13 years for killing an elephant

A court in Nkhotakota has sentenced two people to 13 years in jail each for killing an elephant that had just been translocated to Nkhotakota Game Reserve.

The two are Faliki Simeon, 43, and Thomson Zindo, 56.

According to police, the two convicts, during the month of September 2017 entered Nkhotakota Game Reserve without permit while carrying an antique rifle which they used to kill the elephant.

They then removed two pieces of Ivory from the said elephant.

Nkhotakota parks and wildlife officials got a tip that an elephant had been killed within the game reserve and its tusks had been removed.

The matter was reported to Nkhotakota police station and a joint operation carried out by officers from wildlife crime investigation unit and police officers from Nkhotakota led to the arrest of the two men.

Two pieces of Ivory weighing 4kgs and a muzzle loader rifle were recovered.

The two appeared before court this week where they pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them.

Prosecuting the case, state prosecutor Levison Mangani pleaded with the court to impose stiff sentences to deter would be offenders.

“This malpractice of killing wild species is pulling down the development of this country as government is spending a lot of money by bringing in these species. Besides, this elephant is one of the elephants that have just been translocated from Liwonde game reserve,” said Mangani.

He further said the species bring in foreign currency after the tourists visit the game reserve.

During mitigation, the convicts said they are bread winners to their families and aged men.

Magistrate Fred Juma Chilowetsa then ordered the two to pay K7 million fine or in default to serve 13 years jail terms.

Simeon hails from Nduwa village while Zindo hails Msendekera village both from Traditional Authority Nthondo in Ntchisi.