Two people have been jailed for 20 years for being found with giraffe meat – Tanzania

I’m sorry. Athuman Misanya (31) and Paulo John (23), residents of Mamire and Magugu, Babati district in Manyara region, have been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found with giraffe meat.

The judge of the Babati District Court, Victor Kimario gave the sentence yesterday evening, after satisfying himself beyond doubt that the defendants have committed the crime.

Judge Kimario has convicted Misanya and John each to serve 20 years in prison and confiscation of the motorcycle and the bucket they were carrying the meat.

He said that the two people are still young people capable of doing legitimate work to earn an income, but they have decided to focus on poaching to kill wildlife for the purpose of selling meat, which is unacceptable.

“Therefore, I sentence each of them to 20 years in prison so that it will be a lesson to other young people who wish to do something like this which is against the law,” said Judge Kimario.

However, he has said that those people have the right to appeal within 30 days if they are not satisfied with the sentence.

Initially, the government prosecutors of the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (Tawa), Shaidu Kajwangya and Getrude Kariongi, in collaboration with Lawyer Mwanaidi Chuma, said the defendants committed the crime on February 2, 2024.

Kajwangya said the defendants committed the crime at the Burunge Wildlife Society by finding a giraffe’s head, meat, tail and skin in a bucket.

He said the defendants used a motorcycle to commit the crime and they were found with the Government spoils loaded in the vehicle.

Thus, he asked the Court to give severe punishment to the defendants to give a warning to other people who poach wildlife.

And Lawyer Chuma has said that the giraffe is an animal with the national emblem and a good tourist attraction and brings in income for the country through tourists who visit those places.