THREE Botswana game rangers held in Zimbabwe since January 19 were released on Tuesday after they were fined US$100 for using an undesignated point of entry, but acquitted on weapons charges.
The three men’s detention in Zimbabwe had sparked a diplomatic spat, with Botswana threatening to withdraw two of its senior diplomats in Harare by month-end in protest.
Hwange magistrate Peter Madiba found the men in breach of Zimbabwe’s immigration laws, but struck off a second charge each man faced of smuggling and possessing firearms and ammunition without a licence.
Kiabetswe Mhiko, 35, Gaetsho Simane, 32, and Petego Gaosengwe had all entered ‘not guilty’ pleas. The rangers, all employed by Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks, insisted they inadvertently entered Zimbabwe while pursuing a pride of lions which had killed six cattle in the Lesoma Village.
The men were arrested at the Kazungula border post near Victoria Falls when they presented themselves to Zimbabwean immigration officials.
Prosecutors said the rangers had no passports and a search of their car yielded a rifle, a shotgun and several rounds of ammunition.
Botswana revealed it had tried unsuccessfully to raise the issue of the rangers’ detention with President Robert Mugabe at last week’s African Union summit in Ethiopia. Mugabe, officials said, refused to meet with a Botswana minister.
On Monday, Zimbabwe’s two Home Affairs Ministers Giles Mutsekwa and Kembo Mohadi said they were surprised by Botswana’s “overreaction” and insisted the rangers must go through the court system.
Mohadi said: “Members of the Botswana Air Force have crossed the Zimbabwean border before and the matter was resolved administratively.
“Last year, our two police officers strayed into Botswana and were arrested and taken to Gaborone for trial. They were released after fully satisfying the Botswana courts that they had no case to answer.
“Along the Shashi River, our people and cattle are often shot even if they have not crossed into Botswana and we are concerned why Botswana is overreacting over the arrest of its nationals who crossed our border armed with two shotguns and ammunition for that matter."
Mutsekwa said Zimbabwe has no intention of escalating the hostilities with Botswana.
"As the Zimbabwe government, we have no intentions of straining relations between ourselves and Botswana because we share the same border and we belong to the same continent."