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Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
FIVE brothers from Bulawayo have been arraigned for poaching after they were busted with impalas, animal skins and hooves worth over $3 000.
Ndumiso Ndlovu (31), Clement (37), Ngqabutho (33), Gift (33) and Bongani (27) of Grills Farm appeared before Western commonage magistrate Mr Stephen Ndhlovu charged with use of Class 1 traps to snare animals.
They pleaded not guilty and were remanded to October 18 for continuation of trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Kenneth Shava said the five brothers went to Roseburn farm last month and set traps to snare game.
“On September 21 this year at around 7AM, the complainants (84 year-old James Chipfumba, Tawanda Makoni and Vincent Dube who are game scouts), were conducting a routine farm patrol when they stumbled upon copper wire snares,” said Mr Shava.
Mr Makoni told the court the ‘poachers’ held him and argued among themselves on whether to kill him or set him free, when he caught them.
“When I got to them, they wanted to pounce on me with axes. They agreed to kill me. However, I was saved by my colleague’s arrival. When Dube came, they fled, but I remained with one of the accused persons’ shirt as I had removed it while we tussled,” said Mr Makoni.
The court heard that a report was made to the kraal-head who advised the game scouts to notify the police.
The farm manager filed a police report and investigations were carried out leading to the arrest of Gift and Bongani. They implicated the other three who went on the run but were rounded up by police in a raid.
Three wounded impalas, two eland hooves, a zebra hoof and 119 copper wire snares were recovered.
The total value of recovered property was pegged at $3 000.
@andile_tshuma
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter