Three men in rhino horn case linked to murder

The trio was caught with the rhino horns in an Isuzu KB300 registered in the deputy minister’s name.
Deputy Minister Zvidzai on Wednesday distanced himself from the case, saying he sold the vehicle.
“The true facts of the matter are the car ceased to be mine on 22 March 2010 and the new owner is Mr Rodgers Gaka of Harare who runs a car rental company, Rodygar Tours and Car Hire.
“Since then I have had nothing to do with the said vehicle and was surprised to see my name being linked to this vehicle probably because the change of ownership process is yet to be completed.”
Court papers indicate that the vehicle is registered in Deputy Minister Zvidzai’s name.
It emerged during the accused’s bail hearing that two cartridges found near the spot where a rhino was killed matched a cartridge that was recovered after a game ranger was fatally shot on the same farm where the animals were poached last year.
Prosecutor Mr Michael Reza told Harare regional magistrate Mr Hosiah Mujaya that Zivanai Masvaire (27), a game scout at Eldorado Farm, Charles Dowerowe (37) and Shepherd Naite (37) were likely to face another charge of murder.
Mr Reza was responding to the bail application by the three, who are being charged with poaching and an alternative charge of unlawful possession of a trophy of an endangered species.
Defence lawyer Mr Norman Mugiya had requested the court to release his clients arguing they were proper candidates for bail since they were of fixed abode.
“The crime is not serious as it is less than common assault and the accused persons were never found with the horns and they had not bought any bus tickets as alleged by the State,” said Mr Mugiya.
Mr Reza strenuously opposed bail, arguing the three were not suitable candidates.
He said they were likely to face murder charges in connection with the death of the game ranger who was killed at the farm.
“They are also facing a very serious offence hence if they are released on bail there is a likelihood of absconding,” said Mr Reza.
“It is not like a tribesman who has been found poaching fish or rabbit, but they were found in possession of two horns of a specially protected animal.”
Mr Reza left the gallery in stitches when he said: “An animal is not like a mango tree which produces fruits on its own; as we speak there are four female rhinos that are angry because their husband was killed.”
After hearing arguments from both the defence and State counsels, Mr Mujaya ruled against granting the accused poachers bail.
He remanded them to 23 January for trial.
Police recovered the rhino horns in an Isuzu KB300, registered in Deputy Minister Zvidzai’s name, at Road Port in Harare.
The trio’s alleged accomplices, Ophel Makumburenga and his cousin Musiringo, and Naison Murindatsimba, a soldier, were still at large.
Dowerowe and Naite were arrested before they could board a bus to South Africa with the horns weighing 8,2 kilograms.
Naite has a pending case before the courts in which he is jointly charged with three others for possessing 15 elephant tusks worth $8 500.
It is the State’s case that on December 31 last year, Masvaire, Dowerowe, Naite and their accomplices hatched a plan to kill a rhinoceros at Eldorado Farm in Macheke.
Masvaire reportedly directed his accomplices into the farm where they killed the rhinoceros and dehorned it.
Investigations led to Masvaire’s arrest and he implicated Dowerowe and the others. Dowerowe and Naite led police to the recovery of the horns, which were stashed in an Isuzu KB300, Registration Number ABI 8755, which they were driving.