TWO suspected poachers, who were killed late in December last year by Zimbabwe National Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) rangers could have been victims of cold blood murder amid revelations they had no guns as reported.
One of the survivors, Clever Dhliwayo, of Village 22 under Nyamakate ward 7, Chief Chundu, told NewsDay that they were not armed, dismissing claims by rangers that there was a “direct armed contact”.
Narrating the ordeal, Dhliwayo claimed that they had spears, axes and dogs when they targeted a buffalo that they killed.
“None of us had a gun. We managed to target a buffalo from the head and set dogs on it. We used spears and axes to kill it when the dogs surrounded it.
“Unknowingly, ZimParks and Akashinga rangers were trailing us. They were monitoring us from a vantage point of a mountain. We were in a valley,” said the survivor who is nursing gunshot wounds.
He said soon after they killed the buffalo, they heard gunshots.
"They ambushed us as a team and we were unarmed. These guys are cruel. I spent two days in the bush without food.
"The rangers fired at Courage Maodzwa and we were all shocked when we noticed his helpless body. Just as we were about to flee another bullet missed my head by a few inches. Another bullet missed me again as I took cover. I am not sure how Tawanda Mapako was killed by the rangers,” Dhliwayo said.
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He couldn't move after the rangers shot him on both legs.
“Unfortunately they hit me on the legs and I fell down.
"One of the rangers was restrained by others as he wanted to shoot me at close range. He was mad to see me alive. He wanted all of us killed in cold blood.
“I was then handcuffed while bleeding. They searched all over and I heard some gunshots where I suspected that it was on the deceased's bodies.”
Dhilwayo added that the team went on to tie him to a tree and left for two days.
"On the third day, I was airlifted after spending two days in the bush without food," he added.
The game rangers consisted of two males from ZimParks and three females from Akashinga.
When contacted for comment Akashinga Reserve general manager Collins Cloete said: “I am sorry I can't comment on the matter because it's under the Zimparks' jurisdiction.”
ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said there was an armed contact where two suspected poachers lost their lives.
“During the incident, one of the survivors was injured while the fourth was arrested. This was reported to the police and investigations are underway,” he said.
