Businessmen arrested for possessing a pangolin

Three businessmen men have been arrested for possessing a pangolin with the intention of using it to perform rituals to boost their mining business.

The trio Ezrom Mudzingwa, Greshem Manyora  and Patrick Dube were arrested on Monday last week in Bulawayo's Pumula suburb.

Detectives in Bulawayo had received a tip-off from members of the public that the trio was in possession of the pangolin and intercepted them to conduct a search.

They found the pangolin tucked in the boot of a Toyota Corolla they were driving in. Mudzingwa, Manyora and Dube are business colleagues and had come to Bulawayo with the intention of proceeding to Filabusi when they were arrested.

They had driven from Harare after getting the pangolin from one Chandavengerwa Zwanani who had reportedly brought it from an unnamed chief in Mount Darwin for the purpose of performing rituals. Mudzingwa, Manyora and Dube were today arraigned before Western Commonage magistrate Shepherd Mjanja for contravening a Section of Parks and Wildlife Management Act.

The magistrate convicted the trio on their own plea of guilty and sentenced each of them to pay a fine of US$300 or six months in prison in default.