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A former policeman accused of being the head of a rhino horn smuggling syndicate attacked a journalist when he appeared in the Middelburg court this week.
The Citizen reports that moments after Middelburg Observer journalist Jana Boshoff took a photograph of Joseph Nyalungu, he hit her with documents clutched in his hand.
He then attempted to strike her on the face but Boshoff stood back and avoided the blow.
He also grabbed Boshoff's camera, but a fellow journalist jumped to her defence.
The incident was reported to the magistrate shortly before proceedings - where a total of 13 suspects appeared on charges relating to rhino horn smuggling.
The case was postponed until June because transcripts of telephone conversations, as well as other documents, have not yet been made available.
