Public outrage followed after a video circulated on social media in January, showing a man abusing a Nile crocodile by kicking it on its head and hitting the animal in its mouth with a metal grass slasher. The man was arrested and scheduled to appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Monday, 17 February, but this never happened.
The man in the video was quickly identified as the self-proclaimed "King of Crocodile" of Duthuni, Mr Robert Munyai. Shortly afterwards, on 13 February, Munyai was arrested by the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA).
"Following weeks of dedicated efforts, National Inspector White, with the invaluable assistance of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Louis Trichardt SPCA, arrested the suspect today [13th] under the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962. The individual was taken into police custody and was due to appear before the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Monday, 17 February 2025," the NSPCA proudly proclaimed in a press release.
Munyai, however, never made it to court, and rumours soon spread that he had been released and the case against him had been struck off the court roll by a "junior" prosecutor. This was later confirmed by the National Prosecuting Authority's office in Polokwane, but no reasons were provided as "they, too, were waiting for answers".
"We regret that the prosecutor (at District Court level) indeed refused to prosecute, but we confirm that it was not struck off the roll," said Mr Jacques Peacock, manager of the NSPCA's communication unit. He added that they had since been in communication with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who informed them that the crocodile docket had been delivered to them and was receiving attention.
"Once the matter is reinstated, the accused will be brought before the court – either by summons or arrest," said Peacock. He expressed his dismay over the situation. "It is incredibly frustrating, and we have addressed our concerns about the handling of the case with the DPP," he said.
In response to the social media attention Munyai received, the newspaper tracked him down and interviewed him before his arrest. Munyai argued that he had merely wanted to protect both the animal and local residents. The father of 12 claimed he had been trying to rescue the crocodile. He said he had placed his boots on its mouth to exhaust it and check whether it still had teeth, as it was full of soil. He stated that if the authorities came for him, he would apologise. "I didn't know someone was recording a video, and I only found out later," he said.