Six people accused of being part of a multimillion-rand rhino horn trafficking syndicate appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where they were all granted bail.
The accused include former Platinum Rhino Conservation Enterprise founder John Frederick Hume (83), Clive John Mervan Melville (63), Izak Hermanus du Toit (50), Elizabeth Catharina van Niekerk (58), Mattheus Hendrikus Wessels Poggenpoel (37) and Johannes Abraham Hennop (52).
Hume was released on R100 000 bail, Melville and Van Niekerk on R10 000 each, while Du Toit, Poggenpoel and Hennop were each granted R20 000 bail.
The group is collectively facing 55 charges, including racketeering, fraud, theft, money laundering, and contraventions of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act and the Riotous Assemblies Act.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the case involves an alleged international syndicate that operated between 2017 and 2024. The accused are suspected of obtaining permits to trade rhino horn locally, while allegedly diverting the horns to illegal international markets in Southeast Asia. Investigators estimate that 964 rhino horns worth about R250 million are linked to the case.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations’ (DPCI) Wildlife Trafficking Section, also known as the Hawks, led the probe. The accused handed themselves over at the Pretoria Central Police Station on 19 August 2025, where they were formally arrested.
During bail proceedings, Melville admitted to a 2019 conviction for fraud and possession of rhino horns, while Poggenpoel disclosed a 2009 conviction for possession of a rhino horn and a pending case involving unlicensed ammunition and scheduled medicine.
Despite this, the State did not oppose bail. Advocate Patsy Jacobs, for the State, read an affidavit from the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Edward du Plessis, who confirmed that the accused were not considered flight risks and had cooperated with police.
“Their residential addresses were verified and they handed themselves over to police. For this reason, the State does not oppose bail but requests strict conditions,” Jacobs told the court.
Magistrate granted bail on condition that the accused surrender their passports, report weekly to their nearest police station, refrain from interfering with investigations, and avoid committing further offences while on bail.
The case has been postponed to 9 December 2025 in Court 16 for further investigations.
NPA Gauteng regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the arrests were the result of a “lengthy and complex investigation” into wildlife trafficking networks. DPCI spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Singo confirmed the Hawks will continue monitoring compliance with bail conditions.
