Times Of Swaziland: FOUR MEN ARRESTED FOR KILLING PYTHON FOUR MEN ARRESTED FOR KILLING PYTHON ================================================================================ BY JOSEPH ZULU on 25/06/2018 00:08:00 PIGG’S PEAK – Had it not been for fast action by police officers, a python, which was allegedly killed would have ended up in a traditional healer’s indumba. Four men were arrested for killing the Southern African python which is the only type of python found in Eswatini. It is alleged they had intended to sell it to a traditional healer when they were arrested. The snake is protected under the Game Act. It was about three metres long and weighed eight kilogrammes. The four men, Thabo Magagula, Musa Mkhwanazi, Nkhosinathi Dlamini and Promise Nyawo, were nabbed by the police at one of the forestry compounds near Bulembu. They allegedly killed the python in one of the forests where they found it coiled up. It is alleged the men sought to attack the python after noticing that some of the goats they were looking after kept disappearing. The men, who are said to be employed to take care of livestock within the forestry industry, sought to kill the snake to protect the animals but allegedly decided to sell it. After the snake was killed, it was then allegedly kept in a plastic bag in an attempt to conceal it while awaiting the buyer. While the men were allegedly waiting for their buyer, police officers from the Pigg’s Peak Police Station swiftly pounced and arrested them. All the four appeared before Principal Magistrate Joe Gumedze on Saturday morning. They were not asked to plead but they stated that during trial, each of them would conduct his own defence.