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Semi/fully automatic .762 NATO Rifle. Belongings (colloquial; origin unknown)
CHAPTER 4: GAME SCOUTS & TRACKERS
Game Scout Harrison Chitungu - Graham Hall Harrison Chitungu was one of a small detachment of game scouts based at Birchenough Field Station. Following a very serious outbreak of cholera in 1973, Graham Hall, a recent incumbent to the rangers post in mid-Sabi, was transferred to Mushandike National Park and the Field Station was closed down. With this move he ‘inherited’ two game scouts. One was Harrison, who later accompanied Graham Hall when he was posted to Chipinda Pools. Thinking back to those days in the Gonarezhou, Graham recalls: “Harrison was the epitome of a really good field game scout, he was trustworthy and loyal. He was not afraid to venture deep into the Park, or to patrol the Moçambique border in search of the notorious poacher Shadreck, and others of his ilk, operating out of the Mahenya area or from across the border. He was not scared of elephant and was an exceptionally good tracker. I used him in preference to anyone else; he had superb eyes and was very good at spotting from an aircraft.” Graham remembers that Harrison controlled staff well, and that he and Harrison worked very well together and had a great rapport. Graham had him promoted to Senior Scout. When Graham himself was promoted to Warden at Kariba, Rob Francis at Chipinda Pools agreed that Senior Scout Harrison would move with Graham. Being an established Field Station, Kariba had its own complement of game scouts who were based at Nyanyana, a short distance from the town. Within a short while of Graham’s move the security situation deteriorated, which necessitated, amongst other things, the arming of all scouts; they were issued with G32 rifles. With Nyanyana quite a distance out of town - far enough for it to be difficult for staff to carry their maize meal and other supplies back to their base after month-end shopping, the station’s Puma - a five-ton armoured truck - was used to ferry scouts into Kariba and back to Nyanyana. At one month-end the truck was not available and a Land Rover, under Senior Scout Harrison’s control, was put at the disposal of the scouts; several trips would be required to move everyone and their ‘katundu’3 in and out of town. Late that night, at Peter’s Point where he lived, Graham recalls hearing banging at the door. Still half asleep he opened the door to see two game scouts, covered in blood, standing there. When Graham asked what had happened he was told that Harrison was dead, and his body was in the back of the Land Rover. “I could not understand what they were talking about, but went to the vehicle and, true enough, there lay Harrison shot to pieces - he had holes in him from his toes, right up his
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