Hwange NP: 10 Elephants Killed In New Cyanide Attack

[Toko]

10 Elephants Killed In New Cyanide Attack

October 4, 2015
- See more at: http://www.zimeye.com/10-elephants-kill ... Q8auv.dpuf

Ten elephants are reported to have died from fresh cyanide poisoning at Hwange National Park amid revelations that more wild animals could have died after consuming carcasses or through drinking water from ponds laced with the deadly chemical by poachers.

The recent incident which is said to have occurred about five kilometres south west of Hwange National Park’s Main Camp, poses a threat to the country’s wildlife conservation efforts and the tourism sector. In 2013, the country lost more than 100 elephants and a substantial number of other wild animals due to rampant cyanide poaching activities mainly concentrated at the Hwange National Park.

Zimbabwe is home to one of Africa’s largest surviving elephant populations after herds in neighbouring regions of East and Central Africa were decimated by poaching. A source privy to the on-goings at the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said rangers came across six elephant carcasses and three days later the team stumbled upon another four decomposed remains of jumbos about two kilometres from the first scene.

“ZPWMA rangers came across six elephants that died from cyanide poisoning at Hwange last week and a number of vultures also died from eating the carcasses of these elephants. Three days later the team came across another four carcasses and an array of dead animals at the scene,” said the source.
Zimparks senior warden Trumber Jura who is based at the Main Camp could not be drawn to comment on the incident, referring all questions to the authority’s public relations manager, Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo, who was not reachable.

Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri could not be reached for comment.

Matabeleland North Environmental Management Agency provincial manager, Mrs Chipo Mpofu-Zuze confirmed the death of elephants but could not be drawn to disclose the numbers involved.-State Media

[Lisbeth]

Why?

[Mel]

Flipping beggars, those poachers!

[nan]

[Flutterby]

[Richprins]

Where do they get the cyanide?

[Toko]

Mining power players linked to cyanide poaching incidents in Hwange
Posted on 29 February, 2016 by News Desk in News, Poaching and the News Desk post series. — 0 Comments

EXTRACT FROM THE FOLLOWING THIRD PARTY SOURCE: Nehanda Radio

Godfrey Nyakudya, who is also managing director of the Bulawayo-based mining consumable entity Chaferfly Enterprises, has been fingered in the cyanide poaching in Zimbabwe.


Nyakudya is partner and close ally of Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Mines, Fred Moyo. Currently Nyakudya is reported to be in hiding at a rented house near the University of Zimbabwe main campus as he dodges the long arm of the law.

Nyakudya is wanted in connection with the manner in which he dealt with the poisonous substance, cyanide, which has been used in chemical poaching in Zimbabwe since 2013.

More than 300 elephants were killed in the Hwange National Park between 2013 and 2014 by unknown assailants, and 100 more died of cyanide poisoning across the country this year.

Whilst Nyakudya’s cyanide dealings are well known, the Minister of Environment, Oppah Muchinguri, says poachers from countries such as Zambia are taking advantage of low water levels by crossing the mighty Zambezi River into sanctuaries along the borders.

“What I can say is that we have poachers crossing the Zambezi River into Hwange National Park through shallow points due to the low levels of water in the river. Our national parks are not well equipped, making it difficult for us to know where and when this takes place,” Muchinguri said recently.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) – a government department under the Environment Ministry – is the only organisation mandated with the regulation of highly toxic substances like cyanide in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe the most common form of cyanide is sodium cyanide used by artisanal/small scale miners in gold processing in a manner consistent with the International Cyanide Management Code.

“The Environmental Management Act (20:27) as read with Statutory Instrument 12 of 2007, Hazardous Substances, Pesticides and Toxic Substances Regulations state that, any person who imports, transports, stores or sells any hazardous substance must have a licence for each purpose. Cyanide is a hazardous substance, and legislation requires it to be transported, handled and disposed of by fully trained personnel in certified storage containers,” the EMA statement says.

However, Nyakudya is alleged to have imported cyanide from South Africa without proper documents. He transported and handled the dangerous substance in a manner that raised a lot of eyebrows.

According to sources at Chaferfly Enterprises, the company was dealing in mining consumables but did not have a permit to deal with cyanide. “Cyanide is supposed to be transported and stored in sealed containers, but most of the cyanide that Godfrey Nyakudya imported from South Africa was not properly sealed and usually transported in ventilation pipes together with a number of mining parts in huge containers,” a source revealed.

The source further stated that each time a cyanide consignment was delivered it would be offloaded at night. “I have always been very suspicious of the way the company was dealing with cyanide until I started hearing stories of Godfrey Nyakudya’s relationship with Fred Moyo, Mines Deputy Minister and a close friend of Emerson Mnangagwa,” the source said.

Another employee revealed that, in the stores department, no clear papers would show how and where cyanide was being sold.

“The only papers I dealt with involved four tonnes of cyanide that was sold to How Mine but, to my surprise, my friends who were truck drivers told me some cyanide was transported to Hwange. From my own knowledge Hwange Coal Company does not require cyanide as they are into coal mining and not gold mining,” the employee stated.

The Chaferfly employee revealed that direct payments would be made to ICL in South Africa before the transportation of cyanide. The payments would be done through Godfrey Nyakudya’s South African company called Royal Square Investments in Polokwane.

Meanwhile Nyakudya denied any knowledge of cyanide dealing at Chaferfly Enterprises. “There could have been a mix up with regards to how you received that information, but what I can say is that there was a time when one of our partners had some challenges and could not import cyanide directly into the country and that’s the only time when we chipped in to assist,” Godfrey Nyakudya responded on his Econet mobile number.

Meanwhile, a source at Beitbridge Border post stated that cyanide would be transported into Zimbabwe clandestinely and cleared by a company called Maudrey Enterprises that is owned by Maud Chauke and Audrey Chauke.

“Initially when he started, he was doing it as payback to Fred Moyo for saving him from not going to prison because of a RioZim fraud. However, Godfrey Nyakudya later started importing large quantities of cyanide – quantities of which remain questionable,” a source at the Beitbridge Border Post revealed.

- See more at: http://africageographic.com/blog/mining ... wLWj1.dpuf

[Puff Addy]

[Lisbeth]

Dangerous stuff in the hands of people with no conscience