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Conservationist slams government’s plan to cull elephants

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Zimbabwean government’s plan to cull elephants to feed starving communities has been met with fierce opposition from conservationists.

Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Natural Resources Governance, has spoken out against the move, calling it a “lame excuse” to justify the killing of elephants.

“This is not a solution to the drought problem,” Maguwu said. “There are many other avenues the government can explore to address food insecurity without resorting to killing elephants.”

Maguwu argued that the government’s reasoning – that Zimbabwe’s elephant population has exceeded the recommended eco-system balance – is a flawed argument. “This is not a new issue,” he said. “The government has always wanted to cull elephants since the 1990s, and now they are using the drought as an excuse.”

He also raised concerns about the international implications of such a move. “Elephants are protected by international conventions like CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora),” he said. “You can’t just wake up and decide to slaughter them.”

Maguwu accused the government of prioritizing profits over conservation. “Once they start legitimizing the killing of animals, it will be a slippery slope,” he said. “Soon we won’t have any elephants left. And let’s not forget, minerals are being plundered in Zimbabwe, and once they start selling elephant ivory, it will be like blood diamonds all over again. The tourism industry will also suffer greatly.”

“The government is not thinking about the long-term consequences of their actions,” Maguwu said. “They are only thinking about short-term gains. Let the elephants live. They are more profitable to Zimbabwe alive than dead.”

The government’s plan has sparked debate, with some arguing that it is a necessary measure to address food insecurity, while others, like Maguwu, see it as a threat to conservation efforts.

As the government moves forward with the culling process, many are watching with bated breath to see the impact it will have on Zimbabwe’s elephant population and the communities affected by the drought.

Binga

Domestic violence turns deadly: Binga man stones wife to death, hangs self

Published

2 hours ago

September 19, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Domestic violence turned deadly when a man killed his wife and later committed suicide.

According to the police, the shocking incident of domestic violence ending in murder and suicide struck in Siantungwana 4 Village, Sikomena, Dobola, on September 16.

The husband, Zibusiso Mhlanga, a 44-year-old man, allegedly attacked his wife, Lydia Mlalazi, 19, with a stone for unknown reasons.

The brutal assault resulted in Lydia’s death upon admission at a local health center in Lusulu.

In a disturbing turn of events, Zibusiso then took his own life by hanging.

The motive behind the attack and subsequent suicide remains unclear.

The Lusulu police are currently investigating the case, attempting to unravel the circumstances surrounding this incident.

National

Do not induce bribes to ZIMRA officers: Commissioner General speaks out

Published

3 hours ago

September 19, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In a bid to tackle corruption head-on, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) Commissioner General Regina Chinamasa recently addressed a meeting with VicFallsLive, emphasizing the organization’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and urging citizens to join the fight.

During the meeting, Chinamasa highlighted the risks of corruption and its far-reaching impact on the economy.

“Given the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority issues, we have the risks coming in the form of corruption and as an authority we’ve got zero tolerance to corruption,” she said.

The meeting provided a platform for Chinamasa to share ZIMRA’s strategy in combating corruption, including awareness-raising among staff members and investigating and prosecuting cases of corruption.

She cited a recent case of a civil servant involved in corruption and fraud, where assets procured through ill-gotten proceeds were identified and are now subject to attachment.

Chinamasa appealed to citizens to resist and report cases of corruption, emphasizing that ZIMRA officers are public servants who are already paid and should not accept bribes.

“My message is to say it takes two to tangle, without an inducement my officers can not be corrupt, so I appeal to the citizens of Zimbabwe not to pay for service provision by ZIMRA because we are public servants and we are already paid, so resist, report cases of corruption, please do not induce bribes to our officers because at the end of the day we have a nation to build.”

National

Despite release of 8 000 inmates on amnesty, prisons remain overpopulated: Official

Published

24 hours ago

September 18, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

Zimbabwe’s prison population is too high and authorities are struggling to fulfil their mandate of rehabilitating inmates, an official said on Tuesday.

Appearing before a joint sitting of parliament’s human rights committee and the justice, legal and parliamentary affairs committee, prisons commissioner general Social Ndanga said the current prison population was 22,174 and it sometimes rises up to 24,000.

“Of that figure, 21,401 are males and 772 are females,” he said. “What is very critical for us now is to equip these prisoners, these inmates, so that when they go out of prison, they become law-abiding citizens, and they don’t go back to prison.”

In April this year, over 4,000 inmates were released under a presidential amnesty, one of the methods to decongest the prisons. That mass prisoner release followed a previous one in May 2023 when Mnangagwa issued a clemency order leading to the release of 4,270 prisoners.

nterventions, Ndanga says the country’s 46 prisons remain full

There are 17 prisons, including Connemara Open Prison, that are only meant for male inmates and 26 prisons accommodate both male and female prisoners while three prisons are exclusively female.

Ndanga said authority has been granted for the construction of two modern prisons in Gwanda and at Hurungwe prison farm.

“Topographical surveys have been completed and master plan designs are in progress but budgetary constraints will obviously delay completion of the same. And also there are temporary prisons that are going to be constructed throughout the country,” he told MPs.