Johannesburg Court Sentences Two Men for Illegal Possession of Elephant Tusks

GAUTENG – Two men, Innocent Tendere, 35, and Shelton Zimizi, 31, were sentenced by the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 24 October 2023 for illegal possession of elephant tusks. The ruling was finalized after both individuals were found guilty on 19 October 2023.

According to South Africa Police Service, Tendere and Zimizi were arrested on 16 November 2022 by members of the Benoni K9 Unit, with support from the Pretoria K9 Unit. They were apprehended while in possession of three elephant tusks at Oriental Plaza Burna. Following the arrest, the case was transferred to the Germiston-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation team for a more comprehensive inquiry. The accused were first brought before the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on 2 December 2022, where they were denied bail.

The sentencing for the two men was specified as follows: Accused Number 1, Innocent Tendere, faces a fine of R700,000 or a five-year prison sentence. Details for the sentence of Accused Number 2, Shelton Zimizi, were not provided in the information.