Poaching duo jailed for one year

TWO Beitbridge men believed to be part of a syndicate of poachers that unleashed a reign of terror in Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA) have been jailed for an effective 12 months each.

The gang, which used dogs, hunting torches and an assortment of other tools, is accused of targeting baby impalas and elands in the GMTFCA.

The conservation park, which covers a portion of game parks in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, is located some 40km west of Beitbridge.

Lightmore Muleya (20) and Votemore Singo (21) — all of Toporo Village under Chief Stauze — were convicted on their own plea of guilty when they appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Mr Godswill Mavenge recently.

They were also ordered to each pay $3 500 restitution to Sentinel Safaris, which manages the section of the GMTFCA they were caught poaching.

Prosecutor Mr Oswell Arufandi said early on 13 February, the, duo who were acting on common purpose, went to the wildlife safari to illegally hunt for impalas using dogs and torches.

The court heard that while in the safari, they killed nine one-month old baby impalas using dogs.

They ran out of luck when they were busted by game rangers at around 2am while preparing their catch.

The court further heard that the two were tracked to the crime scene by game rangers who followed their hunting lights.

He said nine carcasses of baby impalas were recovered at the crime scene.

Muleya and Singo were apprehended by the game rangers and were taken to Beitbridge’s main police station.

The impalas were worth a combined $7 000.

Meanwhile, Mr Digby Bristow, who is the director of Sentinel Safaris, said the continued poaching of wildlife in the TFCA threatened tourism development activities and national economic development.

He said the gangs were targeting mainly baby impalas and elands.

“In essence, the wildlife heritage in Zimbabwe is facing extinction if we don’t address these issue of poaching,” said Mr Bristow. “I want to appeal to members of the community to desist from poaching activities. We need to preserve our wildlife for the benefit of the future generation and economic development.”

Mr Bristow said between November last year and January this year, a total of 15 poachers were apprehended in the area.

He said during the same period they also removed a total of 354 snares in the safari area and recovered 48 carcasses of wild animals, which had been killed by the suspected gang of poachers