13 years IHL for killing an elephant

Nkhotakota Magistrate’s Court on Friday convicted and sentenced Faliki Simeon and Thomson Zindo to 13 years imprisonment each for killing an elephant in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.

Central Region prosecution officer Levison Mangani told the court that in September the duo entered the reserve without permit, armed with a muzzle loader locally known as gogodera and killed the elephant.

Mangani told the court that the two removed two tusks weighing four kilogrammes (kgs) from the elephant. He said that a muzzle loader was confiscated in the process.

The prosecutor asked the court to impose stiff punishment to Simeon and Zindo to deter would-be offenders.

“The malpractice of killing wildlife is pulling down development of the nation since the country is investing in the same. Besides, the elephant that was killed was just one of the many elephants translocated from Liwonde National Park,” he said.

Mangani said the wildlife species bring in foreign currency to the nation when foreign tourists visit the reserve.

The two pleaded guilty and asked the court for leniency, saying they are both breadwinners for their families.

Magistrate Fred Chilowetsa fined the convicts K7 million each or in default serve 13 years jail terms each.

“I hereby sentence each one of you to pay a value of one elephant which is currently at K7 million or in default serve a 13-year jail term,” he ruled.

Simeon, 43, comes from Nduwa Village while Zindo, 56 is from Msendekera Village both in Traditional Authority Nthondo in Ntchisi District. n