BINGA resident magistrate Stephen Ndlovu last Thursday blasted villagers for working in cahoots with elephant poachers for the love of game meat. STAFF REPORTER
Ndlovu launched the attack after 21 villagers were arrested and brought to court for sharing elephant meat after the animal was reportedly killed by poachers.
The villagers were charged with contravening Section 38 (b) of the Parks and Wildlife Chapter 20:21 (unlawful removal of meat from dead animal).
Jamiyani Ndlovu (29), Simon Mupande (37), Patrick Munsaka (33), Aleck Mutale (37) and Abednico Musaka (29) and 16 others, 12 of who are women with babies, pleaded guilty to the charge and Ndlovu remanded them in custody to today for sentencing.
In ordering that they be remanded in custody, Ndlovu said he was baffled by the fact that the villagers knew that poachers had killed an elephant, but they did not bother telling the police and instead rushed to share its meat, which meant that they were working with poachers to get meat.
“You work hand in hand with poachers,” he said. “You knew that poachers had killed the elephant and you just rushed to collect meat and did not bother to tell the police.
Elephants and rhinos are being killed here by poachers who want their horns and you are just concerned with getting meat, but not telling the police.”
Prosecutor Bruce Maphosa told the court that on July 20, the villagers heard a gun-shot, which they believed was fired by poachers.
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They rushed into the bush in search of the animal which they believed had been killed and found a dead elephant.
The poachers had already removed the horns and the villagers skinned it and shared large quantities of meat.
Some members of the public tipped-off the police and investigations led to the arrest of the first five villagers who implicated the other 16.
