Poachers: It was the devil’s work

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A VICTORIA FALLS man and his Binga nephew, who claimed that demons led them to possess two elephant tusks valued at over $1 400, have been condemned to nine years behind bars.

A VICTORIA FALLS man and his Binga nephew, who claimed that demons led them to possess two elephant tusks valued at over $1 400, have been condemned to nine years behind bars. SENIOR COURT REPORTER

Richard Siatema (54) of Aerodrome in Victoria Falls and Moses Muntale (37) of Chitete village, Binga were convicted on their own plea of guilty to contravening Section 82 (1) of Statutory Instrument 362 of 1990 as read with Section 128 (b) of the Parks and Wildlife Act (illegal possession of ivory) by Hwange magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa.

Asked by the magistrate why they committed the offence, the two said it was the work of demons.

“I am not sure, maybe the devil entered me. I was walking in the bush and then I saw these horns and I took them,” Muntale said.

“What about you Siatema,” Maphosa asked.

“The devil entered me as well. I didn’t do it through my own wish; it was a demon,” Siatema answered.

When sentencing them, Maphosa said she exercised lenience since they were first offenders who did not waste the court’s time.

“Although deserving a prison term as per statute, the minimum sentence was resorted to. However, in aggravation the offence is so prevalent and accused persons turned a blind eye to many offenders being arrested and imprisoned for similar offences in this area.

“It’s therefore important that they be punished for their conduct and this will have a dual effect of sending a message to society that the court doesn’t trivialise the offence,” Maphosa said.

Memory Munsaka prosecuting, told the court that on June 27, detectives from Hwange got a tip-off that the pair was in possession of elephant tusks on their way from Binga to Victoria Falls.