Three poachers killed, 573 others arrested

Herald Reporter April 19, 2008

THREE poachers have been killed while 573 others have been arrested in the first three months of the year as the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority intensifies its war against poaching.

Parks spokesperson Retired Major Edward Mbewe said they arrested 1 005 fish poachers and confiscated three trucks, four canoes and hundreds of fishing nets.

The authority also recovered more than 4 000kg of fish and kapenta countrywide.

Five rifles including an AK with a fully charged magazine, 14 spears, six axes and a mobile phone were also recovered during the clampdown.

"We have also removed 687 snares countrywide with the highest number of snares removed in the southern region where 480 snares were removed.

"The authority has realised that poaching and illegal hunting is a major threat particularly with the prevailing socio-economic environment so we have decided to defend the protection of bio-diversity.

"Significant resources have been channelled towards the monitoring of illegal activities right across the country. It is in this light that we have established anti-poaching units in areas that may be called trouble spots," he said.

The establishment of such units was bearing fruit as witnessed by the number of poachers arrested.

"In Sinamatela, Hwange in the Rhinobar area one poacher was killed and our rangers recovered an AK rifle with 581 rounds of ammunition.

"In Chizarira one poacher was killed and two .303 rifles were recovered sometime in February."

Rtd Major Mbewe said the highest number of animal poachers were arrested in the southern region where 496 were arrested, 58 were arrested in the northern region while 19 were arrested in the western region. The highest number of fish poachers were arrested at Lake Chivero 435, Darwendale Dam 359, Limpopo River 50, Mazvikadei Dam 44, Lake Kariba Dam and Binga 44, Lake Mutirikwi 32, Mwenezi 11 and Osborne Dam 10.

Skeletal remains found in Park

Sunday News Reporter
April 20, 2008

THE skeleton of a missing poacher who was shot by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority’s (ZPWMA) game rangers was discovered at Hwange National Park after six months of extensive searching.

Police in Hwange confirmed the discovery of human remains at the country’s biggest sanctuary.
The deceased, John Mpala (42) of Gamba, Lukosi area in rural Hwange was identified through some clothes he was putting on before he met his fate.
“I can confirm the recovery of human bones of a person reported to have gone missing after being shot by game rangers on 22 September last year.
When we received a report of a missing person on 22 November last year, a search was conducted by members of the ZPWMA and Zimbabwe Republic Police,†the Matabeleland North spokesperson, Constable Olga Nkala said.
Numerous attempts to locate the body following an anonymous letter to the police stating a dead person within the wildlife sanctuary proved futile. The skeletons were found on 18 March this year.
He said the deceased was in the company of a friend (name supplied) poaching for fish in an authority run by wildlife conservancy. It is said Mpala temporarily left his friend who later took to his heels after hearing a gun shot.
“The searching team came across human bones and the deceased was only identified through some of the clothes he was wearing,†Cnst Nkala said.
The human remains were taken to Hwange Colliery Hospital and later transported to Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo for postmortem on Monday.
On Tuesday, the Sunday News caught up with friends, neighbours and relatives of the deceased waiting for the arrival of the remains from postmortem at Hwange Rural District Council’s Lukosi offices.
Though the family admitted that the deceased’s source of living mostly hinged on poaching activities, they suspected some foul play in the circumstances pertaining his death.
“We strongly suspect that the parks (ZPWMA) and the police are sweeping the matter under the carpet, the rangers responsible for shooting him said they only shot his arm.
“They said they resorted to shooting him after he threatened to stab them with a knife of which upon being shot, he is said to have fled but we feel the suspects should be brought to book,†said the deceased’s brother, Mr Possant Shoko.
He said the recovered human bones were partially separated with only the backbone still intact.
“We could only tell that the remains we picked belonged to my brother through identifying his takkies, part of his shirt, fishing net and a hunters’ knife, which were strewn near the site,†Mr Shoko said.

There are millions of hungry people in that country. The results are obvious.