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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A HARARE man who was found in possession of 2,5 kg of cyanide and some pangolin scales in Hwange last month has been sentenced to nine months in jail.
Danmore Chinjonjo (55) of 3146 Mugwazigwazi Road in Budiriro suburb travelled with the cyanide from the capital to Hwange where he was arrested on August 23 following suspicions that he wanted to use it to poison wildlife at Hwange National Park.
He was convicted of possession of pangolin scales and storing and transporting of cyanide without consent from the Environmental Management Authority when he appeared before Hwange magistrate, Mr Godfrey Ntando Dube.
The magistrate sentenced Chinjonjo to nine months in prison.
It becomes the first case at the Hwange magistrates’ courts where an accused has been sentenced to less than nine years in jail after the recent landmark judgment by Justices Garainesu Mawadze and Joseph Mafusire who quashed the mandatory nine year sentence in an appeal case at the Masvingo High Court.
The two judges concurred that suspects have all along been improperly sentenced to nine years in jail for possessing pangolins, and replaced the mandatory sentence with a three-year sentence or a level eight fine of $500.
Prosecuting, Mr Vumizulu Mangena said Chinjonjo travelled from Harare with the intention of poaching wildlife in the Hwange National Park.
“On the 23rd of August 2019 around 2PM, rangers from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority received a tip-off that Chinjonjo was in possession of cyanide. The rangers proceeded to the area where the accused was and intercepted him as he walked towards a lodge carrying a red bag,” said the prosecutor.
The anti-poaching team of rangers introduced themselves to Chinjonjo before asking him where he was going.
“The accused person then opened up that he was coming from Harare and carrying cyanide with the aim of delivering it to a person he only identified as Bheki in return for elephant tails,” said the prosecutor.
The rangers escorted Chinjonjo to their offices where they were joined by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department Minerals (Flora and Fauna) Unit and upon searching him, they recovered three pangolin scales and cyanide.
The cyanide weighed 2,5 kg and was wrapped in three plastic bags stashed in his travelling bag.
Cyanide is a deadly substance used in the mining industry and is abused by illegal hunters who administer it in water bodies, salt licks and fruits to trap animals, especially elephants.
A pangolin is an endangered protected species whose value is $5 000. —@ncubeleon
Online Reporter