BY TINASHE MUNGAZI
TWO Zambian nationals, who illegally entered Zimbabwe before engaging in fishing activities without a permit, have been jailed four months.
Care Sialume (22) and Mosi Sianondo (21), of Katanga village under Chief Mwemba in Zambia, were convicted on their own plea of guilt when they are appeared before Hwange provincial magistrate Ntando Gift Dube facing charges of illegal entry into Zimbabwe and fishing without a permit.
They were slapped with a four-month jail term for entering the country through an ungazetted port of entry.
Three months of the sentence were conditionally suspended, while on the illegal fishing charge, they were sentenced to six months each, which were wholly suspended on condition they do not commit a similar crime within a period of five years.
The two will serve an effective one month in prison, pending deportation to their country upon completion of the sentence.
The duo told the court that they were not well-versed with the country’s laws, hence they committed the offence out of ignorance.
“Your Worship, we are sorry we didn’t know that we were committing an offence by fishing on the other side since we considered it the same river which is on our country’s side. May you be merciful and forgive us,” the two Zambians pleaded.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Prosecuting, Vumizulu Mangena said on an uknown date, Sialume and Sianondo illegally entered into Zimbabwe.
On May 23, 2019, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers Obert Chinyama and Dumisani Moyo, together with Nixon Nyoni of Save Tiger Fish in Hwange were on a joint anti-poaching patrol along the Zambezi River when they saw the two fishing near Muyava/Zambezi confluence.
Upon realising that they had been spotted, the duo then tried to escape using their canoe, but were immediately apprehended and it was discovered they were fishing without a permit on the Zimbabwean side. The anti-poaching patrol team recovered a 3,5 inch by 200 metres net and 5kg of fish.
