The trial of a Bulawayo professional hunter accused of failing to prevent an illegal hunt leading to the killing of Cecil the lion failed to kick off at the Hwange Magistrates’ Court yesterday after his lawyers requested a postponement.
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Appearing for the second time before provincial magistrate Portia Mhlanga, Theodore Bronkhorst’s lawyer Givemore Muvhiringi said the defence was not ready for trial.
“I’m instructed to bring an advocate in this matter and I have since briefed advocate Perpetual Dube from Bulawayo who has indicated that she is not available until September 28,” Muvhiringi said.
Mhlanga postponed the matter to September 28.’
Bronkhorst, who runs Bushmen Safaris in the Gwayi Conservancy, is out on $1 000 bail and reports to Bulawayo Central Police Station thrice a week as part of his bail conditions.
He is being accused of failing to prevent United States hunter Walter Palmer from killing the lion last month.
Meanwhile, Bronkhorst said Palmer did nothing wrong and was a “good man”.
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He said the case was “crazy” and the permits to kill Cecil the lion outside Hwange National Park had been obtained.
The killing in July has caused outrage around the world and the dentist, Walter Palmer, is in hiding.
Protests have been held outside his dental clinic in Minnesota and vandals spray-painted “lion killer” on the garage of his holiday home in Florida earlier this week.
As he left the court in Hwange town, Bronkhorst defended the American.
“I feel sorry for (Palmer). He is a good man. He did nothing wrong,” he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
He also attacked the legal proceedings as “frivolous” and said hunting was “integral” to Zimbabwe and had to continue.
“If we do not use wildlife sustainably there will be no wildlife,” the professional hunter said.
