Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku, [email protected]
A traditional healer who was employed at Trophy International Consultants and dragged to court for stealing 32 pangolin scales from her employer has been found guilty.
Phatheng Dube (64), from Bulawayo’s Nketa suburb, appeared on Tuesday before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Ms Patience Ururu for contravening Section 45(1)(b), as read with Section 128 of the Parks and Wildlife Act, Chapter 120:14 — Possession of a Specially Protected Animal Trophy (Pangolin Skin).
At the conclusion of the trial, Ms Ururu stated that the State, represented by Ms Concilia Ncube, had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. Dube will be back in court on Friday for sentencing.
She was represented by her lawyer, Mr Dixon Abraham of Tanaka Law Chambers.
Prosecuting, Ms Ncube submitted that on 15 April 2026, at around 8am, Phatheng stole 32 pangolin scales from their workplace at Trophy International Consultants in Belmont, Bulawayo. She then gave them to her friend Thokozile Dube so that she could sell them.
“On the same date, detectives from the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit, Bulawayo, received a tip off that Thokozile was in possession of pangolin scales, which she was selling.
“Detectives started communicating with Thokozile, purporting to be potential buyers of the pangolin scales. Thokozile agreed to meet the detectives in the city centre,” Ms Ncube told the court.
At around 10:30am on the same day, detectives proceeded to the agreed place.
“The detective who was posing as a buyer continued communicating with Thokozile while another police officer was watching from a few metres away. The detectives saw Thokozile placing a blue plastic bag in her handbag and walking towards the detective posing as a buyer.
“They then approached her, identified themselves as police detectives by producing their police identity cards, and requested to search her. She agreed. During the search, pangolin scales were recovered wrapped in two blue plastic bags placed inside a black handbag she was carrying,” said Ms Ncube.
Thokozile was asked to produce a licence or permit for being in possession of pangolin scales, but she failed to do so, leading to her arrest, and she implicated Phatheng, who was also arrested.
