ROVING REPORTERS: Rhino DNA and cartridge cases — the evidence that nailed Kruger Park ranger Landela
Once regarded as the ‘crown prince’ of Kruger’s rangers, Rodney Landela has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a rhino in 2016. The conviction rested on extensive forensic evidence that turned a wild dog cover story into an open-and-shut guilty verdict.
Rodney Landela, once seen as the "crown prince" of Kruger National Park rangers, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for the 2016 killing of a white rhino. Conviction came from a mountain of forensic evidence, including rhino DNA on his clothes and boots, spent cartridge cases, vehicle-tracking data, and a bloodstained axe and rifle found at a hidden stash site in the park.
Field ranger Hanyi Samuel Ndlovu caught suspected poacher Landela and his colleague, state veterinary technician Kenneth Muchocho, speeding away from the crime scene. Ndlovu had been instructed to block the speeding bakkie, but was surprised when Landela ordered him out at gunpoint to speak to the area manager. After a brief argument, Landela insisted he must find reception to contact the manager privately, so he climbed into Ndlovu's vehicle and they fled the scene.
The 10-year prosecution rested on the forensic evidence rather than a ranger against ranger conflict. On sentencing, regional magistrate MJ Ngobeni condemned the pair for betraying the trust placed in them as state employees protecting South Africa's wildlife. Landela's career, which had seen him rise from general worker in 2001 to regional ranger overseeing vast park sections, was described by Ngobeni as "a dog biting its owner".
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