4 men arrested for unlawful possession of pangolin in Bulawayo

FOUR men from Filabusi and their Victoria Falls-based colleague have been arraigned before the courts facing a charge of unlawful possession of a live pangolin valued at US$5 000.

Mayibongwe Ndlovu (27), Prince Sibanda (36), John Wax (25) and Brighton Moyo (24) appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira charged with contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act.

The Act prohibits hunting, capture or possession of any specially protected animal.

Ndlovu, Wax and Moyo pleaded not guilty, while Sibanda admitted to the charge, assuming responsibility for his involvement.

The four men were remanded in custody to October 27.

It is alleged that on October 22 this year, detectives from the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit in Bulawayo received a tip-off that the accused were in possession of a live pangolin in Filabusi and were seeking a buyer.

Acting on the information, the detectives posing as prospective buyers contacted Sibanda, who agreed to travel to Bulawayo to finalise the transaction.

Later that day, the detectives went to the agreed meeting place and continued communicating with Sibanda.

Ndlovu, Wax and Moyo reportedly got into a vehicle and joined Sibanda and the detectives.

The trio allegedly directed the detectives to drive to the intersection of Robert Mugabe Way and Masotsha Avenue, where the suspects’ vehicle was parked.

On arrival, the accused disembarked and retrieved a sack from the backseat of their car, which was secured with wire.

They offered the live pangolin to the detectives, but failed to produce a valid permit or licence authorising them to be in possession of the animal.

The detectives arrested the trio, but Moyo fled the scene.

He was apprehended the same day in Filabusi.

The pangolin was handed over to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority for examination.

An ecologist confirmed that the animal was, indeed, a live Temminck’s Ground Pangolin (Manis temminckii), one of the strictly protected species under Zimbabwean law.

The ecologist’s report was produced in court as evidence.