The long-standing rhino poaching case against former regional ranger Rodney Landela (45) and his co-accused, former state veterinary technician Kenneth Motshotsho (53), has been postponed yet again.

The pair appeared in the Skukuza Regional Court on Friday, January 30, for the continuation of their trial. However, the proceedings have now been moved to May 28 and 29.

The duo remains out on R20 000 bail each as the case, which has spanned nearly ten years, continues to face procedural hurdles.

The arrest of Landela in July 2016 sent shockwaves through the global conservation community.

At the time, he was a highly decorated regional ranger in the Kruger National Park (KNP) and was widely considered the “crown prince” of the ranger corps. He was the leading candidate to eventually become the park’s first black chief ranger.

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The arrest followed a poaching incident in the KNP on July 27, 2016. Field rangers patrolling the Kingfisherspruit section near Satara heard three gunshots and the sound of an axe.

The rangers spotted a white bakkie fleeing the scene. When the vehicle was eventually intercepted, his colleagues were stunned to find Landela, their own supervisor, and Motshotsho inside.

Investigators found a freshly killed white rhino nearby with both horns removed. Inside the bakkie, they discovered blood-stained shoes and an axe.

A subsequent search of the surrounding veld uncovered a high-calibre .375 hunting rifle, which had been issued to Landela, and two rhino horns.

The trial has become one of the longest-running environmental crime cases in Mpumalanga. Several factors have contributed to the delay.

ALSO READ: Skukuza court postpones one of the longest rhino poaching cases

The original trial had to restart from scratch in 2018 following the death of the presiding magistrate, Dries Lamprecht.

More recently, the defense has challenged the validity of DNA evidence, arguing that blood found on Landela’s shoes and the axe may have been contaminated as it was not properly sealed in evidence bags.

The defense has made several applications, including a Section 174 application to have the charges dismissed, most of which have been unsuccessful.

Landela and Motshotsho were both dismissed by SANParks and the Department of Agriculture following internal disciplinary hearings shortly after their arrest.

They face multiple charges, including:

• Illegal hunting of a protected species in a national park.
• Theft of rhino horns.
• Possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
• Conspiracy to commit a crime.