Above: April 4 2013.
Middelburg Observer journalist Jana Boshoff was assaulted today at the local
law-court by an alleged rhino poacher, Joe Nyalungu (‘Big Joe’) who is
described as the kingpin in a large international rhino-poaching syndicate —
and was expected to plead to charges against him. Accused “Rhino-poaching-gang
lynchpin’ ex-policeman Joseph “Big Joe’ Nyalungu was photographed just seconds
before he attacked Middelburg Observer journalist Jana Boshoff on April 4 2013.
She writes: “Big Joe, the ex-policeman accused of being the head of a rhino
horn smuggling syndicate, attacked a journalist of the Middelburg Observer in
the Middelburg court on Thursday. Shortly after Jana Boshoff took a photo of
Joseph Nyalungu he hit her with documents clutched in his hand. He then
attempted to strike her on the face but Boshoff stood back and avoided the
blow. He also grabbed the camera. Fellow journalist Yaseen Gaffar jumped to her
defence. The incident was reported to magistrate Andreas Mastourades shortly
before proceedings – where a total of 13 suspects appeared on charges relating
to rhino horn smuggling. Thirteen rhino-poaching suspects in Middelburg court
April 4 2013: South Africans: Elijah Ngubeni, ex-cop Joseph Nyalungu (Big Joe),
on-duty cop Conrad Nkuna (48); Happy Sello Zitha (37); Vietnamese: Lan Anh
Nguyen (28) and Ngoc Cuang Pham (35); Mozambicans: Daniel Timothy Mncube (44),
David Lazarus Singanque (29), Calisto Joe Gulaigu Massoda (26), Zeka Fransisco
Mindu Santos (31), Checo Someone Cassa (37) and Sam Mashaba (36). The charges
include trading in protected wildlife, money laundering, drug possession,
housebreaking, house robbery, employing illegal immigrants, providing
assistance to illegal immigrants, possession of stolen property, theft and
conspiracy to commit a crime. The case was postponed until June because
transcripts of telephone conversations, as well as other documents, have not
yet been made available. State prosecutor Ansie Venter also indicated that the
state plans to add another charge of racketeering. Accused number three, Conrad
Nkuna, is having trouble with legal representation.
