Killer croc shot dead

THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority on Tuesday shot dead a crocodile that had become a threat to human life in Redcliff.

The crocodile attacked and killed a 14-year old boy who was swimming in Kwekwe River in the company of three of his friends on Sunday.

Ali Phiri’s body was retrieved from the crocodile’s mouth with missing body parts following the attack while his three friends escaped with minor injuries.

After the crocodile was shot, rangers slit it open to retrieve body parts for burial.

Ali, a Form One pupil, was buried at Torwood cemetery on Tuesday.

Parks and Wildlife spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo, said the crocodile had to be put down as it had become a danger to people’s lives.

“Our rangers managed to kill the crocodile as it had become a threat to human life in the area. It was now classified under the problem animals hence we assigned our Bulawayo office to take care of the problematic croc,” he said.

Mr Farawo said it was unfortunate that a life was lost and warned people to stay away from water bodies.

“We are saddened by the loss of life. We are however, working on a schedule to educate people to stay away from water bodies,” he said.

Mr Farawo said the above normal rains received in the last rainy season had resulted in many water bodies being infested with reptiles.

“So our main message is that we urge the public to stay away from water bodies as most of them are infested by crocodiles due to heavy rains received in the previous rainy season,” he said.

Mr Farawo said his office had intensified outreach programmes meant to educate the public on the dangers of playing around water bodies.

Meanwhile, Mr Farawo tweeted that last year, 21 people were killed by crocodiles.

“Of the 34, 21 people were mauled by crocodiles, two by lions and those cases were recorded in Chiredzi. There were also cases of people gored by buffaloes to death while some were trampled by elephants,” he said.

Mr Farawo said they received 393 humanwildlife conflicts reports throughout the country.

“Of the 393 reports, we managed to attend to 300 cases and we had to put down about 88 animals - these include elephants and lions. We classify this as problem animal control,” he said.

had seen the bag containing the money in her wardrobe during the time he was taking some Vaseline from her bedroom.

“Ms Jobane was not at home when her money was stolen and when she came back she realised her money was missing. She only suspected Gwetese’s because he had spare keys to her house,” said Mr Dlodlo.

Ms Jobane reported the matter to the police and investigations led to Gwetese’s arrest.

500 rand was recovered from Gwetese.—@ LissahMangena

endorses the South African land reform without compensation?

Where do these negative forces that supported the illegal imposition of sanctions on Zimbabwe stand when Britain apologises for its mistakes by way of endorsing the current Government of Zimbabwe; when the Commonwealth is ready to admit Zimbabwe as a club member?

Where do these followers who do not apply critical thinking before they become riotous stand when Chamisa disowns them and Tendai Biti runs away into self-imposed exile?

Imagine Professor Moyo, a self-exiled political despot rushing to tweet that Biti will be given asylum according to international law, but then he is denied!

The narrative above serves to tell Zimbabweans that sanctions are real. They are a punitive measure aimed at psyching up the general citizenry to revolt against their own while they are excluded from enjoying the benefits of Zimbabwean resources.

Sanctions are imposed as a measure to punish Government leaders, who the West do not like while in reality the effects of sanctions grossly affect the citizenry, who ultimately loses jobs as a result of economic meltdown.

Fellow citizens, from 2000 to 2018 when the MDC helped Americans to impose sanctions through Zidera (Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001), it has been you the ordinary Zimbabwean populace who lost jobs; who could not get basic commodities to sustain your lives.

Politicians, both the targeted and the nontargeted did not suffer.

Some of those in Zanu-PF became criminals and corrupt, which led to Operation Restore Legacy. Some of those in MDC, if not all of them, benefited from donor funds and are filthy rich, while the rest of us languish in abject poverty.

The poverty you are experiencing today was largely brought by sanctions. It is, therefore, imperative that everyone desists from violence and denounces illegal sanctions, for the country to become a middle class economy by 2030, as envisaged by the new Government.

Dr Panganai Kahuni is a political socioeconomic commentator, researcher and diplomat in the SADC region. He writes in his own capacity.