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A view of the Shashe River

Richard Muponde, Gwanda Correspondent
A SUSPECTED border jumper from Gwanda South was last week trampled to death by elephants as he tried to cross into Botswana with two friends.

The incident happened on Thursday in Mawaga area near the new Mlambapheli border Post.

Liseli Makwaiba (28) of Chief Mathe, Mr Motsoalli and Mr Linotsoi Sebata were on their way to Botswana through an illegal crossing point along the Shashe River when the jumbos attacked Makwaiba.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele yesterday confirmed Makwaiba’s death.

“The police received a sudden death report of an elephant attack. The incident happened around 7PM when Makwaiba and two colleagues who are suspected border jumpers wanted to illegally cross into Botswana,” said Insp Ndebele.

“When they arrived in Mawaga Village along the Shashe River, they encountered a herd of elephants which charged at them. Two escaped but Makwaiba was trampled and died on the spot.”

He said the survivors made a police report.

Insp Ndebele appealed to members of the public to apply for travel documents and desist from illegally crossing the border to avoid such unnecessary loss of lives.

A source who comes from the same village as Makwaiba said the trio were in a drunken stupor when disaster struck. Jumbos have caused havoc in Gwanda South where they have destroyed irrigation fields among other infrastructure.

@richardmuponde