Two men have been sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour for unlawful possession of a lion’s skin.
Before Magistrate Brenda Chiganda were Davies Mwila, 46 of Masansa area in Kapiri Mposhi district and Stephen Ngosa, 66, of Twatasha compound in Kitwe district who stood charged with one count of unlawful possession of a prescribed trophy namely a lion’s skin.
This is contrary to sections 130(2) (a) and 86(1) of the Zambia Wild Life Act No. 14 of 2015 of the Laws of Zambia.
Particulars of the offence were that Mwila and Ngosa, on 11 March 2019 in Kapiri Mposhi jointly and whilst acting together did possess a prescribed trophy namely, a lion skin without lawful authority.
The duo readily pleaded guilty when the matter came up for plea last week.
According to facts read before court the duo whilst acting together was cornered and arrested at a named lodge in Kapiri Mposhi by Zambia Wildlife (ZAWA) officers as they attempted to sell the lion’s skin.
And in mitigation Ngosa pleaded for lenience because he was suffering from Tuberculosis (TB) saying that his health will deteriorate if he was sent to jail while Mwila asked the court to exercise lenience on him as he was the bread winner of the family.
But in passing judgment magistrate Chiganda observed that poaching of protected wildlife was a serious crime as it deprived the country of the needed income for the benefit of all.
She said perpetrators of poaching and those being found in contravention with the provision of the law should therefore be severely punished by way of custodial sentences in order to deter would be offenders.
These people are small fries.
What about those poaching Hippos in the name of “culling”?
Or those that give licenses to hunt big cats in Zambia?
Those are the real culprits that should go to jail.
This is too harsh of punishment. These are small time poachers, who most likely have no source of regular income. Six months in prison would have sufficed.