adminTawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
A MALILANGWE Conservancy security team acted against police instructions and fired shots at a suspected poacher in Chiredzi, killing him on the spot, a coroner has heard.
Chiredzi Resident Magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda heard this on Friday before he adjourned to April 27 an inquest into the killing of a local teacher who was suspected to be a poacher at the high-end wildlife sanctuary in Gonarezhou National Park.
James Dumba, a teacher at Makhosiya Primary School was killed on December 27, after entering the conservancy but his family suspects’ foul play amid allegations that people were being lured into the animal park, only for them to be killed to justify the continued funding of anti-poaching activities by an international organisation.
For the State, Liberty Hove said on December 27, last year at Malilangwe Conservancy, the sanctuary’s chief security officer Mike Ball allegedly received a tip off from an unmanned informer alleging that Dumba was set to enter the wildlife sanctuary using the Northern End at exactly 7PM.
The court heard that Ball passed the information to Mineral and Border Control police officers and three teams, each consisting of two police officers and two game rangers were dispatched to three possible entry points which the poacher was likely to use.
At around 7PM, the team that was made up of Constable Tavonga Moyo, Ball, Fibion Salani, a game scout and another unidentified police officer witnessed Dumba’s arrival.
Hove said the suspected poacher was seen walking along the Nyakasikana River bank and he was in possession of a 303 hunting rifle, a torch, axe, paper bag, valid passport, snuff and his recent payslip.
He said Dumba allegedly walked towards Ball’s ambush position and fired the first shot.
“The suspected poacher was walking towards Ball’s ambush position with his torchlight on. The police officers were getting closer to apprehend him from their ambush positions but Ball allegedly had his torch on which resulted in the poacher firing a shot towards the direction where the torch light came from,” said Hove.
“Ball had to switch off his torch but the poacher fired one more shot which resulted in Ball firing his gun twice at the now deceased. Fibion Salani also fired one shot and this resulted in a sudden death being recorded.”
Constable Moyo said he was the head of the operation and Ball acted against his instructions.
The police officer said they had never discussed the use of a torch and opening fire during the operation.
“As the head of the mission, I advised my subordinates that we should arrest the poacher. I positioned them (team members) in very safe positions with Ball in the river bank behind a very big tree. I was surprised when he switched on his torch,” said Constable Moyo.
He acted against my instruction despite the fact that I was nearly 5 metres away from arresting the poacher. We never said we would use lethal force that’s why you saw that none of the police officers fired towards the poacher.”
Ball, who was first to be cross examined, said he fired at Dumba to protect himself.
“I had to fire because my life was at risk since the poacher was firing at me. I didn’t wait for the head of mission to signal us to fire,” said Ball.
James Dumba, brother to the suspected poacher, asked Ball if there was a syndicate within Malilangwe Conservation Trust that lured people as a bait for the conservancy to receive incentives for “killing suspected rhino poachers” from an international organisation.
“Mr Ball, can you deny that you are luring people into your park so that you kill them as bait as you’re receiving money from Rhino Trust for killing suspected rhino poachers? Why is it that with your heavy security systems people continue to come to Malilangwe while you happen to have exact information about the time and point of entry they will use?” asked Dumba.
Ball denied the accusation.
He said as the head of security personnel, he responds to any alerts about potential entry of poachers and they were not collecting any money from international organisations.
“If we receive a tip-off about suspected poachers, we advise the police whom we work with when cases of this nature arise. Our goal is to protect animals and not to receive any rewards from anyone,” said Ball.
Salani, the game scout, testified that their main task was to arrest the suspected poacher, but when he realised that his boss was under fire, he decided to shoot in Dumba’s direction.
Over the past six years, more than ten suspected poachers have been killed at the conservancy and the last killing was on March, 30 this year.
Online Reporter