During July of 2009 P.H. Mitch Bunce caught Wilfred Belani (P.H. no. 23 and an ex ranger with the department of national parks and wild life of Zimbabwe ) poaching elephant in Sikumi Forest. He was with a South African operator & foreign client.
They had shot a tusked elephant cow (which National Parks issues no permits for).
Belani at first tried to say they had wounded the elephant in the Gwaai private
farming land but the South African stated they shot the elephant in Sikumi Forest.
Mr. Bunce apprehended the group with their equipment & took them to Ngamo Safaris
Intundla Camp. The Forestry anti poaching unit then took the accused to ZRP
Jotsholo. This case is pending.

At approximately 8.30 am on the 28th August 2009 whilst hunting elephant in Ngamo &
Sikumi Forest with my U.S. client, Barry Rich & under Ngamo Safari Company, we saw a
S.A. registered landrover vehicle (GTP 127 FS) with a Lew Harris Safaris sticker on
both doors on the Malindi (Farm 35) & Sikumi Forest boundary (Isiliwane block). I
got out our vehicle & greeted the people on the truck, a U.S. lady & man & a black
Zimbabwean. After enquiring what their party was hunting the lady replied that her
husband had shot an elephant bull with a bow & arrow & 2 shots were fired with a
rifle about an hour earlier & they were following the elephant. After asking in
which location they had shot the elephant she stated that it was in the Isiliwane
block of Sikumi Forest. I asked her if she was sure it was in that area as they are
not allowed to hunt there. She replied she was positive & that their P.H. Wilfred
had told them that they had permission to hunt there. I replied that he does not
have permission & that I will check with the Ngamo office in Bulawayo & would come
to their camp later.

After phoning the office they confirmed Belani was hunting there illegally & that he
already had another elephant poaching case pending from July. Thereafter I drove to
Dete Police station & reported the incident to M.I.C. Sgt. Major Simon Ncube. Mr.
Ncube gave me 2 details to help investigate (Mjoni & Imanda). From Dete we proceeded
to National Parks at Hwange Main Camp & they gave us Ranger Simeon to assist with
the investigation. We then all drove back to the site in Sikumi Forest. The South
African vehicle was no longer there so I instructed my trackers to search the area
while we went to Malindi camp.

Upon arriving at Malindi camp the Police & Parks guys questioned Belani. He stated
they had shot the elephant in Malindi block & it had gone into the Forestry area. I
asked the South African P.H.(Donovan Harris) where the elephant was shot & he said
that he was not sure as he did not know the area. I felt he was being evasive. The
American client then approached me & asked what was going on. I reassured him that
he had absolutely nothing to be concerned about but that the elephant was shot
illegally in the Forest. He also stated that Belani had said that they were legally
allowed to hunt there & if something wrong had taken place that he wanted to be
involved to help make it right. He also mentioned that they had shot the animal in
Forest land & it had run off into the Park & if I wanted he could take me to the
exact location where he shot from. I told him that not to worry for now & that we
will go with Wilfred. The client also mentioned that they had found blood shortly
after he shot & that the South African had fired two shots at the elephant with a
.375 rifle. I asked Mr. Harris what he had done with the cartridge cases & he
replied that he had picked them up afterwards.

We then proceeded with Wilfred & his tracker (Josfut Mukuli) to where they claimed
they had shot at the elephant. Wilfred claimed he was not exactly sure where the
spot was but Mukuli knew & would lead us there. (I personally do not know of a P.H.
that would not know where they had shot an elephant,especially when the actual
client knows the exact location.)

Mukuli took us to a different location to where I knew the elephant was shot. He
then showed us where in Malindi the elephant was standing when they shot. He said
that they had shot from the vehicle, which was on the boundary road with Malindi &
Forestry. Where he had indicated was directly down wind (no-one will ever take an
elephant when the wind is blowing directly from the hunters to the elephant.) There
was an elephant & human tracks where he had said the spot was. After myself & one of
my trackers checked the scene out it was clearly noted that this was actually a
track that only walked from Malindi into Forestry. At no time did the elephant run
after they supposedly shot from this place but actually would of just carried on
walking even closer towards them, according to the tracks. An elephant will always
run straight after being shot, unless immediately put down.

While we were investigating the above my trackers (whom I had dropped off earlier)
radioed to say they had found the exact place where they had shot the elephant in
Forestry.They also told me that they had found the arrow with blood on it,blood from
the wounded elephant as well as where they had baited the elephant with watermelons
(to entice them out of the National Park). I informed the Police & we then drove a
further 2km`s to that place. All the evidence was here very clear to see exactly
what had transpired. Tracker Mukuli admitted to my trackers that they had shot the
elephant in Forestry & that they had bought the watermelons from Halfway House to
bait the elephant out the Park. The Police & Parks took statements & returned to
Malindi camp. I went off with the trackers to follow the wounded elephant. After a
short distance the blood trail petered out & we could tell that the elephant had
been hit too low. Then the elephant turned & crossed back into the Park (which the
client had said). We did find the other hunters tracks all around here. We then also
went back to their camp.

Here again the client approached me again to be involved & asked for my contact
details. Belani did not want his client to talk to me (obviously he knew the client
would tell the truth.) Belani kept repeating that we need to leave the clients out
of this. During the investigation Wilfred was telling the investigating team that
all this white man is doing is causing problems for the clients so they don`t come
to Zimbabwe to spend their money. I told Belani it is my duty to take this up as he
was poaching on government land & he should not get away with it. He was also
insinuating that due to his political connections that no harm would come to him. At
no time did Belani admit to what he had done & kept changing his story.

During a discussion with the Police & myself about impounding the South African
vehicle & rifle used in this incident (as per the Zimbabwe law) Police detail Mjoni
phoned Sgt. Major Ncube in Dete. Ncube asked us to report to Dete.

In Dete Sgt. Ncube investigated the case further. I informed Ncube that Belani
already had another elephant poaching case pending against him with Jotsholo Police.
In front of Ncube I asked Belani about the watermelons to which he replied he knew
nothing. Everyone gave Sgt. Major Ncube their information & this case is now pending
with him.

In terms of the law of our country a serious offence has occurred & correct
procedures must be put in place to book the culprits. Not to mention that there is a
US$20 000 per elephant compensation fee to the lady owner for such an offence. Also
note that Belani did not have a special bow hunting permit as stipulated by National
Parks. We all need to strive to protect our natural resources for many generations
to come.

When we left the Forest area for Bulawayo we saw the 2 S.A. vehicles belonging to
Lew Harris Safaris at Halfway House. I noted that they had removed their safari
stickers from both vehicles. They implored they were staying in the area for a few
days to sort this out & would send me a report. I told them the case was left with
M.I.C. of Dete police.

Hoping that this situation will be dealt with in a fair & just manner.

Pete Fick.