News / National
Three poachers jailed
26 Sep 2013 at 02:37hrs | Views
Three out of the eight poachers arrested for killing elephants by cyanide poisoning in Hwange National Park have been sentenced to 16 years in prison each. Hwange provincial magistrate, Mrs Rosemary Dube, yesterday sentenced Robert Maposa (42), Thabani Zondo (24) and Dedani Tshuma (25) to 16 years in prison each, for illegal possession of ivory and contravening section 73 (1) of the Environment Management Act.
Maposa and Zondo were sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of ivory and another year for contravening the EMA Act.
They were further ordered to pay $600 000 as restitution to the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority by 31 December 2013.
Tshuma who was sentenced to 16 years for illegal possession of ivory was further asked to pay $200 000 by 31 December 2013.
At least 87 elephants were killed by poisoning at Hwange National Park, Africa's third largest wildlife sanctuary after Serengeti in Tanzania and Kruger in South Africa.
Yesterday Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo said the other five poachers were expected to appear in court soon, facing charges of illegal possession of ivory and contravening the EMA Act.
"We hail the sentence as very effective and deterrent. The other five poachers are expected to appear in court on 4 October,'' she said.
Meanwhile, a joint team comprising experts from Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and police will today visit Hwange National Park to conduct an onsite technical assessment to determine the extent of cyanide poisoning and effects to the environment.
In an interview yesterday, EMA provincial manager for Matabeleland North, Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze said the team would visit the sites where 81 carcasses of elephants were discovered after being baited with cyanide poison by poachers, some of whom have since been arrested.
"We have sent a team of experts from EMA, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and police to Hwange National Park to assess sites where there are carcasses of elephants, which were poisoned by poachers.
"The team will be guided by what is on the ground and we will be able to give you detailed information on the findings once they have returned," said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.
Some EMA officials are on the ground trying to determine the type of cyanide that was used to kill the elephants.
Cyanide is widely distributed in the ecosystem and has been associated with toxic effects in humans and animals.
Cyanide poisoning prevents oxygen exchange in the tissues both in humans and animals.
The effects of cyanide ingestion are very similar to the effects of suffocation; because cyanide stops the cells of the body from being able to use oxygen, which all cells need to survive.
The substance is a deadly poison, but depending on the quantity, type and concentration, it can be removed from the environment.
Cyanide is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and if it is in small quantities, it can be excreted in urine. However, in large enough quantities, it can inhibit oxygen uptake in the blood and cause suffocation.
The symptoms of poisoning include weakness, confusion, headaches, seizures, chest pains and in serious cases, respiratory failure, leading to death.
Last week, a delegation which included a ministerial taskforce team comprising Ministers of Environment, Water and Climate, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, Tourism and Hospitality, Cde Walter Mzembi and Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Professor Jonathan Moyo, visited the park to investigate rampant poaching of elephants.
The three ministers returned on Saturday in the company of the Minister of Home Affairs, Cde Kembo Mohadi.
The elephants are part of the Presidential Herd that is protected by Presidential decree from poachers and are on the international list of endangered species.
The officer commanding police in Lupane District Chief Superintendent Johannes Govo said 24-hour patrols had been introduced at the Hwange National Park and communities had been roped in the fight against poaching.
He said the carcasses were being burnt and the bones buried to prevent poisoning of other animals that might feed on them.
Nine suspects have been arrested since the start of the ongoing anti-poaching exercise.
It has been established that the suspects who are working as organised syndicates mainly targeted pools frequented by elephants at the national park and used salt laced with cyanide to kill the jumbos. Environmentalist fear the cyanide may have far reaching effects.
Maposa and Zondo were sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of ivory and another year for contravening the EMA Act.
They were further ordered to pay $600 000 as restitution to the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority by 31 December 2013.
Tshuma who was sentenced to 16 years for illegal possession of ivory was further asked to pay $200 000 by 31 December 2013.
At least 87 elephants were killed by poisoning at Hwange National Park, Africa's third largest wildlife sanctuary after Serengeti in Tanzania and Kruger in South Africa.
Yesterday Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo said the other five poachers were expected to appear in court soon, facing charges of illegal possession of ivory and contravening the EMA Act.
"We hail the sentence as very effective and deterrent. The other five poachers are expected to appear in court on 4 October,'' she said.
Meanwhile, a joint team comprising experts from Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and police will today visit Hwange National Park to conduct an onsite technical assessment to determine the extent of cyanide poisoning and effects to the environment.
In an interview yesterday, EMA provincial manager for Matabeleland North, Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze said the team would visit the sites where 81 carcasses of elephants were discovered after being baited with cyanide poison by poachers, some of whom have since been arrested.
"We have sent a team of experts from EMA, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and police to Hwange National Park to assess sites where there are carcasses of elephants, which were poisoned by poachers.
"The team will be guided by what is on the ground and we will be able to give you detailed information on the findings once they have returned," said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.
Some EMA officials are on the ground trying to determine the type of cyanide that was used to kill the elephants.
Cyanide is widely distributed in the ecosystem and has been associated with toxic effects in humans and animals.
Cyanide poisoning prevents oxygen exchange in the tissues both in humans and animals.
The effects of cyanide ingestion are very similar to the effects of suffocation; because cyanide stops the cells of the body from being able to use oxygen, which all cells need to survive.
The substance is a deadly poison, but depending on the quantity, type and concentration, it can be removed from the environment.
Cyanide is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and if it is in small quantities, it can be excreted in urine. However, in large enough quantities, it can inhibit oxygen uptake in the blood and cause suffocation.
The symptoms of poisoning include weakness, confusion, headaches, seizures, chest pains and in serious cases, respiratory failure, leading to death.
Last week, a delegation which included a ministerial taskforce team comprising Ministers of Environment, Water and Climate, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, Tourism and Hospitality, Cde Walter Mzembi and Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Professor Jonathan Moyo, visited the park to investigate rampant poaching of elephants.
The three ministers returned on Saturday in the company of the Minister of Home Affairs, Cde Kembo Mohadi.
The elephants are part of the Presidential Herd that is protected by Presidential decree from poachers and are on the international list of endangered species.
The officer commanding police in Lupane District Chief Superintendent Johannes Govo said 24-hour patrols had been introduced at the Hwange National Park and communities had been roped in the fight against poaching.
He said the carcasses were being burnt and the bones buried to prevent poisoning of other animals that might feed on them.
Nine suspects have been arrested since the start of the ongoing anti-poaching exercise.
It has been established that the suspects who are working as organised syndicates mainly targeted pools frequented by elephants at the national park and used salt laced with cyanide to kill the jumbos. Environmentalist fear the cyanide may have far reaching effects.
Source - Chronicle
