TWENTY-ONE Binga villagers that were being charged for sharing an elephant shot dead by poachers were lucky not to be sent to jail after the magistrate cautioned and discharged them yesterday.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
The villagers were being charged for contravening Section 38 (b) of the Parks and Wildlife Act 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, including 12 women with babies, pleaded guilty to the charge when they appeared before Binga resident magistrate Stephen Ndlovu, who attacked them for conniving with poachers so they could get meat.
Ndlovu said instead of reporting poaching activities, they had sought to benefit by searching for the carcasses for meat. However, Ndlovu showed mercy to them and warned and discharged them before ordering that the confiscated elephant meat be burnt. Prosecutor Bruce Maphosa told the court that on July 20, the villagers heard a gunshot, which they believed was fired by poachers.
They rushed into the bush in search of the animal which they believed had been killed and found a dead elephant.
