A 37-year-old Marondera man, Kenias Sekero, has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing and trafficking eight lion teeth valued at US$20,000 after allegedly off...
A 37-year-old Marondera man, Kenias Sekero, has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing and trafficking eight lion teeth valued at US$20,000 after allegedly offering the wildlife products for sale in Harare without the required permit.
Sekero pleaded guilty to contravening Section 59B (2) of the Parks and Wildlife Act after he was arrested with three lion canine teeth and five lion incisor teeth. The State alleges that he intended to sell the teeth in Harare’s Central Business District.
According to the State outline, Sekero was arrested on September 5, 2026, at Africa Unity Square following information received by detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit. The detectives had received information that Sekero was in possession of lion teeth that he intended to sell.
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The detectives then posed as prospective buyers and arranged to meet Sekero at Africa Unity Square. The meeting was part of an operation to establish whether he was in possession of the wildlife products and intended to sell them.
At about 11:30 hours, Sekero entered the undercover vehicle, according to the State outline. He then produced a wrapped bench paper containing eight lion teeth.
The State alleges that Sekero offered the three canine teeth for US$150 and the five incisor teeth for US$130. After the purported buyer received the teeth, a signal was given to the police backup team.
The police backup team moved in and recovered the eight lion teeth from Sekero. He was then asked to produce a licence or permit authorising him to possess and traffic the wildlife products.
Sekero failed to produce the required licence or permit. This led to his arrest and the recovery of the wildlife products, which were later examined by an official from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
The State said Everisto Simayo, a Parks and Wildlife Management Authority official, examined the recovered items and confirmed that they were three lion canine teeth and five lion incisor teeth. The items were identified as having been removed from a lion.
Simayo also valued the eight lion teeth at US$20,000, according to the State outline. The case therefore involves the alleged unlawful possession and attempted sale of wildlife products without the required authorisation under the Parks and Wildlife Act.
Sekero pleaded guilty to the wildlife trafficking charge. Following his guilty plea, he was remanded in custody pending sentencing. The information provided does not state the sentence imposed or when sentencing will take place.
The case centres on the possession and attempted sale of lion teeth without a licence or permit. The State alleges that Sekero had the eight teeth in his possession when he met the undercover detectives at Africa Unity Square and offered the different types of teeth for sale.
The charge brought against Sekero relates specifically to Section 59B (2) of the Parks and Wildlife Act. The State’s case is that the eight teeth were wildlife products and that Sekero did not have the required authorisation to possess and traffic them.
