Man jailed for 10 years after Kruger National Park shoot-out

A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to an effective 10 years’ direct imprisonment after pleading guilty to seven charges linked to a shoot-out with field rangers inside Kruger National Park, the Skukuza Regional Court has sentenced him after his conviction on all counts.

What happened

The court heard that on April 1 Kruger National Park’s technical surveillance team detected suspicious activity in the Houtboschrand area. Field rangers deployed to the scene confronted two armed suspects, triggering a shoot-out. One suspect, Raphael Ngobeni (42), sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was arrested at the scene; his alleged accomplice fled and remains at large.

Charges and evidence

Ngobeni pleaded guilty to seven counts. During the trial, the state prosecutor presented ballistic reports about the hunting rifle and testimony from Home Affairs officials confirming Ngobeni’s unlawful status in South Africa, according to the Mpumalanga spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Monica Nyuswa.

Sentence breakdown

The court handed down the following terms:

• Two years for trespassing
• One year for contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002
• Four years for conspiracy to commit an offence
• Six years for possession of a firearm
• Four years for possession of a firearm to commit a crime
• Two years for possession of ammunition
• One year for possession of a dangerous weapon

According to Nyuswa, the court ordered that the sentences for conspiracy, possession of a firearm to commit a crime, and possession of ammunition run concurrently with the six-year firearm possession sentence. That structure produced a cumulative 10-year direct prison term. The court also declared Ngobeni unfit to possess a firearm under the Firearms Control Act.

Ongoing enquiries

Nyuswa said authorities have urged anyone with information about the whereabouts of the second suspect, identified as Patrick Hlungwane, to contact law enforcement.

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