Chief Clyde Mnisi was a South African chief and businessman from Mpumalanga, notorious over alleged rhino poaching allegations
Clyde Mnisi lived a lavish life until it was cut short when he was assassinated on 26th March 2023 whilst stranded in his car.
In this article, Nigeriabombshell.com would provide details about Chief Clyde Mnisi biography, age, lifestyle, wife, background, death, funeral, rhino poaching, Wikipedia etc.
Chief Clyde Mnisi Biography / Wikipedia
Chief Clyde Mnisi was a prominent South African traditional leader, businessman and alleged poaching kingpin who was notorious for living a massively extravagant lifestyle.
Chief Mnisi’s full name was Clyde Sizwe Mnisi. He hailed from Bohlabela in the Ehlanzeni District of the South African province of Mpumalanga.
He was born 37 years ago to unknown parents. He rose to fame and notoriety in South Africa due to Rhino poaching allegations.
Mnisi was installed as chief of the Mnisi Tribal Authority in Islington near Acornhoek in the Bushbuckridge area of Mpumalanga in October 2022. He had eleven villages under his authority and during his coronation, vowed to work closely with the municipality to “ensure that community members can access municipal services such as water, electricity and sanitation”.
Prior to that, however, he was already in massive trouble with the law due to being charged alongside notorious rhino poaching kingpin and alleged business partner, Petros Sydney Mabuza (aka Mshengu), (53), who was murdered in a similar fashion in June 2021.
The police classified both Mnisi and Mshengu, who were arrested in 2018, as poaching lords operating in Cork, Belfast, Mkhuhlu, Calcutta and Shabalala Trust in the Bushbuckridge and Mbombela areas.
Whilst the case was still ongoing, Chief Clyde Mnisi was assassinated on 26th March 2023 after his car broke down after incurring a puncture on a road near the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport near White River.
Whilst waiting for help, a group of about five heavily armed men, wearing balaclavas and gloves, arrived in a BMW X5.
They then alighted from the vehicle carrying high-calibre rifles and went straight to the passenger side where Mnisi was seated and opened fire on him.
He died from his wounds whilst his driver survived the assassination attempt.
Age
Chief Clyde Mnisi was 37 years old at the time of his death. He was born in 1986, although his birthday and exact date of birth are not yet publicly available.
Clyde Mnisi Rhino Poaching
Chief Clyde Mnisi, Petros Sydney Mabuza (aka Mshengu), and five former police officers – Phineas Lubisi (40), Aretha Mhlanga (40), Claude Lubisi (33), Rachel Qwebana (33), and Joseph “Big Joe” Nyalunga (33) – were arrested by a massive task force comprising several South African law enforcement agencies in 2018 and charged with crimes related to rhino poaching.
The suspects were charged with a variety of crimes, including theft, conspiracy to commit a crime, illegal buying and selling of rhino horns, corruption, money-laundering and racketeering.
When they were arrested in 2018, police said: “The criminal operations were well planned and allegedly executed with paramilitary discipline and included counterintelligence operations to prevent detection.”
According to City Press: “Lubisi was a police captain at the Calcutta police station and formerly station commander of the Skukuza police station in the Kruger National Park (KNP); Mhlanga was a constable at Skukuza; Claude Lubisi was a Calcutta police station constable; Qwebana was a constable attached to the Acornhoek stock theft unit and Nyalunga was a warrant officer at the White River police station.
The seven were rounded up in a police operation codenamed “Project Broadbill”, which involved members of the Hawks, the police special taskforces, SANParks, the National Prosecuting Authority, the SA Revenue Service and the department of environmental affairs.
During the operation, police seized assets worth millions of rands, including properties, cars, trucks, trailers, generators and electronic equipment, as well as animal hides.
A Mpumalanga Hawks investigator who was leading Project Broadbill, Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer, was fatally shot near Sabie in March 2020 as he was driving to work in Mbombela.“
Police said the rhino poaching syndicate led by the two men – Mabusa and Clyde – focused on an illegal supply chain of poached rhino horns from the Kruger National Park, as well as from private or state-owned game reserves in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The syndicate members collaborated with corrupt police officials and employees of private game farms.
“The logistical, transport and communication support of this criminal syndicate was extremely well managed and controlled, to the extent that the suspects succeeded in moving the rhino horns from the protected areas to locations where the transactions allegedly took place,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
“These transactions were also protected by corrupt officials to ensure there was no detection by law enforcement authorities. The horns were allegedly sold to the highest bidders on the black market in Gauteng, from where they were distributed to South East Asian markets.”
Before the criminal trials against the suspects could be concluded, both Chief Clyde Mnisi and Petros Sydney Mabuza (Mshengu) were assassinated.
In broad daylight on Thursday, June 17, 2021, Petros Sydney Mabuza was sitting behind the wheel of his double-cab pick-up outside a gas station in Hazyview.
Moments later, according to witnesses and CCTV footage, three men arrived in a black VW Polo and riddled his red vehicle with a hail of bullets. After spending some time at the scene, thought to be checking for firearms and cash, they sped off, leaving Mabuza bloodied and fatally injured.
Death
A year after Mshengu’s death, Chief Clyde Mnisi faced the same fate as he was assassinated.
Clyde Mnisi was expected to appear before the Mbombela High Court in May on the rhino poaching charges when he was silenced forever.
Police described his murder as a premeditated hit.
Chief Clyde Mnisi was assassinated on 26th March 2023 after his car broke down after incurring a puncture on a road near the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport near White River.
Whilst waiting for help, a group of about five heavily armed men, wearing balaclavas and gloves, arrived in a BMW X5.
They then alighted from the vehicle carrying high-calibre rifles and went straight to the passenger side where Mnisi was seated and opened fire on him.
The police’s report on the shooting was relayed by a police spokesperson: “…Chief Mnisi together with his driver were travelling in a Toyota Avanza when they had a puncture. Whilst waiting for assistance it is alleged that a group of about five heavily armed men wearing balaclavas and gloves came in a BMW X5,” Mohlala said at the time.
“They then alighted from the vehicle with high-calibre rifles and went straight to the passenger side where the chief was sitting.
“They uttered some words to the chief before they began shooting. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries. Thereafter, the suspects reportedly fled the scene in their BMW,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
He died from his wounds whilst his driver survived the assassination attempt after being shot in the leg.
A January 2023 research paper, Landscape of Fear – by Julian Rademeyer from Enhancing Africa’s Response to Transnational Organised Crime, truly blew the lid on the corruption and crime laden life of Mnisi.
He was accused of owning the Phendhulani Lodge in Mkhuhlu, which opened in April 2019.
The lodge regularly hosted DJs and pool parties and hired some of South Africa’s top talent, such as Afropop stars Blaq Diamond, house duo Black Motion, Master KG and amapiano dancer and musician Kamo Mphela.
According to Jamie Joseph, the director of Saving the Wild, Mabuza threw illegal parties.
He added: “He has been throwing illegal parties, which, according to someone in regular attendance, included naked women dancing on the tables, class-A drugs on the bar dished out like canapés and armed guards at the entrance,”
Chief Clyde Mnisi Funeral
Chief Clyde Mnisi’s funeral was held on 2nd April, 2023, a week after his passing.
He was laid to rest in Mkhuhlu near Hazyview.
Funeral attendees included controversial ANC Mpumalanga treasurer and MEC Mandla Msibi, together with Lameck Mokoena, President of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) and provincial ANC Chairperson Mandla Ndlovu..
Chief Clyde Mnisi Wife
The late South African traditional leader, Chief Clyde Mnisi, was married to a beautiful woman known as Charlene Felicity Matthews. The couple had a few young children.
Unfortunately, barely a week after his death, Charlene Matthews was also murdered in her home in Culcatta, Bushbuckridge, with reports saying she pleaded for her life.
“She was reportedly gunned down in the early hours of today Tuesday, 04 April 2023 around 01h10am. A case of murder with two counts of attempted murder is being investigated by the police in Calcutta,” Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala narrated.
“According to the information, the police at Calcutta were called to a shooting incident at the residential place of the late chief. Upon arrival they found the lifeless body of the woman with multiple gunshot wounds on the head.
“Two other males identified as family members also sustained gunshot wounds after being shot and they were taken to hospital for medical treatment. Meanwhile the female victim was unfortunately certified dead by the paramedics who also attended the scene,” he said.
Mohala said investigations are ongoing.
“A team of investigators has been assembled and have already begun with the probe with a hope to arrest the perpetrator(s). Part of the investigation will be to establish on how the suspect(s) gained entry into the house.
“No one has been arrested thus far. Police urge anyone with information that may assist in apprehending the suspect(s) to call the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111 or send information via My SAPS App. All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous,” he added.
Prior to being murdered, Chief Clyde Mnisi’s wife allegedly pleaded for her life, saying: “Please don’t kill me, I have very young children. Take the money and I will send more,”
Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears.
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Source: Nigeriabombshell.com
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