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thousands of dollars.
Gomweso Mutandiro (37), Raymond John (36), Taurai Gopoza (27), Julius Bande (26), Patrick Dhliwayo (31), Mike Machingura (22), Jodius Magaisa (18) and George Gwembiri (16) are being charged for contravening a section of the National Parks and Wildlife Management Act.
They were not asked to plead when they appeared before Karoi magistrate Mr Elisha Singano last Friday. The eight were remanded in custody to April 29 for trial.
Mutandiro and John are from Chief Sampakaruma’s area in Binga while the rest are from Gokwe.
According to the indictment papers, on April 12 this year, Tashinga National Park game scouts heard gun shots at Siakobvu’s Gunguwe area in Ward 10.
They teamed up with Safrique Safari scouts and went to Gunguwe where they saw a white defender vehicle without number plates parked at a grinding mill. Inside the vehicle were three men who after being questioned indicated that they were on their way to Chalala Fishing Camp to buy Kapenta.
Unsatisfied with their explanation, the game scouts laid an ambush.
At around 6am the next morning they saw Gopoza emerging from the forest walking stealthily to the vehicle and a few minutes later Dhliwayo and Bande appeared carrying four pairs of raw ivory to the white defender.
The scouts, the State alleges, swooped on the two who then implicated the other six who were later arrested.
The two also confessed that they had killed the four elephants in February this year using Matandiro’s rifle, which police have so far not recovered.
Mr Webster Dimingo prosecuted.