (word for word) judgment of the Mbombela review court, namely in paragraphs [1] to [6], where the
