Court grants suspected poacher bail

Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
A 41-year-old man who appeared in court last week on allegations of killing and de-horning four rhinoceroses in the Save Conservancy worth US$75 000 has been granted bail by a Masvingo High Court. Charles Nduna of Zinyani Village under Chief Gudo area (Chiredzi) is accused of contravening sections of the Parks and Wildlife and Fire Arms acts respectively.

The accused was remanded in custody and denied bail at the lower court, prompting his defence team led by Advocate Emmanuel Chibudu of Kwirira and Magwaliba Legal Practitioners to seek his release on bail pending trial at the High Court.
Justice Joseph Mafusire granted him $500 bail yesterday and he will stand trial on June 7.

Allegations are that on October 28 last year, Nduna and an unknown accomplice who is still at large went to Hammond Range (paddock C6 water point) to illegally hunt for rhinos.
During the process they shot and killed one bull rhino, after which they de-horned it and disappeared.

The state further alleges that on January 8 this year, the accused returned to the same area, at Paddock F2 Arda Ranch Mkwasine, where he shot dead and de-horned a female rhinoceros and its calf.

The court also heard that on February 20, Nduna went back to the ranch and killed a black male rhinoceros named Never I’D 1355 and de-horned it.

The accused’s luck ran out when Zimparks rangers picked the spoor from the point he had killed the rhino.
They trekked him to his house where the spoor disappeared.
The matter was reported to the police who arrested him at Checheche growth point and later went to search his house and recovered two water bucks horns and a duiker skin.