HOT SEAT: Zimbabwe hunting scam and sanctions busting exposed

By Violet Gonda
7 February 2006

Zimbabwe’s lucrative wildlife industry is a huge money spinner. Hunting alone brings in at least US$25 million annually. But corrupt government officials are plundering the resource, hunting any animal with no adherence to controls, even on endangered species.

This is happening in spite of Zimbabwe being a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in which the nations that are signatories agree to various prohibitions and restrictions in trade that are harmful to the interests of conservation.

Speaking on condition of anonymity on the programme Hot Seat, an expert in this area said members of the Mugabe regime are taking advantage of a desperate and declining situation to enrich themselves. They are using the environment of lawlessness and corruption to flout CITES and ignore the conservation laws of Zimbabwe.
Even though the US has imposed targeted sanctions the regime is managing to beat the ban by using third parties who are not as prominent as Mugabe and his inner circle

The source said Ed Kadzombe, Chairman of the Wildlife Advisory Council and owner of EK Safaris, is one of those helping the dictatorship. He has representatives on the west coast in the US including a brother in California called Washington Kadzombe who runs a micro finance scheme. He is allegedly attached to a lawyer called Leo Grizzaffi of Torrance, California who represents EK Safaris in the US. Grizzaffi is a powerful contact as he is said to be a member of the biggest pro weapons group in the US, The National Rifle Association. The American has an open market in terms of recruiting hunters for Zimbabwe because of the numbers of hunters in this association.

The source said this clearly shows Kadzombe has an open playing field in terms of how and where he can hunt because of his position. It is alleged that he is associated with ZANU PF, including Jacob Mudenda, the former provincial chairman of Matabeleland North who was recently denied a visa to attend a high-profile safari trade fair in Nevada.

Other big names mentioned in the hunting scam are former information minister Jonathan Moyo, former Minister of Tourism Francis Nhema, former governor of Matebeleland South Obert Mpofu, Zanu PF chairman John Nkomo and high ranking army officials like General Constantine Chiwenga and General Zvinavashe. It’s alleged that they invite hunters to Zimbabwe, especially from the USA. They then pay a sub-economic level of money to the local population where the animals are hunted and reap a huge amount of money themselves.

Our source said some hunters in the US have no idea that they are being targeted by safari operators with links to the Mugabe regime. But the money they pay is invested into legitimate businesses in the USA or around the world and is effectively laundered. It’s then drip fed back into the pockets of the real handlers in Zimbabwe

This money rarely finds its way to Zimbabwe as it is kept in private bank accounts around the world. It’s also difficult to trace because the accounts are kept in names of third parties.

Our source also alleges that some externally based Zimbabweans who are selling fuel and groceries on websites, are part of the money laundering scheme.

He also said that in January alone several Zimbabwean operators were able to sell their wares at two safari trade fairs that took place in Nevada and Dallas. The last show was this weekend in Dallas and those working as fronts for the regime apparently came out in full force.

Our source also alleges that some of the remaining white commercial farmers are also using hunting concessions and wildlife to buy political patronage, in a desperate bid to hold on to their farms.

It can cost a rich hunter at least US$15,000 to come to Zimbabwe for a hunt and each safari operator can bring between 10 to 15 hunters into the country during each hunting season. There are at least 18 hunting safari operators in Zimbabwe.

Environmentalists have warned that there is a bigger picture here as well. If hunting continues unchecked it can result in the complete loss of a natural resource that is the heritage of a country. When the political crisis is over it will be hard to encourage tourists to return if everything has been shot out and bio diversity has been destroyed.

So far we have been unable to get comment from the people mentioned in this report. We will continue to try.

I didn't know I was BOTH rich and powerful, because I "am a member of the NRA ("powerful") and spent $15,000 to go on a safari ("rich"). Maybe being an annual member and having to save and sacrifice other things for years disqualifies me though?

I'm not commenting on the veracity of all the claims but those two point don't add any weight to the expose' in my view.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
It can cost a rich hunter at least US$15,000 to come to Zimbabwe for a hunt

Yeeh Haaw!!! I'm rich!!!

I believe this story is probably true, but the whole premise is built on information provided by one un-named source. Very poor reporting at best.

quote:

I believe this story is probably true, but the whole premise is built on information provided by one un-named source. Very poor reporting at best

Isn't that the case with most published "Facts" today.It seems that sensationalized news is all that matters, correct or not.

My guess is that this writer is not so much purposely exaggerating the power of an individual member of the NRA , but rather, is misinformed. She is relying on bad info and has no grasp of the immense size and small voice each of us individually has. Let's face it, she is in a dramatically different culture where most are not "connected" but those that are really are. She doesn't understand how it is over here.

quote:

.... There are at least 18 hunting safari operators in Zimbabwe.

Sure would like to know which fine School of Journalism this writer is from. What ever happend to fact checking?????

I would comment that this is amazing but unfortunately it is not in today's media.

Phil

The real facts

1) I know Leo Grizzafi very well- he has done more to bring down Ed kadzombe and out of Africa than just about anyone in the US

2) Ed has fled the country with the government after him for 1.4 million US$ in exchange controll fraud (exposed to the Zim government by Mr Grizzafi)

3) There are 72 registered safari operators in zim.

The "source" is one Johnny Rodrigues a con artist living off money donated to help save wildlife. At least it is usually only misguided liberals who give Jonny money and they diserved to be ripped off

quote:

Originally posted by Lhook7:

Yeeh Haaw!!! I'm rich!!!

Yes, you (we) are. If you have seen Africa you should know this.

JMHO,

John

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
The real facts

1) I know Leo Grizzafi very well- he has done more to bring down Ed kadzombe and out of Africa than just about anyone in the US

2) Ed has fled the country with the government after him for 1.4 million US$ in exchange controll fraud (exposed to the Zim government by Mr Grizzafi)

3) There are 72 registered safari operators in zim.

The "source" is one Johnny Rodrigues a con artist living off money donated to help save wildlife. At least it is usually only misguided liberals who give Jonny money and they diserved to be ripped off

I think I remember seeing an article about Johnny Rodrigues in either Time magazine or Newsweek..

They painted him as sacrificing everything to save wildlife!!

Just goes to re-enforce my own attitude.

Never believe anything you read in so called "news media"!

I wonder if Johnny Rodrigues and Tim Treadwell will meet up in the afterlife,interlock arms and protect the savage beasts from the very people whom fund 99.9% of all conservation.....HUNTERS