SUNDAY DEBATE: Arrest the poachers, not journalists

08 Nov, 2015 - 00:11 0 Views
SUNDAY DEBATE: Arrest the poachers, not journalists

The Sunday Mail

On the day the news broke that The Sunday Mail Editor, Mabasa Sasa, and his two subordinates had been arrested for writing “falsehoods”, this being the heart-rending story of elephants that are being killed carelessly and needlessly in the Hwange National Park through cyanide poisoning, another story of a similar nature was breaking.

This time it was from Hong Kong, where it was reported that two smugglers from Zimbabwe had been arrested with 36kg of ivory. We could try to be simplistic and argue that the ivory could have been from the murdered elephants in Hwange, or from any national park within Zimbabwe that you may fancy.

Any motorist in Zimbabwe will easily testify to the heavy police presence if travelling from, for instance, Hwange to Harare – the route that the ivory has to take if it has to arrive safely in Hong Kong.

Motorists are in trouble for the slightest of traffic offences, ranging from spare wheels, reflectors, reverse lights – offences that don’t require impounding of vehicles and inordinate delays.

Honestly, how does the absence of a spare wheel on a vehicle contribute to road accidents, or its presence decreases road accidents? This offence, driving without a spare wheel, is akin to arresting a motorist for driving with fuel that is below a quarter tank (“you know you run the risk of sleeping on the road when your fuel runs out!”).

Well, that is the kind of policing we have to be content with in a country with the highest literacy rate in Africa.

So, if a motorist, any other ordinary motorist, can be badgered
by police over a spare wheel, reverse lights, reflectors or a car radio licence – what more if it is a mere villager carrying tonnage of ivory?

What are the chances of the villagers driving all the way from Hwange – or any national park that you may fancy – without facing the wrath of the police? Why is it our ivory is finding a safe passage all the way from any of our national parks, right up to Asia?

It means its passage is assured and aided. By who? Your guess is as good as mine.
Then on the same Wednesday that Sasa and comrades were making their initial court appearance, Honourable James Maridadi was appearing at the same courts, albeit a different court room, on charges that should have made the magistrate laugh.

Hon Maridadi was accused of stealing a ticket book from the National Railways of Zimbabwe with tickets worth US$2,50. The magistrate duly referred the matter back to the police. Makes you laugh, doesn’t it?

Those who had the privilege of attending the court hearing of The Sunday Mail accused trio will readily testify that they went through the hearing of three cases: some were arrested at the NRZ yard in Harare and the other two in Epworth, for possession of stubs of mbanje.

The Epworth men and one accused from the NRZ yard were fined US$5 each or alternatively four days in prison (if they failed to raise the fine). The other NRZ accused was cautioned and released.

This same police force that harasses you for a spare wheel will go through the hassle of preparing dockets and taking someone to court on such trivial issues as possession of stubs of mbanje.

Why not just fine the culprits?

If the police had fined these culprits, say US$20, wouldn’t that have saved the State time and resources?

No.

This is our national police force that would arrest journalists that report that the carnage that is ongoing in Hwange National Park.

Instructively, the police do not dispute that there is a syndicate at play. Rather, they want to know the who the top cop is and who were the journalists’ sources.

They want the journalists to do their job for them!

Many Zimbabweans have openly complained that it seems like the whole police force has moved from all other sections to man our roads.

Many Zimbabweans have openly complained that their house-breaking and theft cases remain largely unresolved, because the most common answer is “bring the culprits/suspects”.

Many Zimbabweans have openly complained of how poor service delivery is at the different police stations if you want as basic a service as commissioning of photocopied documents, finger prints, making a stolen property report, etc.

The carnage in Hwange National Park will not go unresolved – if the police decides to fold its arms, the media will be there to do the job for them. For how long are we going to butcher our wildlife in such brazen manner, during broad daylight and let it pass?

Remember the nation is still sitting on the unresolved issue of the gunned-down elephants in the Gonerezhou National Park in 2010? And we are still sitting on the other hundreds of elephants that were poisoned in the same Hwange National Park in 2013. And when we say enough is enough, someone thinks there is a hidden agenda. The truth shall come out, and it is only a matter of time.

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