Man sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for illegal possession of elephant meat

A Livingstone Subordinate Court has convicted and sentenced Judge Kaunda to five years imprisonment for illegal possession of elephant meat.

Judge Kaunda, aged 56, was arrested together with Womba Chinyama, aged 36, by officers from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife on May 23, 2023 during a routine patrol along Kazungula to Livingstone Road.

The two were apprehended in the Simoonga area at around 18hours with 180.5 kg of dry Elephant meat contrary to the laws of Zambia.

When their matter came to court, Judge Kaunda, who had employed Womba as his taxi driver to travel to Livingstone, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing 180.50 Kilogrammes of dry Elephant meat contrary to the Zambia Wildlife Act No.14 of 2015.

Womba Chinyama however, pleaded not guilty.

At the end of the trial, the court convicted and sentenced Judge Kaunda to five years imprisonment with hard labour.

In reading out the sentence, Judge Leah Kabalata stated that despite the accused being a first offender, the offense he was charged with carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment with hard labour.

The trial in the case of Womba Chinyama commences on July 18, 2023.

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