A 27-year-old suspected fish poacher from Mwenezi village outside Beit Bridge was attacked and killed by crocodiles last week, when he jumped into a dam while trying to evade arrest by security guards, police have said.

Police spokesperson Insp Peter Zhanero said that after the incident, police only recovered the bottom part of the body of Simbarashe Matondo. It happened on Thursday at about at 20:00 at Chimusoro Dam on Ivane Range. Matondo was in the company of Masinge Masinge (35).

Upon arrival at the dam, the two started fishing and were aboard a man-made canoe. “While they were fishing, they were approached by two security guards who asked them to produce fishing permits, which they did not have. Matondo jumped into the crocodile-infested dam and was immediately attacked by a crocodile,” Zhanero said. The police attended the scene and retrieved the victim’s remains.

Zhanero warned community members against going into the water, saying they risked drowning or being attacked by crocodiles. “Members of the community should not trust water which is not meant for recreational purposes. It is dangerous to swim in crocodile-infested dams,” he added.