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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
FIVE suspected poachers yesterday appeared in court charged with illegal possession of ivory after being found with one elephant tusk weighing more than 9kg.The five who are all from Victoria Falls were arrested on Tuesday at Kingdom Hotel as they allegedly tried to sell the ivory to an unnamed buyer.

The ivory is valued $2,335.

Munyaradzi Nhanhanga, 26, of Chinotimba suburb, Freedom Mandundu, 26, of Mkhosana,  Ignatius Msipha, 22, of Chinotimba, Francis Nyandoro, 28, of Jacaranda Crescent and Busani Nyoni, 34, of Mkhosana, appeared before Victoria Falls resident magistrate Sharon Rosemani.

Nyoni, in whose car the ivory was recovered, appeared separately as he is being charged with illegal dealing in ivory. This is after he alleged that he picked the ivory from the bush and sold to Nhanhanga and Mandundu for 1,000 Pula sometime early this month.
The five pleaded guilty and were remanded in custody.

Prosecuting, Listen Nare told the court that on a day not known to him, Nyoni was fetching firewood in a bush behind Mkhosana houses when he allegedly picked the tusk.

On January 18, he sold it to Nhanhanga and Mandundu, the court heard.

“On Tuesday, police received a tip off that the five accused were in possession of an elephant tusk and looking for a buyer. After learning that the accused were on their way to Kingdom Hotel, police rounded them at the car park and identified themselves before requesting to search the car.

“The tusk was recovered in the boot and a digital scale,” said Nare.

Nhananga, Mandundu, Msipha and Nyandoro were arrested on the spot and they in turn implicated Nyoni.

The car, a Nissan Sunny, and scale are being held by the Minerals and Border Control Unit.

The case continues today.

In March last year, police and Parks rangers were involved in a shoot-out with Zambian poachers in the Kazuma Pandamasue area leading to the recovery of 37 tusks weighing a combined 680kg. The tusks had a combined value of $200,000.

More than 100 jumbos were reportedly killed through cyanide poisoning starting in 2013 leading to the arrest and conviction of 14 people mainly villagers  from Tsholotsho who worked in cahoots with poachers.

Zimbabwe has one of the biggest elephant populations in the world with Hwange National Park exceeding its carrying capacity.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare and Wildlife Fund reported that 30,000 elephants are slaughtered by illegal poachers annually owing to a rise in illegal ivory trade.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said the country is sitting on 70 tonnes of ivory worth about $17 million.