via ‘Bigwigs involved in cyanide poisoning’ – DailyNews Live by Bridget Mananavire 29 OCTOBER 2013
A wildlife conservation organisation kicked out of Hwange National Park has alleged that government bigwigs were involved in the cyanide poisoning of wildlife.
More than 100 elephants have died of cyanide poisoning at Hwange National Park in one of the worst poaching atrocities in Zimbabwe.
John Rodrigues, the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) chairperson, said it was shocking that his organisation that had invested more than $1,5 million dollars on conservation of wildlife was now an enemy and denied access to Hwange and other national parks.
“They are afraid we will tell people the truth about the poaching situation and how the elephants were killed,” Rodrigues said, without mentioning names.
“There is a cover-up going on there at Hwange, and bigwigs are involved.
“We have helped in the conservation of wildlife and used more than $1,5million since 2005,” Rodrigues said.
One of ZCTF’s workers was two weeks ago arrested and charged with trespassing after he was found while conducting investigations in the national park by army personnel deployed to secure the area.
ZCTF organisation was set-up in 2001 to assist national parks with anti-poaching operations with regard to wildlife and aquatic life among other objectives.
“This is a big issue that needs the input of many stakeholders; many animals are dying from this cyanide attack, not just elephants,” he said.
“How do we help each other save the animals? Remember these animals do not belong to Zimbabwe but to the people of Zimbabwe.”
The opposition MDC party has demanded a commission of inquiry to probe the killing of elephants at Hwange National Park.
“The MDC’s demands follow the recent unlawful arrests and severe torture of villagers in Tsholotsho and surrounding villages by the police and game rangers and claims by Zanu PF that it is not behind the killings,” said the party’s tourism spokesperson Thamsanqa Mahlangu.
Government has said poaching in national parks has persisted due to lack of resources, calling on business and donors to fund Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) to help curb poaching.
Rodrigues said 300 more elephants died in Tsholotso in July and government took six weeks to react to the situation.
He said despite all the challenges Zimparks was facing, the director Maurice Mutsambiwa, wrote to him barring him from all the national parks.
COMMENTS
Well that is what Zanu is good at, well you can try and tell us the culprits, just for the record because no one amongst the bigwigs is going to be arrested according to the Zanu manifesto.
For as long as these Lucifers in sheepskin talks about bigwigs without telling Zimbabweans who these are, then its not worth our listening. Is it not a case of sour grapes Mr Rodrigues? What conservation programmes can you independently conduct in a national reserve without ulterior motives.
THE BIG RIGWIGS!
ZANU nxa that is them at their best! It is bad to be anything in ZANUmbabwe even the poor animals are suffering under Zanu. Shame Lord have mercy.
The good thing is you will remain a Zimbabwean whether you like it or otherwise. The earlier you sober up the better you will contribute positively for the development of your God given land.
Mungapoisone ne mhukawo here vakomana
Who are these bigwigs please tell us we want to know them we are not worried about what will happen to them as we all have the answer to that. If it was other countries then we would have expect to see justice applied to them. Remember this is Zimbabwe——
Zimbabweans do not create or develop anything, instead they destroy and plunder.
Indigenization = take 51% of what is not yours, great plan, NOT.
Chop down all the trees for fire wood instead of planting trees, great plan, NOT.
Poach all the wild life instead of protecting it for the financial tourism reward, great plan, NOT.
Take farms from the white man then sell all the movable assets for instant profit instead of productively utilizing the land, great plan, NOT.
Plunder the diamond and mineral resources for self enrichment instead of using the revenue to better the nation as a whole, great plan, NOT.
Soon you Zimbabweans will eat only dirt, and the western world will be forced to feed the whole nation. Get off your arses and do something about fixing your own problems. If you can’t get rid of Mugabe through the ballet box then you must use armed force.
Its only in a Banana republic where all and sundry can come and do what ever they want without any form of control. It is only fools who would allow outsiders to come and run the affairs of their families because they themselves feel inferior. Zimbos lets fight this inferiority complex if we are to succeed as a nation.
This comment is obviously coming from a diehard Rhodesian murderer who still dream Rhodesia’s return to Zimbabwe. The land reform assisted by the illegal economic sanctions indeed broke Smith’s curse of ‘not in a 1000 years’. The indigenization and empowerment programme is the last nail in the destruction of the Rhodesian economy and replacing it with the true Zimbabwean economy. We know you can never wish us well in our assertion of our sovereignty over our national wealth. Lest you forget, Zimbabwe will never be a colony again.
oh give it a rest you zanu puppet! your mafia party is raping the country and you and everyone else knows it , who even cares that you are trying to distract us with stupid comments of recolonisation 33 years after independance ,that was then this is now, move on
@Fungai – sadly Zim has been incapable of feeding it’s own nation over the previous ten years so it has to rely on “filthy western” to provide food.
“We are capable of doing things on our own.” OH YE??? You (Zimbabweans) manager to destroy your own currency through the world record breaking hyperinflation. Now you must use the US$. Constant power cuts, water shortages, fuel shortages, food shortages, broken education system where the best that you can produce are the intellectually blind people above. In Zimbabwe one goes to hospital only if you wish to die, no medicines and no food for their patients, a one way ticket to the grave. No freedom of speech, no freedom of the press, no liberty, no human rights, no justice, no law and order, no freedom of choice, no democracy, no food, no jobs, no morality, no honor, NO HOPE. “We are capable of doing things on our own.” OH YE???
The list is toooooo long to post here. Ian Smith was correct when he said a black man would not run Zimbabwe in a 1000 years and so for the first 33years has proved him right. Prove me wrong restore Zimbabwe to the second strongest economy in Africa, I dare you. Please do the world a favor and stay in your country and stop pleading for asylum in the first world countries.
Typical academically blind people above do not have the acumen to attack my argument above but rather resort to childish insults, well here’s the breaking news your deformation is invalid as it lacks substantiation.
Racism and bigotry is an ugly thing, You Joe are not a nice person.