Share

Zim ruling Zanu-PF party MP goes on trial for illegally possessing pangolin

Harare - A ruling Zanu-PF party member of parliament has gone on trial in Zimbabwe on charges of illegally possessing a pangolin.

The trial of Hubert Nyanhongo, MP for mountainous Nyanga North, began on Tuesday in the south-eastern town of Chipinge, reports the Manica Post in its latest edition.

Nyanhongo and his three co-accused pleaded not guilty to the crime, which carries a mandatory nine-year jail term on conviction. 

'Incriminating evidence'

Game ranger Samuel Gona gave “incriminating evidence” at the start of the trial, “arguing that the accused were trapped after agreeing to sell the pangolin for $5000”, said the paper.  

Nyanhongo, a former deputy minister of energy, is accused of trying to sell the pangolin to Gona at Birchenough Bridge, an hour’s drive north-west of Chipinge, in April.

Rangers conducted arrest

Gona, posing as a buyer, alerted fellow rangers who conducted the arrest of the MP and his three colleagues at Birchenough Bridge Hospital.

Defence lawyer Langton Mhungu dismissed the charges. He said his clients had given a lift to a ruling party activist from Nyanga. Unbeknown to them, the activist, identified only as Kapenda, had a live pangolin in his bag.

Most trafficked mammal

“The rangers rushed to arrest my clients without further investigations,” said the lawyer.

“Kapenda suddenly disappeared and police discovered a bag with a live pangolin in it,” the lawyer added.

Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are the most illegally trafficked mammals on the planet. Their scales are used in traditional Asian medicines. Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority rescued at least 36 live pangolins from poachers and dealers last year.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
What is a non-negotiable when considering the election manifestos from various parties?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
A solid plan for load shedding
15% - 443 votes
Bold climate change objectives
1% - 30 votes
Roadmap for economic recovery
51% - 1533 votes
Solutions to SA's crime crisis
33% - 977 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.00
-0.5%
Rand - Pound
23.95
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.51
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.5%
Platinum
895.30
-0.2%
Palladium
991.47
-1.0%
Gold
2,196.11
+0.1%
Silver
24.46
-0.8%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,818
+0.2%
All Share
74,028
+0.2%
Resource 10
56,225
+1.0%
Industrial 25
103,464
+0.2%
Financial 15
16,455
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE