Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
PROSECUTOR General Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo has launched Volume One of A Review of Wildlife Criminal Law & Wildlife Court Judgments in Zimbabwe, a new legal reference book expected to bolster the investigation and prosecution of environmental crimes across the country.
The review, compiled by the National Prosecuting Authority in partnership with the Tikki Hywood Foundation, analyses wildlife criminal cases decided in Zimbabwean courts between 2021 and 2024.
Speaking during the official launch ceremony held in Harare on Tuesday, Justice Matanda-Moyo said Zimbabwe’s wildlife heritage is under threat from organised, profit-driven criminal networks and the justice system must respond with equal sophistication.
“It is with profound honour and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today to officially launch this landmark publication,” she said.
“The protection of our biodiversity is a constitutional duty and a cornerstone of sustainable development.
“These are not merely crimes against nature, they are crimes against our economy, our communities and our heritage.”
She said wildlife crime undermines the pillars of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) – food security, economic growth, governance and environmental sustainability.
Justice Matanda-Moyo said the book covers cases from across the country – Beitbridge, Bulawayo, Chiredzi, Chinhoyi, Harare and Hwange – and provides an honest appraisal of the justice system’s strengths and weaknesses.
She commended progressive judgments such as Mthabisi Sivako v The State, which held that live pangolins need not be physically produced in court where expert evidence proves species identity, saying the decision advances animal welfare and public health.
She also cited cases where weak investigations led to acquittals, including the Bwerinofa case where failure to obtain CCTV and secure witnesses proved fatal, and cases where magistrates imposed community service for possession of pangolins despite mandatory minimum sentences.
The Prosecutor General said the review should be used as a training manual for investigators on chain of custody and seizure procedures, a guide for prosecutors on bail, identification parades and proving possession, and a reference for legislators on gaps in the Parks and Wildlife Act.
Speaking at the same event, Tikki Hywood Foundation’s founder and CEO, Ms Lisa Hywood, said the book is a practical tool that will ensure consistency in how wildlife crimes are handled across provinces.
“It is not a document intended to sit on a quiet shelf gathering dust; it is designed to sit open on desks in Mutare, in Hwange, in Harare, in Beitbridge, wherever a wildlife crime case is being built,” Ms Hywood said.
She said the foundation’s decade-long partnership with the NPA has included regional exchange programmes, the Digemy online learning platform which has trained 121 prosecutors, a live case-monitoring system to track repeat offenders, and a custom prosecution data application.
Ms Hywood said the bond with the NPA goes beyond a formal partnership and reflects a shared devotion to protecting Zimbabwe’s heritage.
Justice Matanda-Moyo thanked the foundation and the research team of Ms Francisca Mukumbiri, Ms Brenda Nyoni, Ms Janet Mlambo and Dr James Tsabora, and officially declared the publication launched.
Wenslus Murape