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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A WOMAN from Hwange has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for killing her cousin’s chickens, guinea fowl and a dog with a fungicide.
Nelia Shoko (49) of Diki Village in St Mary’s was arrested last Thursday after she laced isitshwala with the poisonous Triadime before feeding it to her cousin’s livestock.
She told the court that her intention was to kill a cat that had eaten her chickens.
Shoko spread the poison laced isitshwala around her cousin Mr Fungai Ncube (47)’s homestead in the same village at night causing the death of five chickens, five guinea fowl and a dog.
She was charged with violating Section 3 (1) (i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act which criminalises administering any poisonous or injurious substance to any animal without any reasonable cause. Shoko pleaded guilty to the charge when she appeared before Hwange magistrate Mr Gift Dube.
The magistrate slapped Shoko with 10 months in jail which was wholly suspended on condition that she restitutes RTGS$525 to the complainant by the end of this month.
Prosecuting, Mr Vumizulu Mangena said Shoko intentionally laced some isitshwala with Triadime and gave it to the chickens, guinea fowl and dogs.
“On the 8th day of October 2019 at 6PM, the accused took Triadime fungicide and put it on some isitshwala as bait. She placed the poisoned meal in the complainant’s homestead whereupon five chickens, five guinea fowls and a dog fed on it and died,” said Mr Mangena.
The court was told that Mr Ncube discovered that the chicken, guinea fowl and one dog were dead the following morning.
He made a report to the police and investigations led to Shoko’s arrest.
Police recovered a 250ml bottle of the Triadime fungicide from Shoko.
The combined value of the chickens, guinea fowl and dog is RTGS$525. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter