Sunday, 23 April, 2000 Sitrep, 2:01 PM Regarding the incident on Lavanga
Ranch, Chiredzi. Please note the following:
Approximately at 08:00am on 22/4/2000 2 game scouts picked up a
snareline. They followed this snareline and found 7 poachers with 5
Impala that had been snared, wire snares and all the poachers armed with
bows and arrows.
Approximately 10:00am they called in
assistance via their radio system to the nearest game scout unit.
Another 4 game scouts and a driver reacted and at approximately 14:00pm
arrived close to the scene and had to walk the rest of the way in. At
approximately 16:00pm the game scouts and driver were intercepted by the
war vets and taken "hostage".
They were made to sing slogans -
"forward with the ruling party and the President and down with the
opposition and its leader."
There was a lot of
politicizing.
There were about 50 war vets amongst them and
some well known people from the adjacent communal area.One being an ex-
game scout.
The war vets wanted to use the vehicle. The driver
played this down by saying that it would not start.
The
war vets found that the vehicle did start and they then said that the
driver was following a different agenda and had to be punished. They
made him lie down on his stomach. They cut a branch and said that his
punishment would be 10 cuts. They lashed him 10 times after which they
gave him another 2 saying that this was his "pansella".
They
started up the vehicle and drove around. It appears that they bumped
into something because the front u-bolt broke. The brake line also
broke.
It appears that they picked up another worker from the
farm (not part of the game scouts group) pushed him around, slapped him,
beat him and then kicked him. He was not seriously beaten up.
The war vets released the group of game scouts approximately
17:00pm whereby the game scouts arrived back into base around
18:15pm.
The war vets confiscated 2 shotguns, 1 303 rifle, 5
Motorola radios and handcuffs.
The war vets did
indicate that if the vehicle belonged to Jeremy Otterson they would have
burnt it and killed all the game scouts.
Member in Charge at
Chiredzi dispatched a unit. C.I.O and C.I.D has recovered the
confiscated equipment and are presently at the Chiredzi Police
Station.
Statements have been taken from the game scouts
involved.
Police did indicate that this incident would be
thoroughly investigated. Although the equipment was recovered, no
arrests have been made yet.
The driver that was beaten up has
been taken to Chiredzi Hospital by the Police for a medical
examination.
Clive Stockhill mentioned his concern to the
Police regarding what would appear an upsurge in poaching. There are a
few Black Rhino on the property and Levango Ranch is being authorized as
custodians in terms of Section 37 of the Parks Act. Police have
indicated that the Public Relations Officer would be sent in to form a
Crime Watch Community System.
There is definitely a
link between the war vets and the poaching incident.
The Police have indicated that the perpetrators of beatings and poaching
that have occurred must be prosecuted.
There is definitely a
concern for Jeremy Otterson's safety. The War Vets did indicate that
they do not have a problem with Senuko Ranch, but that Levanga Ranch and
its owner have been targeted.
There has been a further farm
invasion in Mwenezi District. The war vets numbering 27 were very
friendly and indicated that they were instructed to do so. They have
planted a few pegs and after doing so have left the property. They
originate from Chiturapasi communal area.
The property affected
is the following:
Farm Name: Groenveldt Ranch
Owner: Samuel (Buks) Viljoen
Farm Manager: George
Viljoen.
This farm actually falls under Matabele South. The
owner is a member of Mwenezi Farmer Association which comes under
Masvingo Region.
There is definitely an upsurge in poaching
taking place in Gutu / Chatsworth area. It would appear that these
perpetrators are taking advantage of the war vets.