Nokutenda Rusero
A MAN will serve nine years in prison after he killed a black rhino, which is a protected animal.
He hunted and killed the black rhino, which was valued at US$120 000.
The State said sometime on July 14, 2022, Nyoni, and four others, hunted and killed a black rhino at Bubye Valley Conservancy in Beitbridge.
They killed the rhino using a .375 rifle, which belonged to Nyoni.
They dehorned it using an axe and the horns were sold in Harare.
The offence was discovered by game scouts, an empty cartridge of the .375 rifle was also recovered.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of Prince Mudenda and he implicated Nyoni.
Meanwhile, a 53-year-old man from Beitbridge has been arrested for unlawful possession of two rhino horns.
Last week, the police received a tip-off that Lameck Shumba, together with his accomplices Prosper Zengeya and Abelina Nangai, who are still at large, were in possession of a black rhino horns and were looking for buyers from South Africa.
The police posed as potential buyers and lured Shumba and Zengeya to Pagomba Sports Bar in Beitbridge.
The police signaled for backup and when the team arrived they arrested Nyoni and his accomplice fled from the scene.
Shumba was remanded in custody to April 16.