The ManicaPost
Ray Bande and Luthando Mapepa
A TRAIL of blood made law enforcement agents’ work much easier as it led to the arrest of a 40-year-old rifle-wielding Chipinge man who was poaching in a game safari last week on Wednesday.
Mwari Mapakame of Mangezi Village under Chief Musikavanhu’s area of Chipinge, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for the offence.
He appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Mr Alfred Chinembiri and pleaded guilty to poaching in a safari area, possession of a firearm without a certificate and hunting a specified and protected animal.
In sentencing him, Mr Chinemberi slapped Mwari with 24 months imprisonment for unlawfully hunting two wild animals without a safari permit and six months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve 18 months.
Mwari was also fined $30 000 for illegally possessing a firearm, while six months were wholly suspended for possessing a python skin.
Mr Timothy Katsande prosecuted.
Manicaland CID District spokesperson, Detective Sergeant Shake Shanu, said Mapakame was arrested at Chipinge Safari Game Park, Middle Sabi in Chipinge.
Chipinge Safari is a game reserve located in Middle Sabi in Chipinge District where various wild animals are kept on a free range system as the area is fenced off to mark boundaries with local settlements.
There are a number of bases dotted around the game park where game rangers operate from to guard against the poaching of flora and fauna.
Detective Seargant Shanu told The Manica Post that last week on Wednesday, a game ranger, Mr Simbarashe Makumire was on patrol at Kilo Base with fellow game rangers when they heard three gunshots within their area of jurisdiction.
“They quickly alerted Mr Dudzai Manyawo of Chipinge Safari Staff Quarters who mobilised manpower to man all potential exit points of the suspected armed poachers.
“Mr Manyawo also enlisted the services of Changadzi Support Unit details who were on patrol in the area and also Save Valley Anti-Poaching Tracking Specialists to assist with tracker dogs.
“CID details from the Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit in Chipinge and police officers from Changadzi Support Unit discovered a trail of blood near Kilo Base,” he said.
Detective Sergeant Shanu said tracker dogs were set to track the blood, leading to the arrest of Mapakame.
“Mapakame was found in possession of a shotgun rifle with two live rounds of ammunition and four spent cartridges, a hunting torch, flick knife and a pair of catapults.
“The accused also had in his possession carcasses of a bush buck and a greysbok with a total value of US$3 500 and also fresh python skin valued at US$2 000,” said Detective Sergeant Shanu.
Upon being interviewed, Mapakame said he had borrowed the shotgun from Sydney Jenya of Jenya Two Village under Chief Musikavanhu’s area for temporary use.
“A follow-up was made for Jenya at his known addresses, but could not be located. His wife, Mrs Chipo Jenya was interviewed and said Jenya had gone to Mozambique that same day to attend a family gathering.
“She, however, confirmed that Jenya had a licensed shotgun and keeps the keys of the gun cabinet,” he said.
The recovered bush buck and Greysbok carcasses as well as the python skin were weighed at Chipinge Post Office. They weighed 30,85 kilograms, 4,10 kilograms and 4,10 kilograms, respectively.
The python skin also measured 280 centimetres.
The CID is yet to locate and interview Jenya.
