Source Article: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Farmers-held-for-assaulting-rhino-poachers-20130523
Johannesburg - Three Limpopo farmers have been arrested for alleged attempted murder after apprehending a suspected rhino poacher, Beeld reported on Thursday.
The three farmers, PP Mare, Chris Naude and Johannes van Zyl, were being held in the Gravelotte police cells, the newspaper reported.
Their lawyer Aldo Rech told the newspaper they were tipped-off earlier in the week that poachers would target the area.
They reportedly claimed they gave chase to two suspected poachers on Wednesday. One of them got away, but they caught the other one, who was injured while running through dense, thorny undergrowth, and found rhino dehorning tools.
According to Beeld, they tied him up and called police to arrest him.
Colonel Ronel Otto told the newspaper police found the man with a head wound, and decided to charge the farmers with attempted murder. He had since been admitted to hospital.
Rech reportedly denied that the farmers had assaulted him.
The farmers were expected to appear in the Phalaborwa Magistrate's Court later on Thursday.- SAPA
When I read this article, I am bewildered and amazed at the
fact that it can be justified to arrest the farmers who were standing up for
the animal’s rights. From my perspective: why is the man’s injury being
prioritised over the fact that he was coming to poach and dehorn a Rhino? How
is it that we demand Justice so easily when a human is being harmed – but do
not show equal concern for the animal kingdom? Immediate action is being taken
through arresting the farmers – because “A man got hurt!” But no such immediate
action is undertaken for the injustice that was being done unto the animal.
From my Perspective: If you are willing to harm another
being for profit then you forego the right to ask for justice when harm is
being done unto you. It is similar to situations where a robber was trying to
rob a house by climbing in through the ceiling and fell through the ceiling and
sustained injuries in the fall. The man then has the audacity to sue the owner
of the house and claim reparation.
This shows the inadequacy of a legal system based on rules
and not principles, where we blindly follow rules so that we do not have to do
the effort of assessing what is justice in any particular situation.
