A case to prosecute four men for being in possession of two pangolins has been postponed while authorities try to verify their citizenship status, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a media statement. 

The accused — Kabelo McDonald Batsi (36), Tebogo Kodwa (28), Zimbabwean national Deon Clamans Mubhada (33) and Botswanan national Lesego Siana (45) — were preparing for a bail application. The case, being heard at Molopo Magistrates’ Court in Mahikeng, North West, was postponed to Tuesday, 6 June. 

The four were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit on 30 May after trying to sell the two pangolins for R200,000. The Hawks received a tip-off of the men’s attempts to sell the two mammals at Mahikeng Mall where they were arrested.

Read more in Daily Maverick: The Sting: Meet the men and women risking their lives to save pangolin from being trafficked through a global criminal network

Charges against the men include two charges of contravening the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004.  

Pangolins are the most poached mammal on the planet. The mammal, scaly from tip to tail, is found in Africa and Asia, where demand is high, while demand for pangolins has been growing in the US. 

In Asia, pangolin meat is considered a delicacy and its scales are used for traditional medicine. In Africa, there has been a growing demand for the mammal’s meat, while in the US, pangolins’ skins are used to make leather boots, bags and belts. 

Alexis Kriel, the co-chairperson of the African Pangolin Working Group, told Daily Maverick that the international trade of pangolins had been banned following the Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) listing of the mammal in its Appendix I, which contains all species threatened with extinction, and that are or may be affected by trade. 

“Despite this, the trade in pangolin trade has continued,” said Kriel.

“The harvesting of wild pangolin in China has been limited, and as a result, the trade has moved from China to Africa … There’s a problem of equilibrium here in that it’s the perfect storm; you’ve got a huge demand in China, and poverty-stricken people in Africa. Wildlife and human beings can’t be dealt with separately; both issues have to be considered in education and awareness.” 

Maximum sentences in South Africa for being found with a pangolin can go up to a R10-million fine, or 10 years in prison. Poachers are being brought to justice as more awareness about the pangolin’s endangered status becomes known, with the public playing an active role in this.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Back to the wild: The painstaking, often heartbreaking process of returning poached pangolins to their natural habitat

Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso, the spokesperson for the Hawks in North West, urged the public to continue sharing information with the Hawks about the illegal trade in species such as pangolin. 

Rikhotso added that cases of pangolin poaching were high in Limpopo, Free State, North West, Northern Cape and Gauteng because of increased international demand. 

Although pangolin poaching had spread across South Africa and demand had increased globally, efforts to combat the poaching of the mammal had not been aggressive enough because intelligence resources were being poured into the illegal trade of rhino horn, said Kriel. 

“[Pangolins] are not considered enough of a priority crime yet,” Kriel said. DM

To read all about Daily Maverick’s recent The Gathering: Earth Edition, click here.