Govt officials fingered in cyanide poisoning

The mastermind in one of the country's biggest ecological disasters, which resulted in the death of more than 100 elephants at the Hwange National Park, is walking free because bureaucrats tempered with the country's judiciary, Environment, Water and Climate minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, said on Monday.

Kasukuwere told journalists at a Wildlife Ecological Trust press conference that interference by unnamed authorities was the reason the cyanide kingpin was a free man.

"I applaud the good work done by our judiciary for making sure that poachers involved in the killing of  elephants last year swiftly went to jail.

"It is something that should be applauded because we saw some being sentenced to 13 years, while others received 15 year jail sentences," said Kasukuwere.

"However, the master-mind of this tragedy walked away a free person because of (the) officials' interference. How could that happen when his runners went to jail?"

Kasukuwere's remarks resonate with that of a wildlife conservation organisation which, in 2013, alleged that  certain ‘bigwigs' in government were involved in the cyanide poisoning of wildlife.

"They are afraid we will tell people the truth about the poaching situation and how the elephants were killed," said John Rodrigues, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force chairperson after being kicked out of Hwange.

"There is a cover-up going on there at Hwange, and 'bigwigs' are involved," he said.