PHALABORWA – After two years of legal proceedings, Dr Derek Lewitton, a rhino farmer and conservationist, has had all charges against him withdrawn by the Namakgale Magistrate’s Court.

Lewitton had faced accusations of unlawfully possessing rhino horns, ammunition, and firearms.

On Wednesday, August 20, Lewitton received the news he had been waiting for: the state lacked sufficient evidence to proceed with the case.

Lewitton, owner of Black Rock Rhino Conservation in Gravelotte, was initially arrested in December 2023 and spent 19 days in jail before being released on a R100 000 bail in January 2024. The case attracted international attention.

While Lewitton expressed relief that the charges were dropped, he said the past two years had been a wasted ordeal.

“I believe I suffered for nothing,” he told the Herald.

Lewitton suggested the case may have been a conspiracy against him, though he questioned the motivation behind it.

He added that many of the 35 charges filed against him were nonsensical, for example, labelling a paintball gun as an illegal firearm. Lewitton also refuted police claims reported in the media that 135 other suspects were linked to the case. Additionally, he denied reports that he lacked South African citizenship.

“I was born here and later moved to America, holding dual citizenship. I’m married to a South African, and I had all the necessary documentation,” he said.

Lewitton described his interactions with the police before his arrest, noting that his farm had experienced several rhino poaching incidents, all of which he reported.

“As a rhino farmer, I legally keep some horns after poachers are caught until they are removed. The police were aware of this,” he explained.

He said he had invited the police to his farm to conduct a joint anti-poaching operation, only to be arrested instead.

“I used my right to demand the docket to see exactly what I was being charged with. I have always been eager to go to trial because I knew I was not guilty. How can the state proceed to trial without any evidence?” Lewitton asked.

Richard York, CEO of Wildlife Ranching South Africa, welcomed the withdrawal of the charges. He emphasised the role game ranchers play in wildlife preservation, particularly in protecting rhinos.

York criticised the police for targeting Lewitton rather than focussing on the poachers responsible for killing wildlife in national parks and reserves.

“If the police had a substantial case, they would have sought a postponement rather than withdrawing the charges,” he said.