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Mbonisi Sibanda (32), Nkosilathi Ncube (31) and Collert Dube (29), from Siganda area of Bubi District had pleaded not guilty to stock theft, but were convicted by Bulawayo provincial magistrate Ms Gladmore Mushove.

After failing to advance any special circumstances, the trio, which confessed to earning a living through poaching, was slapped with the mandatory imprisonment term.

Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa, for the State proved that on 20 June this year, the trio in company of a juvenile, went and set up wire snares in the Sawmills grazing area of Insuza.

They caught a heifer, slaughtered it and cut the meat and started making into biltong by drying it with fire.

A worker of the owner of the cow saw them while they were busy and when the employer came that same day, the employee made a report to him.

Police who were in the company of the employer were led to the scene and on approaching, the trio ran away leaving behind a juvenile who was in their company.

The juvenile was caught at the scene and then implicated the trio leading to their arrest.

Charges against the juvenile were withdrawn before plea on the insistence of the owner of the cow and he was used as a State witness against the trio.

Police managed to recover the head, a leg, spear, axe, wire snare and the sacks which were used to carry the meat.