I don't believe that is to surprising to any one here. Fox guarding the henhouse.

It doesn't take a lot to corrupt the corruptible.

"Africa is Africa." was said by someone.
We could say in this country; "The Congress is Congress" with the same shrug. Sadly on both accounts.
We each chose what path we walk but we rarely walk alone. Choices and consequences.
Best regards,

BELOW IS A RESPONSE FROM BHEJANE TRUST ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE TO THIS PARTICULAR CASE. SEEMS ANOTHER CASE OF SENSATIONAL BULLSHIT MEDIA REPORTS AGAIN !!

I have just read a news article blaming the National Parks rangers for poisoning the elephants at Sinamatella due to a pay dispute - it is a very sensational and very damming report! However, I take exception at what I think is totally unsubstantiated and sensationalistic reporting. To the best of my knowledge there is nothing at all to suggest the Sinamatella rangers were involved in the poisoning - the facts points against it :
1) Tshakabika Springs is a remote part of Sinamatella and difficult of access from Sinamatella base ( but one of the closest points to the communal area) - there are much easier and better places for rangers to have done such a dirty deed from if so inclined.
2) Who ever did the poisoning was disturbed by a Sinamatella ranger patrol, and fled with only a few tusks - if this was the rangers doing the poisoning they would know the location of the fellow rangers and avoid them.
3) On the second poisoning - again found by a patrol, and again before the tusks could all be pulled - three tracks of nondescript footwear was found departing the scene towards the communal area
4) all the evidence we have collected to date does not suggest the rangers

I could be proven wrong, but I think that such a damming report has no factual basis at the moment and is based on rumours. Until proof of any sort of who did the poisoning emerges, I think this report is crass reporting of the first degree, which we do not need in these difficult times, especially as people tend to take what they see in the media as gospel. I am confident it will all come out soon as to who was responsible.
The Area Manager of Sinamatella has been suspended, but I believe this cannot be interpreted in the wrong light
The Area Manager of Main Camp has also been suspended - I have limited knowledge of what has been happening in the Main Camp area

Another point is that since 2012 we have lost about 200 elephant to cyanide poisoning in Hwange - although this is a horrific crime, it equates to 200 out of probably 50,000 i.e. about 0.4% of the population. The population is not threatened at the moment, except from natural causes!

Thanks or posting this Neil. You beat me by a few hours!

I can not imagine why anyone would blindly accept any media report on this subject,, without further research.

http://www.news24.com/Africa/Z...g-elephants-20151101



Senior Zim cop implicated in poisoning elephants

2015-11-01 14:01

News24 Correspondent

Harare - A top police officer has been implicated in the poisoning of some of the dozens of elephants killed recently in Hwange in northern Zimbabwe, state media reported on Sunday.

The Sunday Mail said an assistant commissioner of police is under investigation for his involvement in a "huge and powerful syndicate" which was ordering the killings.

Police have already arrested a junior police officer and a senior officer from the state 's Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks), the newspaper said. Their names were not given.

The paper claimed that Asian businessmen had sourced the cyanide from gold mines (where it is used in extraction processes) and "were the kingpins behind the indiscriminate poaching".

More than 60 elephants have been poisoned since September with cyanide, almost all of them in and near Hwange National Park, a vast game reserve roughly the size of Switzerland where Cecil the lion lived.

He was shot by a US dentist in July, provoking global outrage.

Three elephants have also been poisoned with cyanide-laced oranges in the resort town of Kariba, though that crime appeared to have been carried out by disgruntled residents.

The killings have brought back terrible memories of a similar mass poisoning in Hwange in which up to 200 elephants died.

Zimparks acting spokesperson Tawanda Gotosa told the Sunday Mail: "I can confirm that some arrests were made and one of our camp managers was suspended.”

Reputation hit

Many in the conservation sector have fiercely defended the reputation of most of Zimbabwe's lower-ranking state rangers in the wake of the poisoning scandal.

The independent Bhejane Trust, which operated in Hwange and Victoria Falls, confirmed that the Zimparks managers of Sinamatella and Hwange Main camps in Hwange National Park had been suspended.

But the group said that allegations that lower-ranking rangers might have got involved due to a simple dispute over low pay, were "sensationalistic."

The Sunday Mail said that suspicions of Zimparks involvement arose after it emerged that rangers last Sunday were supposed to be guarding the only recently-detoxified water hole at Sinamatella.

But the hole was poisoned again, and 23 elephants died.

But separate reports - including on the state ZBC broadcaster - said the poachers only got away with three tusks because they were surprised by the rangers' patrol.

The Friends of Hwange Trust said in relation to the Sunday Mail's claims of police and ranger involvement: "This report is somewhat garbled and some statements alleged still make no sense."

"But it seems action is being taken to bust and bring the culprits to book," the trust said in an update to Facebook.

Wildlife expert George Pangeti told the Standard newspaper that poachers operating in Zimbabwe were mostly from Zimbabwe and Zambia, with a few from Mozambique. "There have always been poachers but now they are using dangerous means," he was quoted as saying.

http://www.sundaymail.co.zw/to...ed-in-poaching-saga/


Top cop fingered in poaching saga

SUNDAY MAIL REPORTER 20 HOURS AGO

Brian Chitemba and Tinashe Farawo


A syndicate comprising police officers, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers and Asians is behind the latest spate of elephant killings in Hwange National Park, it has emerged.
One of the suspects under active investigatin is an assistant commissioner of police.
Several others have been arrested in connection with the killing of 22 jumbos last Sunday, including a junior cop and a Parks camp manager.
The syndicate has allegedly killed around 55 elephants for their ivory tusks since early 2015.
Information gathered by The Sunday Mail over the last two weeks indicates the Asians (names withheld) are the kingpins behind the indiscriminate poaching, whose funds sometimes end up oiling other international criminal networks.
Globally, poaching and wildlife trafficking are highly lucrative businesses estimated to earn between US$23 billion and US$47 billion yearly.
They are jointly ranked fourth on the list of large-scale illegal trade worldwide after drug trafficking, counterfeiting and human trafficking.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed arrests were made last week and said investigations were continuing.
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority acting spokesperson Mr Tawanda Gotosa added: “I can confirm that some arrests were made and one of our camp managers was suspended.”
Mr Gotosa would not discuss the matter further saying doing so would jeopardise investigations.
Senior Government officials close to the probe said names of those under investigation could not published as yet.


Sources told this newspaper that the masterminds engaged game rangers and rogue cops, arranging details of hits, including killing methods and transportation.
In last Sunday’s case, three rangers and a police officer were deployed to man watering holes that had previously been poisoned with cyanide to kill and de-tusk elephants.
The holes had been detoxified and were now considered safe.
However, 22 elephants were poisoned using the same method, despite the security team being on patrol.
It turns out that part of the patrol team was about 500m away when at least one elephant went into death throes after drinking the poisoned water.
And ranger is said to have heard the noise made as tusks were cut off.
Authorities said the rangers and police officers were working with a powerful syndicate including Asian businessmen responsible for sourcing cyanide from gold mines.
Cyanide is a classified and relatively expensive chemical and ordinary villagers around the Hwange National Park may not necessarily access or buy it.
About 10kg of cyanide were taken from a gold mine in Esigodini, some 40km from Bulawayo.
An official said, “The problem is that some of the rangers who have been assisting security forces investigate the matter are also involved in the poaching. This close-knit syndicate must be busted to bring sanity to wildlife conservation.
“The question is if rangers and cops were deployed to watering holes which were detoxed barely a week ago, how did the poachers poison the elephants? This shows that the rangers are involved, these include those who were fired from the parastatal. It’s a huge and powerful syndicate.”
Investigators also discovered that during a recent inventory of elephant tusks at Hwange National Park stores, a tusk was missing.
However, a few days later, it had been replaced by a smaller one.
Only Parks officials had access to the stores.
Rampant poaching has gone on for years now after 32 elephants were killed a fortnight ago by cyanide poisoning in Hwange, while three were found dead in Matusadona National Park, Kariba.
Two years ago, about 300 elephants were killed via cyanide poisoning in Hwange National Park.
Elephant tusks have a huge market in Asia, especially in China.
In September, officials in Hong Kong intercepted 51kg of ivory worth over US$100 000 in two inbound airmail parcels from Zimbabwe via Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The airmail was declared at Hong Kong International Airport as “decorative tiles”. This was a second case in two weeks after another consignment was seized which had been smuggled from Zimbabwe into Hong Kong with the same modus operandi.

I have heard rumors that it is not actual game rangers but rangers that have simply been replaced by recruits as opposed to paying experienced rangers more.

So if true well trained bush wise potential poachers are being turned out by the game deparment in favor of raw recruits. All for the sake of a few dollars.

Jeff

There is simply no way corruption this massive of a highly "regulated" good or service, can not be partly the work of "government" groups. None.
Kind of like the $43 million Compressed Gas station in Afghanistan. $13 M direct cost and $30 M of Overhead on a %500,000 project???? That is graft or somebodies favorite funding for "off books" black projects. Either way, it is corruption and it is government.

This is what happens when a 14000 sq km park only has a handful of vehicles,some of which in dire need of repairs and maintenance... No aircraft patrolling anymore, lack of qualified and motivated staff.. Until this is addressed we will see hundreds more elephants poisoned sadly.

Couldn't help but notice the first report above posted by Kathi, in which they talk about Hwange National Park.

The reporters just HAD to mention it was where "Cecil, The Lion" lived and that he was "shot by a US dentist in July"

Saeed, what's the limitation on the amount and level of profanity one is allowed to express ??

Well, Dr. Palmer's name was released, but not the poachers. Hmm...

Behjane Trust is an extremely credible source of information Some arb "unnamed source" in the Telegraph isn't. I think at the end of the day we probably know who the "unnamed source" is likely to be and what may emerge is that there will be perhaps a couple of connivers from within but not what has been claimed.

It's a lot easier to accept the "top cop" who's supposedly involved. This, of course, has to be read against the background of the political climate. Was he a Mujuru faction supporter. That story was originally broken by the state media, which is significant but so is the fact they haven't named him yet.

Col Cooper was right when he said the people who live in a democracy get the government they deserve - but not, sadly, in Africa

http://www.reuters.com/article...dUSKCN0SS10X20151103



World | Tue Nov 3, 2015 5:36am EST Related: WORLD, AFRICA

Zimbabwe arrests editor, reporters over elephant poaching story
HARARE


Zimbabwean police said on Tuesday they had arrested an editor and two reporters from a state-owned newspaper for publishing falsehoods after reporting that a police commissioner and junior officer were involved in a spate of elephant killings.

Poachers have used cyanide to kill 60 elephants in the Hwange national park in the west and the northern part of the country since late September.

Sunday Mail editor Mabasa Sasa and reporters Tinashe Farawo and Brian Chitemba were arrested on Monday and were held at a Harare police station, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokeswoman Charity Charamba told a news conference.



The newspaper group that owns the weekly newspaper, Zimpapers Ltd, said it would issue a statement later on Tuesday.

The newspaper reported in its latest edition that an unnamed assistant police commissioner, a police officer, rangers from the parks agency and Asian businessmen were part of a syndicate being investigated for the poaching of elephants in Zimbabwe.

Charamba denied the police were investigating any of its officers for poaching. She said the three reporters would be charged with publishing or communicating false statements that were prejudicial to the state.

"The falsehoods have dented and tarnished the image of the (police) organization for no apparent reason. The story does not only affect ZRP but the entire security apparatus," Charamba said.

Police want the reporters to identify the assistant police commissioner allegedly involved in the poaching.

The three reporters are expected to appear in court by Wednesday. The charge carries a fine of $5,000 or sentence of up to 20 years upon conviction.

Charamba said police had since August this year recovered 70 elephant tusks, 30 kg of ivory, 100 kg of cyanide and arrested eight people linked to poaching.

Elephant conservation groups said in 2013 that as many as 300 elephants died in Hwange park after poachers laced salt pans there with cyanide. The government strongly disputed the figure, saying only a few dozen animals had died.

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Alison Williams)

http://allafrica.com/stories/201511030289.html


Zimbabwe: Sunday Mail Editor, Reporters Arrested Over 'False' Article

THE editor of the state-owned Sunday Mail and two of his reporters have been arrested on charges on publishing falsehoods.

Zimpapers, the Sunday Mail's holding company, confirmed the arrest of Mail editor Mabasa Sasa, investigations editor Brian Chitemba and reporter Tinashe Farawo.

They were arrested Monday over an article claiming the involvement of senior police officers and Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers in elephant poaching.

The trio's lawyer, James Muzangaza, said his clients had charged with publishing falsehoods and were detained at Harare Central Police Station.

The ZRP said it had inquired at all police stations and found no reports of top officers being investigated for involvement in poaching.

Said Zimpapers CEO, Pikirayi Deketeke: "I do not have the finer details of the case but the idea of arresting and detaining them without a charge does not augur well.

"We hope tomorrow (Tuesday) we will get the finer details of the case as our lawyers were the last to get in touch with police."

Harare attorney, Muzangaza added: "Initially when I met the officers at Zimpapers (Herald House) they said they wanted the journalists' cooperation.



"In the afternoon I got the shocking news that they were arrested for refusing to disclose the source of their story.

"Attempts to have a warned and cautioned statement recorded were futile as the investigating officer said he was in Ruwa and could not record statements after 4.30 pm."

Last week parks officials revealed that 22 elephants had been killed though cyanide poisoning in Hwange National Park, bringing to 78 the number of jumbos poisoned in the country this month.

An article in the Sunday Mail claimed that one of the suspects under active investigation over the poaching was an assistant commissioner in the ZRP.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary general, Foster Dongozi, condemned the arrests.

Said Dongozi: "Why are they arresting the messengers? Why not conduct investigations to see which officials are involved?

"The issue of elephant poaching is of national importance. It was their right as journalists to expose the scandal. We condemn these acts of harassment.

"Police should not be seen anywhere near the newsroom. They should conduct their own internal investigations."

sources within the parks dept, have confirmed that a senior member of staff at a hwange national parks station has been arrested and charged for illegally selling ivory. It was established this particular tusk was not from the recently poisoned elephant. arrests were made in the capital Harare a few weeks ago, ivory that was recovered was traced back to the station in hwange from the serial numbers stamped on the ivory

On further investigation it was discovered there had been "amendments and changes" to the original entry of the said serial numbers in the ivory register. All ivory is registered and has serial numbers stamped via metal number punch into the ivory, with the year,weight and length forming part of the serial number.

From investigations it appears the original tusk was replaced with a much smaller tusk. Hence the need to alter original ivory register entries.

This is where the report linking senior parks officers to these poisonings has probably stemmed from, a further two area managers / officers in charge of stations in the hwange national park have also been suspended and are under investigation. The suspect is due to appear in court in the next few days.

http://www.zimbabwesituation.c...state-media-arrests/



Mugabe blamed for state media arrests
Posted on November 5, 2015 by ZimSitRep_W



via Mugabe blamed for state media arrests - New Zimbabwe 04/11/2015

FORMER Industry Minister Welshman Ncube’s MDC party has fingered President Robert Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party as being behind the slew of arrests of journalists in the past few days.

In a statement Wednesday, the MDC said Mugabe and his lieutenants have in the past few weeks “threatened the media hence the arrests”.

“The MDC condemns the continued assault on the media in an endeavour to suppress the freedom of the press by the state apparatus,” the opposition party said.

The statement is a reaction to the recent arrests of state media journalists Mabasa Sasa, Brian Chitemba and Tinashe Farawo “for exposing the police’s involvement in the poaching of wildlife at the Hwange National Park”.


“(These) are shameful acts of cowardice and a blatant violation of the national constitution as well as International human rights charters which Zimbabwe is a signatory to.

“These arrests come on the heels of chilling threats to journalists by President Mugabe, his wife Grace and permanent secretary for Media, Information and publicity George Charamba for exposing ugly factional fights within Zanu PF and we are therefore persuaded that the order for the degrading violent arrests came from the higher echelons of Zanu PF,” the statement added.

The MDC said the arrests are designed to intimidate the journalists and “cover up for these serious crimes which we know will suck in senior Zanu PF officials who have been involved in criminal activities and plundering proceeds from the country’s wildlife for years while getting state protection”.

The opposition party called on Mugabe to allow “justice (to) take its course” adding “we call for the full and thorough investigation of the police’s involvement in the poaching of wildlife at Hwange National Park”.

“The culture of intimidating journalists each time they expose corruption within the regime must be stopped forthwith. The MDC believes the honour of the journalism profession is seriously under threat in the country when it should be preserved,” the party said.

Sasa, Chitemba and Farawo have since appeared in court on charges of publishing falsehoods and granted $100 bail each. They will reappear in court again on November 27.

Meanwhile, The Herald assistant news editor Takunda Maodza who was also arrested for allegedly soliciting a bribe was also granted $50 bail.

Mugabe and some senior officials in his administration as well as his wife, First Lady Grace have in the past few months complained over what they called “sensational media reporting and publication of falsehoods”.

Mugabe’s spokesperson Charamba promised “the hammer would fall on the media”.