Pangolin lands Mwenezi man in trouble

A MWENEZI man has been arrested after he was found trying to sell a pangolin weighing 7kg at his homestead.

Nhamo Tsumele (31) of Village 2 Quagapan in Maranda, has since appeared before Masvingo magistrate Mr Peter Madhibha facing charges of contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act.

Tsumele faces a nine-year mandatory sentence if convicted after being found in possession of the endangered specie valued at $5 000.

He denied the charges when his trial opened before Mr Peter Madhibha, who granted him $100 bail.

He will be back in court on July 4, for continuation of trial.

Through his lawyer, Mr Governor Pendei of Manyangadze Law Practice, Tsumele denied the charges, saying he was the one who actually tipped police that Zivanai Chikovere was in possession of the pangolin.

Chikovere is already serving nine years behind bars for the same offence.

On March 12 this year, members of Malilangwe Trust Conservancy received a tip-off that Tsumele was in possession of a pangolin at his home and was looking for a buyer.

Prosecutor Edmund Mapope alleged that a team from Malilangwe Trust phoned Tsumele posing as buyers and agreed to meet at the 176km peg along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.

On arrival, the Malilangwe team started communicating with Tsumele over the phone and they eventually met.

After discussions with the ‘buyers’, Tsumele, then instructed Chikovere to bring the pangolin that was in a white bucket.

Detectives from the Minerals and Border Control Unit then asked Tsumele to produce a licence authorising him to sell the pangolin that had been brought by his colleague.

Tsumele and Chikovere were then arrested.