Five poachers jailed

FIVE villagers were last week jailed for periods ranging from four to 14 years each, for illegal possession of cyanide and poaching 10 elephants in Ngamo Safaris in Lupane.

Hwange provincial magistrate Mrs Rosemary Dube sentenced Johannes Mukombwe (29) and Mkhululi Ncube (36) all from Lupane to 14 years each in prison for poaching elephants.

She further sentenced Mukombwe and Ncube to a further four years in prison each, for illegal possession of cyanide under the Environmental Management Act.

The magistrate further ordered the two to restitute the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority US$850 000 each, failure of which the authority should institute civil proceedings.

Mrs Dube also separately sentenced Elvis Nkomo, Sikhumbuzo Sibindi and William Ncube, to four years in prison each for illegal possession of cyanide.