A 62-year-old man from Victoria Falls has been fined ZWL$10 000 for ill-treating a donkey.
Mlele Sibanda from Sizinda Village in the outskirts of Victoria Falls recently appeared before the Victoria Falls resident magistrate Godswill Mevenge charged with animal cruelty.
That was after a welfare organisation found him in a scotch cart being pulled by three donkeys, one of whom was seriously injured on the chest.
Allegations were that on 21 September 2022 and at the 401 km-peg along Bulawayo – Victoria Falls Road, Claire Julie Elhorn was driving her vehicle when she noticed Sibanda in a scotch cart being pulled by three donkeys.
“One of them had severe injuries on the chest which prompted her to file for a case,” prosecutor Bhekimpilo Tshabalala told the court.
In court, Elhorn employed by Animal Welfare of Zimbabwe said the extent of the injuries on the donkey proved that Sibanda had continuously abused the donkey and did not render any medical treatment to the animal.
In mitigation, Sibanda said he was not aware of the extent of the injuries and asked the court to give him a lenient sentence.
The magistrate ordered that the injured donkey be taken away from Sibanda and be taken for medical treatment while the accused also pays a fine of $10 000. | VicFallsLive