Zanu-PF member of parliament for Nyanga North, Hubert Nyanhongo who appeared in court facing charges of possession of a pangolin and attempting to sell the endangered species attempted to dissociate himself from the pangolin that was discovered in his car saying it was not his. Instead, he blamed a Mozambican national only identified as Kapenga, who he claimed was the owner of the pangolin in question. He further alleged that Kapenga had disappeared from the scene while Nyanhongo had been arrested. The legislator told the court:
Your Worship, I am insisting that the pangolin does not belong to us. It belongs to Kapenga, the one we offered a lift while we were in my constituency.
If we are given a chance with the help of police officers we can go and call Kapenga to testify in this court where he got the pangolin.
I know the village where Kapenga stays and if we get the opportunity, we can call him to set us free us in this matter. Your Worship, I am insisting that we never committed this offence and it was the Parks rangers who deliberately allowed Kapenga to escape.
When we were arrested by the rangers, they poked me with an FN rifle on my head and that is when Kapenga vanished from the scene.
This was after Magistrate Gwatidzo had dismissed a defence application to dismiss the case saying:
It cannot be denied that a live pangolin which was in a sack was found in Hubert Nyanhongo’s vehicle as stated by State witnesses who gave corroborating evidence.
According to Section 97 of the Parks and Wildlife Management, it says if anyone found with an animal in his vehicle, he/she is responsible for the animal recovered.
This assertion connects the four accused persons with an offence, therefore your plea for discharge is dismissed
Trial continues.
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