Hyena meat hustle ends badly for Shurugwi man

HYENAS are known savage predators.

They are also known as hunters, not prey, but not for Tinashe Mhlabati.

After hatching a plan to wring a few dollars from fellow villagers, the determined 20-year-old, along with an accomplice who is still at large, gathered his six dogs and embarked on a daring adventure — to hunt down a hyena.

It was probably his reasoning that this animal, which can weigh as much as 50 kilogrammes, would provide sufficient meat to make him a decent sum.

Somehow, his mission was successful.

After skinning the animal, whose fur is regarded by some to be poisonous, he happily hawked steaks of meat at the local business centre.

However, someone who smelt that something was off did the right thing and tipped off the authorities.

The police arrived to find Mhlabati in the middle of preparing what can only be described as “mystery meat”.

Only 1,95kg of the hyena was recovered, meaning the rest could have been sold off to unsuspecting villagers.

Yikes!

Shurugwi magistrate Percy Mukumba was left with no option but to order the convicted offender to cough up a US$1 100 fine for the culinary, dietary and gastronomic offence.

Here is hoping that Mhlabati learned a valuable lesson: There is a reason hyena meat is not on most people’s grocery shopping list.