Polite Ncube (26), a resident of Village Gono under Chief Mukoka in Gokwe South District, was apprehended by police officers while carrying two black cobra snakes in a backpack.
The incident occurred along Emmerson Mnangagwa Road in the bustling Central Business District of Kwekwe.
Prosecutors said that on the afternoon of March 25, 2024, around 3 AM, vigilant police officers on patrol noticed Ncube walking with a satchel.
After searching, they discovered not one, but two venomous black cobra snakes concealed within the bag.
The snakes, notorious for their lethal bite, were promptly confiscated, and Ncube was taken into custody.
During his court appearance before Kwekwe Magistrate Mildred Matuvi, Ncube offered an extraordinary explanation for possessing the dangerous reptiles.
He claimed that his grandfather had gifted him the snakes as “two short roots” that eventually transformed into venomous serpents.
According to Ncube, these snakes possessed mystical healing properties, and he used them to aid people in need.
Despite Ncube’s unusual defence, the court found him guilty of contravening the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14, which prohibits the removal of animals or any part thereof from their natural habitat.
As a result, the snakes were forfeited to the State. Ncube now faces a choice: either pay a fine of US$200 or serve a four-month jail term if he fails to make the payment.
While the snakes remain in the custody of the authorities, Ncube remains hopeful. He expressed his intention to reunite with the reptiles once he returns to his homestead in Gokwe.
Whether these snakes truly possess mystical powers or are merely a dangerous curiosity, their fate now lies in the hands of the legal system.
