Authorities in Mpumalanga are investigating the fatal shooting of a man believed to be linked to a major rhino poaching syndicate, with police now probing whether the attack was a targeted hit tied to an earlier assassination attempt.
The suspected rhino poaching kingpin was gunned down outside his business premises in Mkhuhlu, near Hazyview, after two armed men reportedly emerged from a white bakkie and opened fire.
Police say the victim attempted to flee when he noticed the suspects approaching, but the gunmen chased him down and fired multiple shots, killing him at the scene.
According to police spokesperson Mavela Masondo, the killing follows a strikingly similar attack just a week earlier in which the same man survived after being shot at outside the same premises.
Investigators believe the two incidents may be connected, although the motive has not yet been confirmed. The latest shooting has intensified scrutiny around violent rivalries and organised crime linked to rhino poaching networks operating in the region.