Poachers abandon 8kg elephant tusk haul

Police have recovered three elephant tusks weighing 8kg that were abandoned by five fleeing poachers at the Mandaza Islands along the Zambezi River. The value of the tusks is yet to be established. Police spokesperson Superintendent Andrew Phiri yesterday confirmed the incident. He said police also recovered about 50 kg of game meat, an axe, 5 x 5-litre empty containers, a blanket and a bedsheet. “On 14 September, police from Kazungula were patrolling along the Zambezi River at the Mandaza Islands. Poachers frequent the area in search of wild animals,” he said. “At around 7pm, the police saw five suspected poachers carrying luggage and they opened fire at the poachers. Sensing danger, the poachers abandoned the goods,” he said. Supt Phiri urged the public, especially those in conservancy areas, to alert the police when they see suspected poachers. The Government gazetted replacement value for each elephant is US$50 000. Recently, a man was arrested together with three accomplices for illegally possessing two elephant tusks in Harare. Source: The

Herald

African Environmental Police: Suspected Namibian poachers kill 19 elephants in B...

African Environmental Police: Suspected Namibian poachers kill 19 elephants in B...: At least 19 carcasses of elephants have been found in the Kasane area since the shooting of two alleged Namibian poachers by the BDF anti-...

Suspected Namibian poachers kill 19 elephants in Botswana

At least 19 carcasses of elephants have been found in the Kasane area since the shooting of two alleged Namibian poachers by the BDF anti-poaching unit on July 17, Mmegi has established. "Ever since the July shooting of two Namibian poachers, our anti-poaching officers have found 15 carcasses of elephants with tusks removed," the Commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), Lieuetenant General Gaolathe Galebotswe, said at his inaugural press briefing at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks yesterday. "Just this morning, I received another report that four carcasses were found over the past few days with tusks missing." Galebotswe stated that poachers are on the prowl along the country's borders with Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. He said that the poachers use sophisticated methods that should be met with a response of the same magnitude. "The problem is that unlike in the past,there is money involved in modern poaching," he said."Our grandparents used to poach to put food on the table; not for commercial purposes. But all that has changed." GeneralG

alebotswe said the BDF has a good relationship with its Namibian counterpart and have carried out joint operations and exercises since the beginning of this year. Meanwhile, the new army chief commander has vowed to fight for improved working conditions for his men and women. Addressing journalists yesterday, he said soldiers should view the army as "the best place to be" and that that can only be achieved if the soldiers have better remuneration and accommodation. He said that the army continues to lose non-commissioned officers and professionals such as doctors, nurses and engineers to other competitors who offer better working conditions than the army. The problem, he said, is that salaries are often linked to rank irrespective of qualifications, hence the need to pay in accordance with the market offers. 'We are losing a lot of non-commissioned officers at the rank of Lance Corporal who are still young and eager to explore other opportunities or pursue other interests," he said. "So we intend to de-link the remuneration from one's rank and pay the equivalent of what others in the industry are paying. "But it will still be a challenge because our officers are on duty 24/7 but their counterparts in other institutions work normal hours and are free to travel outside their workstations any time. In the army, one can only travel outside one's workstation if one is on leave or off-duty." Source: Mmegi

African Environmental Police: DR Congolese man caught with 21 elephant tusks

African Environmental Police: DR Congolese man caught with 21 elephant tusks: HARARE - A Democratic Republic of Congo refugee who was caught with 21 elephant tusks was arraigned before the Harare Magistrates’ Court...

DR Congolese man caught with 21 elephant tusks

HARARE - A Democratic Republic of Congo refugee who was caught with 21 elephant tusks was arraigned before the Harare Magistrates’ Court. Daniel Mpa, 64, is facing unlawful possession of unregistered or unmarked ivory as defined in section 128 of the Parks and Wildlife Act. The court heard that on August 27 this year at Roadesville Shopping Centre in Harare, police detectives acting on a tip-off found Mpa in possession of 21 elephant tusks which were wrapped in black sheeting hidden under some cabbages and oranges at the back of a Toyota Hilux pick-up. The value of the ivory is $62 250 and all was recovered.

Magistrate Anita Tshuma remanded Mpa in custody to September 14 as the state had to look for a Lingala speaking interpreter to start his case. — Court Writer Source: Daily News

African Environmental Police: Chiefs demand reversal of seizure of Save Valley C...

African Environmental Police: Chiefs demand reversal of seizure of Save Valley C...: CHIREDZI chiefs have demanded that the government reverse the controversial indigenisation of Save Valley Conservancy which has sparked publ...

Chiefs demand reversal of seizure of Save Valley Conservancy

CHIREDZI chiefs have demanded that the government reverse the controversial indigenisation of Save Valley Conservancy which has sparked public clashes between cabinet ministers and drawn threats of aid cuts by the European Union. Environment minister Francis Nhema recently directed that owners of the prized 3,400 square-kilometre wildlife reserve in the south-east Lowveld region take on some 25 individuals, most of them senior Zanu PF officials, as partners in order to comply with the country’s indigenisation policies. The beneficiaries include higher education minister Stan Mudenge, Masvingo governor Titus Maluleke, senator Josiah Hungwe, MPs Ronald Ndava, Alois Baloyi, Abraham Sithole and former legislator Shuvai Mahofa. But the decision appeared to cause divisions in the cabinet with Tourism minister, Walter Mzembi, accusing his party and cabinet colleague of promoting greed by “empowering people who are already empowered severally in other sectors, such as farming, ranching, sugar cane farming, mining”. And on Monday, traditional leaders from the area, Chief Gudo, Chief Tshovani and Chief Sengwe, called on the government to reverse the decision, accusing Nhema of empowering a few individuals at the expense of their communities. “The adopted programme, which sadly prioritises a few individuals is against the concept of broad-based economic empowerment of communities,” the chiefs told reporters at a press conference in Harare. “It has allocated vast resources in Chiredzi to a few individuals. The option that the governor and his clique have adopted, under which they partner the sitting tenants, has caused a lot of destruction to the wildlife.

“The option we had proposed would, instead, see the owners teaming up with local communities who would own 51 percent of the project in line with the country's indigenisation programme.” The conservancy’s owners deny allegations that the project is controlled by foreigners and warn that Nhema’s decision could lead to its complete collapse. "Two-thirds of the stakeholders of the conservancy are black,” Wilfried Pabst, a German businessman who is vice-chair of the conservancy said recently. "(The park) is a working example of how something really special can be a success, by including all sectors of the community, especially the rural poor who have previously got nothing out of wildlife.” Still, the new partners have since vowed to stay put and dismissed claims their involvement would threaten wildlife and leave thousands of jobs at risk. “What we are trying to do is correct the historic imbalances caused by colo­nialism and opening up opportu­nities for blacks in Zimbabwe,” said Baloyi. “We are the rightful players in the Save Valley Conservancy because we have the leases and the other guys do not have anything.”