SANParks welcomes the sentencing delivered today, Friday, 16 October of former Kruger National Park Regional Ranger Rodney Landela and a former State Veterinary Animal Health Technician under the Department of Agriculture for the illegal killing of a white rhino in the Kruger National Park in July 2016.
The court seating at Skukuza Regional Court sentenced the accused to 10 years’ imprisonment on the main count (illegal hunting and killing of a white rhino in a protected area) and 4 years on a second count (possession of firearm with intent to commit a crime), with the sentences running concurrently, effectively sending the two to ten years imprisonment with no parole option.
Magistrate NP Ngobeni also declared the two unfit to possess firearms. SANParks further welcomes the involvement of the NPA’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, which is seeking declarations of the convicted individuals’ assets.
The organisation views the matter as particularly serious because both individuals were entrusted with protecting South Africa’s wildlife but instead abused their positions of trust to commit a wildlife crime.
SANParks commends the court for recognising the gravity of the offence, including the misuse of an official state-issued firearm and the deliberate nature of the crime. The organisation maintains that a fine or non-custodial sentence would not have served the interests of justice, particularly given that the offences were motivated by greed rather than need.
The sentence sends a strong message that rhino poaching and the betrayal of public trust by conservation officials will not be tolerated and that those who undermine efforts to protect the country’s natural heritage will face serious consequences.