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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
A VICTORIA Falls magistrate has awarded a policeman stationed here $800 in libel damages after he won a law suit against a Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority official who had accused him of poaching.Constable Levison Rangarirai sued the ZimParks area manager for Matetsi Camp, Victor Mkhwebu for $5,000 in connection with defamatory statements made against him last year.

Accusations against the policeman came after he made numerous visits to the camp where his wife works as Mkhwebu’s deputy.
Rangarirai told Victoria Falls resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani that at one time Mkhwebu banned him from visiting the camp for 10 days, thereby depriving him access to his family as well as his conjugal rights.

The policeman also claimed he was withdrawn from a team of officers who were on duty during last year’s general elections and subsequently withdrawn from all duties at work because of the issue.

Rangarirai alleged that Mkhwebu told several people that he was illegally hunting in Matetsi, around Breakfast and Woodlands areas last year.

The parks area manager allegedly also threatened to shoot and impound Rangarirai’s vehicle.

“I hereby apply for $5,000 being a claim for defamation against the respondent. The basis of the claim lies on the behaviour and actions of the defendant in that he made utterances to some  people that I am a poacher whereas I am not and because of this my reputation as a police officer and social life have been affected. I am being ridiculed and people have  lost trust in me,” said Cst Rangarirai in his claim.

He further stated that at one time, Mkhwebu advised police to assault two arrested poachers identified as Calvin Murapata and Themba Ndlovu to force them to implicate him.

“Before this our relationship was cordial until he called me a poacher more than once between April and June last year. He first told my wife before inviting me to his office and after that he wrote letters to the Parks and Wildlife regional manager and Officer Commanding Police in Victoria Falls District,” added Cst Rangarirai.

In his defence, Mkhwebu denied calling Rangarirai a poacher, saying he only expressed concern over his driving into ZimParks premises.

“I didn’t defame him. I just cautioned him to stop bringing the vehicle to the camp because there were reports of poaching and it would have been misconstrued as that of poachers. We had received a report of poaching at Kazuma National Park but I didn’t call him a poacher,” Mkhwebu said.

In her judgment, magistrate Rosemani said it was clear that Mkhwebu believed that Rangarirai was involved in poaching.

The magistrate said the parks official  was emotional in dealing with the matter; hence he informed a number of people about it.

She however said the $5,000 claim could not be justified because the amount of damages caused by the allegations could not be measured.

“The respondent believed the plaintiff was poaching, that is why he invited him to his office. The respondent got emotionally involved in dealing with the issue, which is why he kept shifting posts in his defence. However, the $5,000 claim can’t be  justified because the utterances were said in private meetings and the court should come up with a figure that doesn’t punish the respondent but brings solace to the plaintiff since the effects of defamation were not adequately presented,” said Rosemani before awarding Cst Rangarirai $800.