Minister’s employee up for poaching

From the Bulawayo Chronicle-April 11, 2007

Chronicle Reporter.

A 25yearold man employed at Minister of Home Affairs, Cde Kembo Mohadi’s farm was yesterday arraigned before the courts after he was allegedly caught selling game meat.

Lampson Dube, of Champengezedzana area and employed at Umzingwane Estate pleaded not guilty to contravening a section of the Parks and Wildlife Act when he appeared before Beitbridge magistrate, Mr Tawengwa Sangster.
He was remanded in custody to 29 April.
The prosecutor, Mr Nqobani Sithole said sometime last month, the accused allegedly found a dead wild beest at the farm.
He did not make efforts to inform his employer and instead skinned the animal.
Dube then dried the meat before he went to Beitbridge town where he sold it.
Acting on tipoff police descended on him while he was selling the meat leading to his arrest and meat valued at $500 000 was recovered.
Appearing before the same magistrate were five men accused of straying into Ferguson Farm also in Beitbridge District and allegedly slaughtered a beast on the property.
Trymore Sibanda (21), Gift Ndou (19), Kanguleni Ndou (23), Winniemore Mukwena (22) and Humbulani Hlongwane (20), of Chief Sitauze area in Beitbridge, were not asked to plead to contravening a section of the Criminal Law and Codification Reform Act (stocktheft) when they appeared before Mr Sangster.
They were remanded out of custody to 31 May for medication as they complained that they were heavily assaulted by police while in custody.
Mr Sithole said sometime in February, the five connived and went to Ferguson Farm where they intended to poach game.
While at the farm they killed a beast, skinned it before moving around selling meat to villagers, the court heard.
They were spotted by members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee who apprehended them and they led them to the area where the head, hooves and the hide was hidden.
The beast was valued at $4 million.

Wow, a beast valued at $4 million! Is that a new species in Zimbabwe? By the way, is it Sithole or Shithole? (I am sure that he is referred to the latter more often than the former)

4 million Zim or approximately a buck and change US$>