A ZIMBABWEAN female migrant is now serving a four-year jail sentence in Botswana for illegal possession of an elephant tusk in that country.
According to media reports from the neighbouring country Sithembile Khumalo (37) of Plumtree, in Matabeleland South province, was caught by police officers with a single tusk at Nswazwi Mall near a fast-food outlet on June 29, 2024.
Indications are that she was in the company of her nephew, Gilbert Tasiiwa, when she was arrested.
Tasiiwa was later discharged as he knew nothing about the tusk.
It was the State’s case that police officers pounced on the pair and searched their bag in which they found a 12,5kg sack of maize meal containing one whitish object wrapped with three different cloths.
Khumalo then told the police it was her tusk and that she got it in Plumtree.
The tusk was taken to the Bureau of Standards and it weighed 5,3kg.
Before sentence was passed, Khumalo pleaded for a leniency stating that she is a first offender.
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“I am asking for forgiveness and this is my first time clashing with the law and I will never do that again,” she pleaded with the court.
Her mitigation was fruitless as she was fined P20 000 and thrown in jail for four years.
