Poacher gets 7 years imprisonment in Chinsali

CHINSALI Subordinate Court has convicted and sentenced a poacher to seven years with hard labour for illegal possession of ivory.Dickson Mbeye (39), a resident of Kankhomba village in Chief Chibale’s area was handed over the jail term with hard labour following his arrest for illegal possession of 47 kilos of ivory suspected to have been […]

Poacher gets 7 years imprisonment in Chinsali
CHINSALI Subordinate Court has convicted and sentenced a poacher to seven years with hard labour for illegal possession of ivory.Dickson Mbeye (39), a resident of Kankhomba village in Chief Chibale’s area was handed over the jail term with hard labour following his arrest for illegal possession of 47 kilos of ivory suspected to have been harvested from an elephant poached in Musalangu game management area.In a statement issued by Ministry of Tourism and Arts Public Relations Officer Sikabilo Kalembwe, Mbeye was facing one count of Unlawful Possession of Prescribed Trophy namely, elephant ivory contrary to section 130 (2) of the Wildlife Act No. 14 of 2015 (ZWA 2015).Mr Kalembwe stated that the arrest was made following a tip-off from concerned members of the public to the officers from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.He further stated that when passing sentence, the Court bemoaned the increase in wildlife related cases, which are depleting the natural resources as wildlife is being destroyed.He noted that the Court stated that due to poaching, government is losing out on revenue that could be generated through sustainable ventures like tourism.“Elephants are an important resource that attracts local and foreign tourists to Zambia’s national parks. In addition, elephants play an important role in maintaining the biodiversity of the ecosystems in which they live,” further stated Mr Kalembwe.The Public Relations Officer indicates that his Ministry wishes to warn members of the public that want to engage in illicit activities of wildlife that they will face the law as government continues to step up conservation efforts in the country.Mr Kalembwe highlighted that the Ministry of Tourism and Arts’ Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has in the last five years observed a stable to reduced elephant poaching in key elephant ranges. – ZANIS The Sun