Suspected rhino poachers shot dead

Three suspected rhino poachers from Beit Bridge were shot dead during a pre-dawn shoot-out with game rangers at the Chipangayi Safari area in Chiredzi, outside the border town.

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority spokesperson, Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo, confirmed the incident, which occurred last Thursday. The deceased were identified as Sakhile Ncube, Nicholas Tswami and Million Chauke.

Washaya-Moyo said the game rangers at Chipangayi Safari Area were tipped off about poachers planning to kill rhino in the park. “I can confirm that three poachers were shot dead during a shoot-out with our rangers. In fact, the three men were part of a group of six suspected poachers, and they were surprised by game rangers who had advance warning of their arrival,” she said.

The alleged poachers, who were travelling in two cars, are said to have shot at the rangers after refusing to surrender, triggering a shoot-out.

The well-prepared rangers killed three men and arrested two others, while a third escaped in a Toyota Corolla. A rifle fitted with a silencer, 18 rounds of ammunition, two knives and two bags were among the items recovered and one of their vehicles was also impounded.

"Information was received by officers based at Buffalo Range Airport, working with a reliable informer, that an organised, armed poaching group wanted to enter Chipangayi Safari area for the purpose of poaching rhinos. This information was communicated to Chipangayi and they were ready when the poachers got there.”

Zimbabwean courts have handed out stiff sentences to poachers in recent months. Poachers have killed at least 14 rhino in Zimbabwe´s nature reserves so far this year, principally for their horn.

News - Date: 26 September 2011

Mashudu Netsianda

Mashudu Netsianda is our correspondent in Beit Bridge, Zimbabwe. He joined us in 2006, writing both local and international stories. He had worked for several Zimbabwean publications, as well as the Times of Swaziland. Mashudu received his training at the School of Mass Communication in Harare.

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