The tourism sector has welcomed the 25-year prison sentence handed to the man who murdered a German tourist on the Numbi Gate road outside the Kruger National Park (KNP) in October 2022.
Joseph Nyalunga (38) was given a life sentence in the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela on Thursday, September 25, for his role in the fatal shooting of German tourist Jörg Schnarr (67).
Schnarr and three of his relatives were en route to Mdluli Safari Lodge when three armed individuals ambushed the minivan they were travelling in. Schnarr, who was driving the vehicle, was fatally shot in the chest.
Nyalunga was convicted of murder, attempted robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. Two other men charged with the crime were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
Oupa Pilane, Special Attaché for the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism (KLCBT), welcomed Nyalunga’s sentencing.
“This sentencing sends a strong message that violent crimes, especially against visitors to our beautiful province, will not be tolerated. The loss of a life is a tragedy that affects us all, and this outcome demonstrates our commitment to ensuring safety and justice in Mpumalanga. I commend the judiciary and law enforcement for their diligent work in bringing this case to a just conclusion.”
KLCBT CEO Linda Grimbeek said that in the weeks following the incident, more than 100 media enquiries had been received from around the world and lodges in the KNP area had suffered millions of rands in losses. “We could only console the industry by committing every effort to the investigation, to provide the best possible care to the family and to immediately implement programmes that would prevent this from happening again,” said Grimbeek.
Grimbeek highlighted the success of measures such as the Numbi Gate Security intervention and the Ehlanzeni Integrated Security Programme. “These have yielded zero incidents against tourists on the Numbi Gate road since that day. This is an impressive record achieved after many arrests and our ongoing programmes, for which we are currently fundraising,” she said.
