The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana, Sunday News Correspondent
A DARING poacher recently shocked Binga residents when he trailed a female elephant into town where he shot and killed the jumbo before dehorning it.
Million Siabutu from Musenapongo area in Binga braved the largest mammal’s ferocity armed with a 375 rifle, forcing it out of a bush close to Binga Airstrip after missing it, resulting in the elephant fleeing into town in panic.
Siabutu appeared before Binga resident magistrate Mrs Ailenne Munamati last Friday facing three counts of violating the Firearms and Parks and Wildlife acts. His charges included poaching, possession of ivory and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
He was slapped with a 20-year jail term for possession of ivory with five years suspended on condition of good behaviour.
For being found with an unlicensed firearm and poaching, Siabutu was sentenced to 12 and six months respectively.
The court heard that on 15 September, Siabutu proceeded to Binga Airstrip from his homestead, 15km away, where he shot and missed a female elephant.
He killed it in Binga town as it was trying to flee him. He went on to remove its tusks each weighing 5,2kg and fled.
However, he was intercepted by rangers who were patrolling the area and had heard the gunshots.
They recovered the two tusks and an unlicensed rifle which Siabutu said he had bought from Zambia.
The State, which was led by Mr Bruce Maphosa, called for the court to pass a mandatory sentence of 15 years to dissuade poaching which is rife in the district with Parks rangers always engaged in running battles, with some ending fatally.
Mrs Munamati concurred with the State and said a deterrent sentence needed to be passed to dissuade would be poachers as the crime was on the increase in the district, arguing that the country was losing revenue bought in by CITES specified animals through illegal hunts.
“This court has been flooded with cases of poaching and the rate at which elephants are being gunned down illegally is costing the country the much needed revenue. As the court we will send a clear message to would be offenders by passing deterrent sentences,” she said.
The town has recently been invaded by elephants fleeing poachers from Chizarira National Park, with concerns being raised over the number of jumbos found dead without tusks in the district. Parks rangers have been at pains dealing with the scourge with the majority of poachers being Zambian.
