A vehicle belonging to a senior military official has been seized on allegations of ferrying ivory after a road chase that involved Manyara National park rangers on Friday evening.
The event happens only weeks after police officers were caught with ivory in Serengeti National park and two others lynched a few days later in an incidence related to poaching, shows how complex poaching is in the country, with a network spanning rouge elements in the security and defense forces.
In the Lake Manyara incident last Friday four soldiers were alleged to be in the vehicle and one of them (name withheld) who was driving the vehicle was caught by the rangers after the vehicle had overturned at Kigongoni village near Mto wa Mbu township in Manyara district at 9pm. He was being held for questioning by the Police.
The Arusha Regional Police Commander Liberatus Sabas said he was not in a position to speak to the media on the issue because he did not have details.
When contacted for comment yesterday morning he said he was driving and could not talk for long over the phone.
When called later in the day he said he still has not details on the issue but he brief the media today.
“I always want to gather all the details before I speak to the media. I will do so tomorrow,” Mr Sabas said.Sources from the Police said the three passengers of the vehicle escaped with three pieces of ivory. Two ivory pieces remained in the vehicle.
The director of the Tanzania National Parks Authority Allan Kijazi confirmed the event took place but could also not offer more details.
“I am in Tanga travelling with the Parliament Committee on Lands, Natural Resources and Environment. I have not details to give you though I have heard about the incident, please contact the Police for more details,” he told The Citizen in a telephone interview.
The unprecedented escalation of poaching in the country has caught the country unawares. Poaching has already frustrated the coutnry’s bid to sell its ivory stockpile.
Last month the government withdrew an application to sell to China and Japan over 100 tonnes of ivory valued at over $55.5million (about Sh88.8billion).
The request had been submitted in early October last year and was due to be discussed at the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) meeting in March in Bangkok.
The situation is so dire that the Iringa urban legislator (Chadema), Rev Peter Msigwa wants to table a private motion on anti-poaching in the upcoming Bunge sessions commencing in Dodoma next week.
Mr Msigwa says it is unacceptable that 67 elephants are killed every day, or 23,000 annually or quarter of them in Tanzania.
He said his research showed that the war against anti poaching lacked political will amoung decision makers, public officials, politicians, businessmen and other stakeholders due to conflict of interest that surround the whole business.
Rev Msigwa told reporters at the weekend that he was grateful that his notification letter met speaker’s approval and that his private motion would be tabled in the up coming bunge sessions.
“Tanzanians should pray that no bizarre incidents that happens to an extent of postponing or subjecting to rejection of the topic” he said.
But the ministry also wants to act to tame poaching. One way to reduce poaching is trough the creation of the Wildlife Management Authority.
Briefing reporters after attending the Land, Tourism and Environment committee’s meeting at the weekend that discussed the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) report, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu said the government was in the final efforts of forming the Tanzania Wildlife Authority, (TWA) as a measure of curbing the problem poaching.
According to Mr Nyalandu, TWA is founded to tackle identified challenges that contribute to the increased poaching trend in the country such as inadequate manpower and poachers change in technological approaches.
He said contrary to old poaching days, the present poaching is done through use of up to dated weapons such as short guns or machine guns something that demanded a new approach in combating the problem.
“TWA will be empowered to undertake employment decisions to curb the manpower shortages and practice other strategic plans that will finally help in containing the situation which is obvious critical” he said.
According to Mr Nyalandu the intensified poaching incidences in the country were caused by attraction brought by the Asian market that raised ivory the demand for ivory and therefore required for more supply.
Another reason outlined by Mr Nyalandu was the overcrowding of imported cheap and small weapons in the country’s markets something that increased accessibility to natural resources poachers.
“Our responsibility will be to help TWA address these challenges to ensure natural resources in Tanzania benefited the general public” he emphasized.
Thecitizen
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