A dozen gets five years in the slammer
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday July 11, 2023 06:00
Of the dozen, three men pleaded guilty before they were sentenced ahead of the remaining nine.
The nine, Oshima Chilume, Lesang Nladile, Oaitse Boiki, Ditsaone Nkarabang, Onkagetse Tshemedi, Olefile Zuku, Unoda Montshiwa, Nkemisang Mamelang and Oemisitse Boy, later on pleaded guilty to the same offence.
The men on or about March 14 in Gaborone near Grand Palm Hotel, acting together and in common purpose, were found in possession of the elephant tusks. The elephant tusks, according to the state, weighed 72.7 kilogrammes.
Passing sentence, the senior magistrate noted: “According to Section 68, it provides thus, any person who imports any ivory tusk into Botswana or acquires within Botswana any ivory or any tusk without certified ownership issued shall within seven days of so importing or acquiring such ivory or tusk produce such to a licensing officer at wildlife offices.” Failure to produce such according to the law would mean one is guilty of the offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding P50,000 and imprisonment not exceeding 10 years. According to the magistrate, the offence is serious.
“We have a significant poaching problem in Botswana, due to the illegal ivory trade and if we want to save our land we need to stop this illegal trade, failure of which there will be no future for many of our elephants. We should ensure that we do conserve this animal for future generations,” she said. However, the magistrate said she has considered a few factors before sentencing the accused.
She said she considered whether the accused had ever been on the wrong side of the law. In the end, the men were sentenced to, “A fine of P10,000 payable on or before the end of June 2023 and a prison term of five years”.