Four men have been sentenced to a mandatory nine-year jail term for unlawful possession of raw ivory, as authorities continue their crackdown on wildlife crimes.
The convicted individuals — Olieth Shumba (36), Lovegod Mtokho (26), Solomon Tarwakuona (36), and Patrick Ndou (47) were arrested on July 30, 2024, after detectives received intelligence that they were in possession of elephant tusks and were seeking buyers in Kwekwe’s Central Business District. Upon their arrest, they failed to produce the required permits, leading to the recovery of ten pieces of raw ivory.
On January 22, 2025, the quartet appeared before Magistrate Mildred Matuvi at the Kwekwe Magistrates’ Court, with Ethel Bhumure representing the State. They were found guilty and handed the mandatory nine-year prison sentence
