Major legal victory as high court fines rhino horn trafficking mastermind R2 million.
A decade-long legal battle involving one of the most prominent rhino horn trafficking cases has finally come to an end after the trafficking mastermind Dawie Groenewald entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State in the Polokwane High Court in Limpopo.
The case, which has been before the courts for more than ten years, was finalised on Wednesday, June 19, 2026. Groenewald and his co-accused, Tielman Erasmus, were represented by advocates Thomas Grobler and Johann Winnertz.
Groenewald, who was regarded by prosecutors as the mastermind behind a large-scale rhino horn trafficking enterprise, pleaded guilty to charges linked to racketeering, wildlife crime and money laundering activities dating back to 2008.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson (NPA) Mashudu Malabi said that Groenewald was sentenced to a fine of R2 million- or four-year imprisonment, and a further 10 years' imprisonment suspended for 5 years, with strict conditions
