Inside the brutal Rhino horn trade: Derek Lewitton's story

The global black market for rhino horn is worth billions, built on poverty at the bottom, greed at the top and violence in between. It is one of the world’s most entrenched illegal trades.

Derek Lewitton, owner of Black Rock Rhino Reserve in Limpopo, was caught in the middle. On 22 December 2023, he tells us, police raided his farm, accusing him of holding illegal horn, rhino carcasses, and unlicensed firearms.

These were the same officers he alleges he once asked to help him fight poaching cartels. His wife endured a 17-hour armed standoff in their home, their children watched in terror, and Lewitton was held in custody for three weeks.

While he sat in prison - with up to 19 inmates in a 5×6m room - and later fought to clear his name, he claims 39 rhinos were poached from his reserve and another 60 vanished. He further alleges that aerial survey results confirm this.

His Gauteng home was ransacked three times and he says his family received threats of rape and murder. Lewitton maintains that the massive costs of caring for and protecting rhinos, coupled with being unable to sell horn, have decimated his wealth. 

The police have since approached Lewitton’s wife seeking to interview her. We have listened to a phone call between Lewitton and the police in which they refused to explain why they wanted to question her. At the time of writing, Lewitton told us that his wife and children have gone into hiding.

In the end, the Namakgale Magistrate’s Court withdrew all charges, with the prosecution confirming there was no evidence to support them.

Soon after, John Hume - once the world’s largest private rhino breeder - was also arrested, accused of leading a horn-smuggling syndicate. He was charged with allegedly smuggling 964 rhino horns, valued at more than R250 million (approx $14 million), through a fraudulent permit scheme. Hume responded by saying he had “nothing to hide,” that he had cooperated with investigators for years, and denied any role in the black market.

The National Prosecuting Authority insists Lewitton’s case is not closed. NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi said the charges were only “provisionally withdrawn” and could be reinstated once police “finalise investigations.”

At the same time, policy deepened the rift. Then-Environment Minister Barbara Creecy blocked any move towards legal trade and backed a report calling for private rhino breeding to be phased out.

That decision undercut conservationists who argue that South Africa’s rhino horn stockpile, estimated at nearly 75 tonnes, could be used to collapse prices and disrupt the poaching economy.

South Africa now stands at a crossroads. The stockpiles could save rhinos or serve as a pipeline for corruption. The unanswered question: are these policies protecting the animals, or protecting those who profit from their deaths?

We have approached the Limpopo police and Major General Scheepers for comment. He has yet to comment.

Key Facts: South Africa’s Rhino Horn Crisis

Global Trade: Rhino horn continues to be a high-value commodity on the black market, largely due to demand from Asian countries. While exact figures are hard to pin down, the trade is acknowledged as highly profitable.

Stockpiles: According to reports, South Africa's stockpile of rhino horn is significant. Official figures from 2019 indicate around 27.7 tonnes held by the government and approximately 22.5 tonnes in private hands. Recent totals are debated and lack full transparency.

Skukuza Mystery: There are allegations suggesting that a substantial portion of state-held horn may be missing, though these claims have not been verified.

Derek Lewitton Case: A rhino farmer from Limpopo faced charges that were later dropped due to insufficient evidence, although the case remains open to potential reinstatement. He is a well-known advocate for legalizing rhino horn trade and has publicly argued for policy change.