Police bust poaching syndicate
(From The Sunday Mail)

From Teckshaw Tom in Chinhoyi

POLICE in Chinhoyi and Karoi have bust a poaching ring suspected to have killed elephants in the Mukwichi Game Park in Chief Chundu’s area, Karoi.


The syndicate is believed to have been led by a former police officer who was arrested two weeks ago after being found in possession of elephant tusks and a firearm without the requisite licences.

Beaven Masomera (40) of Unit J, Chitungwiza, a former police officer last stationed at Harare Central Police Station, is jointly charged with Tonderai Evans Ngoshi (35), also of Unit J, Chitungwiza; Donald Murumbi (24) of Huyo Village, Chief Chundu, Karoi; and Enock Angeo (23) of Village 32A, Nyamakate in Karoi.

Police recovered two 303 rifles and 19 rounds of ammunition when they arrested the suspects.

On the day in question, some CID detectives, who were at Karoi bus terminus, arrested Ngoshi and Masomera, who had disembarked from a Zupco bus which was coming from Mayamba Village in Chief Chundu, carrying two elephant tusks and some dried elephant meat. The tusks were cut into six pieces and weighed about 16 kg. Masomera and Ngoshi also had in their possession a 303 rifle-cocking handle.

During interrogation, the accused persons revealed that they were coming from Mayamba Village where the elephant had been killed by Donald Murumbi, who was said to be in possession of another 303 rifle.

The detectives proceeded to Murumbi’s homestead where they recovered the rifle (serial number 4/0372), a loaded magazine with 10 live rounds and two elephant tails.

Murumbi revealed that Angeo was also in possession of a 303 rifle without a cocking handle (serial number 4/1232), a loaded magazine with 9 rounds, a sack of dried meat and six pieces of tusks weighing 31,5 kilogrammes.

The four also revealed that they had killed two elephants in Mukwichi Game Park and detectives recovered a total of 12 pieces of elephant tusks weighing about 47,5 kilogrammes. The four were charged with contravening the Parks and Wildlife Management Act, General Regulations of 1990 SI 362/90 as read with Section 128 of the Parks and Wildlife Management Act Chapter 20:04 when they appeared before Karoi magistrate Mr Elisha Tsingano last week.

Anybody know what is meant by "cocking handle" ?

African journalese for bolt, I suspect.

Maybe it's the protuberance on the rear of the bolt that allows cocking\de=cocking the firing pin a la Springfield, Marl III, etc.?

Thanks for your answer.