KZN High Court convicts three in 2018 murder of British botanists

The KwaZulu-Natal division of the High Court sitting in Durban has convicted Fatima Bibi Patel, Sayefudeen Aslam Del Vecchio, and Musa Jackson on charges of kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft, and two counts of murder. Del Vecchio was additionally convicted of malicious injury to property.

The convictions relate to the kidnapping and murder of renowned British botanists, Dr Rodney Saunders and Dr Rachel Saunders, between February 8 and 14, 2018 in the Ngoya Forest, Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal. Before travelling to the Ngoya Forest, the couple had completed filming for a BBC documentary in the Drakensberg.

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Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “On February 8, 2018, the Saunders arrived in the Ngoya Forest in search of rare and unique seeds. They were travelling in a vehicle carrying their research equipment and camping gear when they were accosted by the accused. The couple was kidnapped and robbed of their personal belongings. The accused gained access to the banking applications on their mobile phones and proceeded to conduct numerous transactions and cash withdrawals totalling more than R700, 000.”

The Saunders were subsequently murdered, and their bodies were discovered a week later on the banks of the Tugela River.

In relation to the malicious injury to property conviction, the court found that in September 2017, Del Vecchio set fire to three farms belonging to Tongaat Hulett in the area between Sibaya Casino and Umdloti.

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This followed the company’s refusal to permit him to enter their farms. The fire caused extensive damage to sugarcane crops, resulting in estimated losses of approximately R2, 3 million.

“The matter has been postponed to June 19, 2026, for sentencing proceedings. All three accused will remain in custody,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.