Jong Megan sterf te midde van hoop en vertroue

Deur Pétria de Vaal

“Sê asseblief net weereens vir die hele wêreld dankie, baie dankie,” was die woorde van Georg Langbehn nadat sy dogter, die 22-jarige Megan, die afgelope naweek in die MediClinic in Polokwane oorlede is.

Die gemeenskap is in rou nadat sóveel hoop en vertroue in haar herstelproses geplaas is. Sy is Sondagaand, 29 Januarie, oorlede. In die afgelope twee uitgawes van die Zoutpansberger is haar siektetoestand onder die aandag van die gemeenskap gebring en talle suksesvolle fondsinsamelings is van stapel gestuur.

Nog voordat Megan die kraniotomie-prosedure kon ondergaan wat haar neurochirurg (dr. Sarel Spies) wou uitvoer, het haar toestand verlede week aansienlik agteruitgegaan en is sy in die intensiewe sorgeenheid van MediClinic opgeneem – waar sy was tot en met haar dood. Die kraniotomie sou nodig wees om ‘n biopsie te doen en dan vas te stel wat haar presies makeer het – vermoedelik breinkanker. ‘n CA-125 (cancer antigen 125) toets het getoon dat die hoeveelheid proteïen in haar bloed baie hoog was. Behalwe vir dr. Spies, was sy ook in die bekwame hande van dr. Omar, ‘n internis van Polokwane.

“Megan se suurstoftelling het teen Saterdagoggend baie geval. Sy was die hele tyd by haar volle positiewe en het geweet wat aangaan. Dit was net die laaste drie dae wat sy onder verdowing was,” sê Georg. Teen Sondagaand het haar hartklop en bloeddruk skielik geval en is sy oorlede.

“Megan is in dieselfde hospitaal, net meer as 22 jaar gelede, op 18 Desember 2000, gebore,” sê ‘n baie hartseer Helen, Megan se ma. “Sy was in die Vrystaatse dorpie, Parys, op laerskool. Later het sy tuisskoolonderrig ontvang. Megan het van kleins af ‘n spraakprobleem gehad wat dinge vir haar bemoeilik het. Spesialiste in Pretoria kon destyds glad nie vasstel wat fout was nie. Ander kinders is gemeen teenoor

‘n kind met ‘n gebrek,” noem Helen. Sy voeg by dat hulle aangeraai is om Megan na ‘n spesiale skool te stuur. “Ek het geweier.”

“Toe ons later Louis Trichardt toe kom, het Orion Theron van die CVO-skool Zoutpansberg haar onder sy vlerk geneem. Sy het goed gedoen en haar matriek geslaag,” sê Helen met groot dankbaarheid. Sy voeg by dat Megan tydens haar skoolloopbaan ook aan netbal deelgeneem het.

Helen vertel dat Megan baie lief was vir musiek. Sy wou baie graag op ‘n boot gaan werk vir ‘n jaar of twee. “Sy was baie lief vir haar Bybel. Sy het elke dag my pa se Bybel gelees en het graag kerk toe gegaan, totdat sy gesukkel het om te loop. Megan het gesê wanneer sy regkom, wil sy probeer om op enige manier mense te help soos sy gehelp is.”

“Megan was ook baie erg oor my ma, Sheila Schutte, wat op 7 Desember oorlede is. Sy het Parkinson se siekte gehad. Megan het die hele tyd gesê dat sy by haar ouma wil wees - sonder

Rhino poacher slapped with additional four years in prison by an appeal court

By GroundUp

The High Court of South Africa’s Limpopo Division in Thohoyandou has increased the prison sentence of a rhino poacher from 11 to 15 years after an appeal by the defendant.

Limpopo Judge Legodi Phatudi, with Judge Thogomelani Tshidada concurring, said the initial sentence given to Mfana Ignitus Kubai in the Louis Trichardt Regional Court in 2016 was lenient and shockingly inappropriate.

This was especially so since the province had one of the highest number of poaching incidents and rhinos were on the verge of extinction.

Judge Phatudi said Kubai had committed an offence that infringed the rights of all South Africans to have the environment protected. “This pandemic [of rhino poaching] is committed out of greed – to get rich quick[ly],” the judge said.

Kubai, in his appeal, had argued that his sentence was too high. He said the trial court had not taken into consideration that he was a first offender and a breadwinner and had spent two years in custody awaiting trial.

However, the appeal judges indicated at the outset that the sentence imposed had not been in accordance with the Limpopo Environmental Management Act (LEMA) which prescribed a maximum term of 15 years. Because of this, they were “bound to interfere” with the sentence and consider the evidence afresh.

Kubai, dressed in camouflage, was arrested in June 2014 at Chataronga in the far north of Limpopo, after a carcass of a recently killed rhino was found with two horns missing. He was found in possession of a rifle, a silencer in a lunch box and two rhino horns in a black refuse bag – “caught with his hands in the cookie jar”, the judge said.

At the initial trial, Isak Prinsloo, manager at Chataronga game farm, said it cost R200,000 a month for security to protect the 51 rhinos on the farm. He said the farm had lost 11 rhinos to poaching in four years.

A probation officer said the offence had been committed out of greed. He said Kubai lived a lavish lifestyle and drove luxury cars. Members of the community wondered where he got the money to sustain his lifestyle.

In rebutting Kubai’s claim that he “knew nothing about rhino poaching”, evidence indicated that Kubai had been arrested in 2008 for 11 incidents of rhino poaching but had not been prosecuted because he had assisted the police, which led to the arrest of some Chinese nationals.

Judge Phatudi said Kubai was clearly knowledgeable on how to poach wild animals and had “found his niche in rhino poaching”.

“He went to Chataronga with the full intent to hunt. He had with him a rifle and a silencer. I am not persuaded to consider him as a fallen angel. And it is immaterial whether he is a first offender or not,” said the judge.

Judge Phatudi said society watched the type of sentences the courts imposed in poaching cases and courts needed to show “just retribution” for the crime and act as a deterrent.

“I find it necessary to increase the sentence in order to bring to equilibrium the scales of justice relating to the offence and the interests of society, as opposed to (Kubai’s) personal circumstances.” pyn,” deel ‘n bewoë Helen. Helen wil in die besonder vir Heleen Yzel bedank. “Sy was deurentyd betrokke by die fondsinsameling, begrafnisreëlings en so meer. Sonder haar was hierdie BAIE erger.” Huldeblyke stroom in. Herculine Strydom skryf: “My Liewe Megs ... my woorde is min, my trane lê vlak en my hart is in miljoene stukke! Dankie vir al ons goeie tye saam. Ons wou nog gaan koffie en milkshake het sodra jy ontslaan word. Maar die Here het ander planne met jou gehad en het jy jou engelvlerke gekry my Megs - hopeloos te vroeg. Kyk, hoor, praat, lag, loop, hardloop en dans sonder ophou by Jesus se voete, liefste mooiste Engel. Rus saggies my Megs, van jou ou Herkie.”

Ursula van der Westhuizen, Megan se tannie, deel op Facebook : “Jy het ‘n hart van goud gehad, min mense het geweet hoe jy graag ander wou help. Jy het ‘n ongelooflike liefde vir jou Pappa gehad, hy was jou hero in elke opsig en kon min in jou oë verkeerd doen. Jou godsdiens was vir jou so belangrik, hoe baie het ons nie Bybelstudie gedoen en net oor die Bybel gesels. Mina, ek het jou belowe jy gaan gesond word en nou is jy gesond by ons Vader se voete. Soos jou Ouma was jy sterk en het nooit opgehou baklei nie, jy het ons soveel van onsself geleer. Jy was my daaglikse oggendkoffie, my lunchdate vir die laaste paar maande, ek en jy elke dag. Ek het jou lief my Moo Moo, dankie vir die voor- reg wat ek kon hê om saam met jou te lag, te huil, te baklei, gefrustreerd te raak en dan is ons weer positief oor als wat mooi is in die lewe. Jy is nou gesond my bok. Love you always.”

Benewens ‘n bedroefde groter familie, laat Megan haar pa Georg, ma Helen, ousus Tammy en sus Kaylin agter. Megan se begrafnisdiens vind eerskomende Vrydag, 3 Februarie, om 11:00 in die Haantjiekerk plaas.

Familie en vriende het verlede week met hartseer afskeid geneem van ‘n jarelange inwoner van Louis Trichardt, die 78-jargie tannie Griet Strydom, wat op 23 Januarie oorlede is. Sy was vir ‘n kort tydjie ‘n inwoner van Ons Tuiste Ouetehuis. Wyle tannie Griet word oorleef deur haar seun Theunis, skoondogter Cindy, en kleinkinders Lucinda en Armand Strydom. Haar begrafnis het op 27 Januarie vanuit die plaaslike Hervormde Kerk plaasgevind. Foto verskaf.

He said a sentence less than the prescribed maximum of 15 years in terms of LEMA would be disproportionate because of Kubai’s involvement in rhino poaching in 2008, and because he viewed poaching as his “niche and a lucrative business opportunity”.

Judge Phatudi ordered that Kubai, who was on bail pending the outcome of the appeal, report to his local police station within three days (as from date of judgment on 27 January 2023).

He also directed that the judgment be sent to SANParks and the Green Law Foundation, which were monitoring the case.

(Published by GroundUp: https://www. groundup.org.za/article/four-more-years-addedto-rhino-poacher-who-appealed-his-sentence)