By By Godfrey Olukya 27-12-2016
The 1st lady of Zimbabwe Grace Mugabe is on spot over allegations that she used the country’s game park animals to settle a debt on behalf of Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to media reports, she reportedly sent several game park animals to a Chinese wildlife park to pay for military uniforms for the DRC.
” It is unfortunate that the first lady is now selling our wild animals so that she pays for a debt of another country.” said Wilberforce Kilenge, an opposition politician”
It has been reported that at least 35 elephant calves, eight lions, a dozen hyenas and a giraffe were sent to China to settle a debt for boots and uniforms bought for the Congolese army by Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean conservationists, said that they have fears that the elephants could be used to start an ivory-farming operation in China.
”Poachers have been selling ivory to China.Now whole elephants are being exported to China. That is shameful.” said Zimbabwean conservationist Tom Chiluba.
Information from ”New Zimbabwe website” indicated that the elephants were got from Hwange National Park and flown out of the country in a Russian-registered Boeing 747 belonging to AirBridge Cargo.
However, Zimbabwean wildlife officials have defended the act saying it helps in decongesting in the game parks.
END