A 47-year-old man from Kamativi under Chief Pashu in Binga District, Matabeleland North Province, has been arrested for allegedly keeping 93 snakes in a granary, reported The Sunday News.
The suspect, Million Mukombwe, kept snakes which include pythons and spotted bush snakes.
Munkombwe told police officers that he kept the snakes because he wanted them to eat rats, termites and small insects that are harmful in his garden.
Police officers discovered the snakes in the granary after they had received a tip-off that Mukombwe was cultivating marijuana (mbanje) in his garden.
Munkombwe was found with 197 trees of mbanje that were approximately 29 centimetres in length.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson in Matabeleland North Province, Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the incident. He said:
Villagers are in shock after the arrest of one of them because he was domesticating snakes in his granary…
I would like to warn members of the public to resist this tendency of hunting animals or species because it is against the law of our country and it will also lead to some people being injured by the same species.
Actions like this result in a lack of trust among members of the community because traditionally, it’s unusual to find a person keeping snakes.
Let us also stop farming and selling weed because it is illegal in this country.
Munkombwe appeared at the Hwange magistrates court recently where he was remanded out of custody to 26 October for continuation of trial.
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