Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
A 45-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man has appeared in court for allegedly carving raw ivory into bangles without a licence.
The ivory, weighing 3,7kg and valued at US$260, was allegedly found at his home.
Khohli Nyathi of Nkulumane suburb pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawfully processing and manufacturing ivory artifacts when he appeared before Western Commonage regional magistrate Mr Taurai Manwere. He was remanded out of custody to August 27.
The prosecutor, Ms Christina Manyika, told the court that on July 26, detectives received a tip-off that Nyathi was carving ivory at his residence.
“On that day, detectives went to the accused’s home and found him operating a lathe machine, carving ivory into bangles,” she said.
A search of the premises allegedly led to the recovery of six polished ivory bangles, 16 unpolished bangles and several ivory off-cuts. Detectives requested a permit authorising Nyathi to process ivory, but he failed to produce one, leading to his arrest.
The seized items, which included the bangles, ivory off-cuts, a lathe machine and an electric grinder, were handed over to a ZimParks ecologist for examination.
