Silent extinction: Matabeleland, hotbed of environmental crime

In the shadows of Zimbabwe’s environmental management lies a devastating truth: environmental crimes, such as poaching, illegal wildlife trade and illegal coal mining, continue to plague the southern province of Matabeleland -west of the country.

In May this year, a denunciation by local people resulted in one death, two arrests and the discovery of endangered animal parts. On May 18, detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department confronted three suspected poachers on the outskirts of the capital, Bulawayo: Jabulani Chamiti (34), Philani Ndlovu (23) and Cosmas Sebele (56).

They shot Chamiti after he tried to run over one of the law enforcement officers in the trio’s car, and arrested Ndlovu and Sebele. They have been charged with illegal possession of five pieces of elephant tusk and a pangolin skin, and are expected to appear in court soon.

Less than 20 km away, disused and discovered mines belonging to the Hwange Mine have become hotspots for illegal mining. Not only do they ravage land and livelihoods, but they also pose a significant threat to elephants’ natural habitats.

These stories highlight the urgent need for increased vigilance and stricter regulations to protect Zimbabwe’s natural heritage, experts say.

“Sponsored” poaching

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Data from court records indicates that Zimbabwe has made significant progress in combating wildlife crime over the past year. In 2023, courts across the country heard more than 1,300 cases related to wildlife crimes. The majority were based in Mashonaland West, Masvingo and Matabeleland North, where some of the country’s largest national parks and game reserves are located, including Hwange National Park.

The Harare Magistrate’s Court has dedicated Court 5 to deal with environmental offences. Official statistics released by the National Prosecuting Authority in April show that Harare Metropolitan Province handled 34 cases related to wildlife crimes during the first quarter of 2024.

However, a local wildlife expert, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, said poaching cases in Zimbabwe remain under-reported.

Due to international opposition to the killing of elephants by African range countries, incidents of so-called “sponsored poaching” involving the collusion of state officials are increasing. increase, she said.

“This perverse dynamic leads to a situation where it is deemed acceptable to ‘take care’ of elephants by killing them – a practice equivalent to poaching, yet unnoticed and unreported,” she said.

The elephant herds of Matabeleland are “prime targets, for the sake of ivory”, according to her. In northern Matabeleland, Hwange National Park, the country’s largest nature reserve, spanning 14,600 square kilometers, is home to more than 45,000 savannah elephants.

Poaching law in Zimbabwe is primarily governed by the Parks and Wildlife Act, which prohibits the unauthorized hunting, killing or capture of protected wildlife. It designates protected areas, regulates licenses and permits for legal hunting and imposes sanctions for poaching crimes.

Wildlife advocate Deborah Ottman of the Kariba Animal Welfare Fund Trust pointed the finger at the justice system: “The justice system is not doing enough to curb poaching when it comes to sentencing or community service. general. »

“Minimum force”

As authorities grapple with poaching, incidents involving the use of “minimum force” by police have sparked emotional debates, leaving conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts wondering about the integrity of those responsible for preserving wildlife.

Prisca Dube, Zimbabwean Lawyers for Human Rights, suggested a possible “link between park rangers charged with safeguarding wildlife and the criminal networks behind the illegal poaching trade.”

“Maybe the rangers are in collusion with the poachers and when the police intervene it is with ‘minimal force’,” she said.

In December last year, Noel Zuze, a ranger with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was arrested with 80kg of ivory in Chinhoyi, north-central Zimbabwe.

In April 2022, a Hwange National Park ranger, Sibibio Kakomo (38), and police officer Shepherd Musiniwa (31) were arrested with more than 28 kg of elephant tusks and charged with illegal possession.

Illegal mining

Illegal mining operations also pose a threat to the natural habitats of these species. As individuals driven by desperation engage in unauthorized mining, encroachment on elephant territories exacerbates the ecological challenges the animals face.

The destruction of vegetation, pollution of water sources and disruption of ecological balance caused by illegal mining disrupts the natural ecosystem and endangers the survival of not only elephants but also other wildlife species .

Peter Phiri, a resident of a village near Hwange National Park, described the activities as “perilous, with reports of mine collapses” leading to deaths and people being trapped. “These mines remain open and neglected, lacking proper maintenance or safety measures,” he said.

He described how village residents have seen a significant decline in wildlife due to noise and air pollution from illegal mining activities.

Another major problem is the use of cyanide in poaching. The poison is used in the country’s mining industry and its distribution is believed to be strictly limited.

Five years after the mass poisoning of more than 135 elephants in Hwange National Park in 2013, Zimbabwe has made significant changes to the Environmental Management Act.

One of these changes meant that prosecutors were no longer required to establish that cyanide had actually been used in a poaching case, only that there was “malicious intent to poison”, according to a study of 2022 published in the African Journal of Wildlife Research.

Human-wildlife conflict

As human settlements expand and illegal mining activities increase, the Hwange elephant population not only faces threats from poaching and loss of natural resources, but is now forced to settle in densely populated areas, putting them and local residents at risk.

Dube described the resulting human-wildlife conflict as a “serious violation” of environmental rights. She urged the government to address this challenge urgently.

“How about reviewing the land tenure system to ensure that communal land is not adjacent to national parks? she asked. “This approach aims to reduce human-animal conflict by strategically separating these areas.

“Additionally, it is important to meaningfully involve local communities in all conservation efforts. By fostering beneficial engagement, we can create win-win situations where communities directly benefit from animal conservation,” said Dube.

Peggy Ndlovu, a resident of Village 3 in Hwange, said residents now have to compete with elephants for food sources in the form of crops, and at the same time fear for their own safety as they regularly come into contact with these large wild animals. animals.

“In the past, we coexisted peacefully, as elephants moved freely in the surrounding forests without causing much harm to the community,” Ndlovu explained.

Sarah Savory, a renowned conservationist based in Zimbabwe, has reflected on the plight of the country’s elephants, highlighting the need for meaningful change. “There will be no short-term solution until we address environmental management, achieving a comprehensive balance between environmental, social and economic aspects,” she said.

The role of AI

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to preserve Zimbabwe’s biodiversity and natural landscapes is increasing.

According to technology expert and principal patent attorney David Cain, AI has “tremendous potential” to combat environmental crimes. “By adopting AI technologies, Zimbabwe could significantly improve the effectiveness of wildlife crime reduction, support sustainable development and strengthen the protection of endangered species,” he said.

With tools using facial recognition technologies to identify individual animals, particularly those most at risk from poaching, such as elephants and rhinos, AI can be used to help monitor species movements and provide insights. evidence to prosecute wildlife crimes, he said.

In April this year, a project by ZimParks and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) saw conservationists install GPS tracking collars on eight elephants in Hwange National Park, in order to track the impact of the construction of a nearby dam on their movements.

By collecting and analyzing this data, experts are taking the first steps toward extending surveillance to more complex AI tools.

Mathema is a Zimbabwe-based journalist and alumnus of the Oxpeckers #WildEye training program called The Nexus of Data and Environmental Journalism. The program and this survey are supported by the Fojo Journalism Training Program, integrated under the International Media Support and Media Nexus 2022-2025 program of the Fojo Media Institute in Zimbabwe, funded by SIDA.