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Temba Dube  Senior Reporter
ENVIRONMENTAL experts have called for a tightening of laws regarding the handling of hazardous substance, following the use of cyanide to poison and kill at least 69 elephants at the Hwange National Park.
The incident has sparked fears of an ecological disaster at the park.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is on the ground battling to determine the type of cyanide used by poachers in order to come up with a clean-up strategy.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Simon Bere, an environmental engineer and toxicologist at The Zimbabwe Institute of Works Management, said meting out stiffer sentences and educating members of the public on the danger of improper handling OF dangerous chemicals could prevent a repeat of the “horror” at the Hwange National Park.

“I think EMA needs to be more involved in the monitoring of toxic substances. They should work closely with the police to determine the source of the cyanide. Wherever it came from, people have a case to answer because it should not be handled without licence. More needs to be done to conscientise the public on the far reaching consequences of such substances on the environment,” said Mr Bere.

He said cyanide tolerant plants might absorb the poison and animals that eat them could die.
“Cyanide is a dangerous poison as it affects the central nervous system and can cause death. There is need for deterrent sentences,” said Mr Bere.

At present, Section 73 of the Environmental Management Act Chapter 20:27 that deals with prohibited substances, their use and the environment, and Statutory Instrument 99/200 provide for a fine of up to $5 000 and or one year in prison for people who misuse hazardous substances.

A bio-chemist at a local company who declined to be named, said cyanide was a quick acting poison.
However, she said it was unlikely that it was still in the environment at the Hwange National Park.

“It bio-degrades quickly if the conditions are right. If it is still there at Hwange, it would be in carcasses of animals that died due to the poison, or in plants that may have absorbed it. However, judging from the stories that we have been reading, chances are high that it is no longer there or exists in quantities that are too small to cause death. We have been reading of rotting elephant carcasses, not fresh ones.

This may be an indicator that it has bio-degraded,” said the bio-chemist.

She said it was sad that some poachers, who used the same method to kill elephants at the Hwange National Park earlier in the year, were sentenced to only two years in prison.

“There is a need to revisit the law in such instances. Environmental crimes are deadlier than physical crimes, although the latter get more deterrent sentences. The effects of an environmental crime can be felt for generations. You can have deformed children being born in a community for a long time ,” she said.

A Bulawayo lawyer said the police needed to be trained in handling environmental crimes.

“There is a mandatory sentence of up to nine years for killing an elephant. However, technicalities arising mainly from the way investigations are handled may get criminals a reduced sentence. In recent years, governments have attached more importance to environmental issues because they realise they affect every aspect of life,” he said.

“It would be a good idea to establish a special police branch especially trained to deal with environmental crimes. Even magistrates and prosecutors should be trained because sometimes they fail to appreciate the gravity of issues pertaining to the environment.”

Last week, EMA held a workshop with police officers and prosecutors at a Bulawayo hotel, to strengthen cooperation and understanding on environmental crimes.

The Government is expected to send a seven ministerial delegation to the park today to assess the extent of cyanide poisoning and the effect to the environment.