Nelspruit: 17 July 2023 - Wildlife was spared after a 22-year-old man was arrested in Calcutta for possession of unlicenced hunting rifle on Saturday, 15 July 2023. Police received information about people in Huntington who were planning to poach inside Skukuza, at the Kruger National Park. Members responded swiftly to the information and advanced to the possible address where a firearm was suspected to have been kept.
Police found a man who was the subject of their investigation, in the house. The astute members conducted a search inside the house and a rifle was found hence the suspect was nabbed after failing to produce a valid firearm license. The suspect was also charged accordingly. The firearm will be subjected to ballistic testing to determine whether it was not used in the commission of crimes elsewhere. More charges could possibly be added against the suspect, pending the investigation. Daniel Makwakwa has appeared in the Mkhulu Magistrate's Court today, 17 July 2023 facing the said charges and he was remanded in custody. He is expected to make an application for bail when he appears on 19 July 2023.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has welcomed the arrest and appreciated the information provided by the community to save wildlife.