Safari2,
I'm sorry, I don't have an answer for that. I heard rumor while I was there that Lemco was hunting as well but I am just repeating a rumor I'm afraid.

It would be nice to know the status of Sango and Humani.

I met a hunter at Harare yesterday who had just completed a successful Buff hunt with Save Safaris. Not sure what area they cover.

Biebs,
Might that gentleman's name have been George. He was a rather tall fellow. If so, he hunted with Mike at Chifuti's Chenji camp.

I just got word that quota and permits were issues for ARDA today
. There was another area cleared as well. I can't remember the name. I was not familiar with it.

Apparently certain other areas will be cleared soon.

That's great news.

Indeed it is . This entire situation must have been a financial nightmare for the operators.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Indeed it is . This entire situation must have been a financial nightmare for the operators.

Larry..that is Great News..I think Arda was shut down all of last year if I am not mistaken.

So we know for sure: Arda, Brooklands and Mokore Plus the other one Larry eluded to..it wasn't Sango was it Larry?

Not Sango. I would have remembered it as I have been there twice.

Zimbabwe ministers battle over conservancy hunting permits

http://mg.co.za/

14 JUN 2013 00:00 HARARE CORRESPONDENT

Two ministers have clashed over a recent decision to ban white operators in
Zimbabwe's Save Valley Conservancy from attaining hunting licences.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Walter Mzembi and Natural Resources
Minister Francis Nhema have clashed over the latter's decision not to grant
hunting permits to white operators at the Save Valley Conservancy in favour
of mainly Zanu-PF members, the Mail & Guardian has learnt.

The dispute has resulted in the white operators appealing to the United
Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) whose general assembly would be
jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in August. The UNWTO is yet to respond
to the appeal.

The Save Valley Conservancy, which spans 3 200km2 in south-eastern Zimbabwe,
is an association of more than 20 private properties that were unaffected by
the chaotic land reform exercise.

Save initially appeared to have been spared because one of its main founding
partners is the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, a wholly
state-owned entity, and it also incorporated the Bikita Rural District
Council, where it is based, and was 32% owned by black partners.

But upheavals started last year when Nhema handed hunting licences to nearly
30 Zanu-PF and army officials, whom the legitimate owners do not recognise.

The new beneficiaries say that the founding owners cannot lay claim to the
wildlife as this was not paid for and they have already received full
benefit and should have recouped their costs during the time they operated
there.

Challenging the high court's decision
Those who were issued the hunting licences include war veterans leader
Joseph Chinotimba, Major General Gibson Mashingaidze, Major General
Engelbert Rugeje, Masvingo Resident Minister and Governor Titus Maluleke,
Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair Lovemore Matuke, Deputy Health Minister
Douglas Mombeshora, Zanu-PF's central committee member Enock Porusingazi, as
well as Zanu-PF MPs Alois Baloyi, Abraham Sithole, Samson Mukanduri and Noel
Mandebvu, who are now being referred to as the "Masvingo group".

Last month, the white conservationists approached the high court to move for
the decision to deny them licences to be overturned because they are the
lawful owners of the conservancy, but the court ruled that it was not an
urgent matter. They took the matter to a higher court on appeal, where it is
still pending.

In an interview this week, Nhema dismissed the group's claim on the
conservancy.

"They are not the ­owners. We asked them to follow the channel and bring the
original owners and register. The other thing is that they went to court and
lost, so I am also abiding by the court's decision."

However, Mzembi has a different view.

In a separate interview, he said the matter was hurting tourism. "I can
confirm that the issue is untenably injuring the tourism sector as hunting
is one of the key tourism consumptive activities. Secondly, it does not
assist our cause image-wise as we advance towards hosting the UNWTO summit."

At Nhema's mercy
Mzembi said the government in December resolved that the aggrieved party be
issued with permits as efforts to find a lasting solution to the dispute are
under way, and he was surprised that Nhema was not abiding by that decision.

"I am at the mercy of what he [Nhema] is doing, and I can't keep quiet
because it is hurting tourism. It was resolved in December last year that
the permits be issued."

Nhema's decision to parcel out the hunting businesses has also been opposed
by Parliament.

In a report, the parliamentary committee on natural resources condemned the
occupation of the conservancy by Zanu-PF leaders and military chiefs, saying
the process lacked transparency.

The report said the selection of those who would be involved in that venture
should have been based on a demonstration of interest and experience in
wildlife conservation, a capacity for business development and an ability to
contribute to the asset base, among other things.

The MPs had also recommended that conservancies must not be parcelled out to
individuals, but rather in the spirit of indigenisation, the natural
resources ministry needs to award leases through share transfers, joint
ventures and community trusts, positions that have all been disregarded in
the latest scheme.

"It is the committee's finding that the allocation of indigenous
beneficiaries … was not based on business principles," said the report.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Not Sango. I would have remembered it as I have been there twice.

I knew that Larry..I should have read your whole post before I responded..Good news though!

I do not think that Mokore has been cleared yet. One of the Duckworth's areas in the Save has been cleared but it is not Mokore. Mokore is supposed to be cleared soon.

By the way, the handling of ARDA by these people shows their insanity. ARDA is owned by the government and has been for many years. Why they stopped hunting there is beyond any rational thinking.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I do not think that Mokore has been cleared yet. One of the Duckworth's areas in the Save has been cleared but it is not Mokore. Mokore is supposed to be cleared soon.

I didnt know the Duckworths had any other areas in Save...other than Mokore.

I got this directly from someone who is there now. He says this is what the Duckworth's told him

The Duckworths (Mokore) also have the rights or have had anyway, to the Umkondo mine unit. Sort of a peninsula block that borders Mokore proper and Sango. I killed a nice kudu there in 2010, great area with really cool old mine ruins on it.

quote:

Originally posted by Neil A:
The Duckworths (Mokore) also have the rights or have had anyway, to the Umkondo mine unit. Sort of a peninsula block that borders Mokore proper and Sango. I killed a nice kudu there in 2010, great area with really cool old mine ruins on it.

Neil:

I went back and checked my text messages. That is exactly what my friend said. He is over there now hunting Sengwe research with the Duckworths.

In my old age, I could not remember the name.

Lets hope this is the beginning of a flurry of quota allocations in Save....Humani, Mokore, Sango, Save Safaris to name a few.

If the quota allocations are only being given to the indigenous 'owners' those 'owners' are probably on the US & other banned lists anyway...........

The quotas are for the rightful operators.

Larry

I sincerely hope you're right but as I read it, that newspaper report as posted above says otherwise.

"Those who were issued the hunting licences include war veterans leader
Joseph Chinotimba, Major General Gibson Mashingaidze, Major General
Engelbert Rugeje, Masvingo Resident Minister and Governor Titus Maluleke,
Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair Lovemore Matuke, Deputy Health Minister
Douglas Mombeshora, Zanu-PF's central committee member Enock Porusingazi, as
well as Zanu-PF MPs Alois Baloyi, Abraham Sithole, Samson Mukanduri and Noel
Mandebvu, who are now being referred to as the "Masvingo group".

Last month, the white conservationists approached the high court to move for
the decision to deny them licences to be overturned because they are the
lawful owners of the conservancy, but the court ruled that it was not an
urgent matter. They took the matter to a higher court on appeal, where it is
still pending".

I hope you're right and I'm wrong for the obvious reasons!

Just had an email from a friend with his feet on the ground and I am wrong so delightful news that the Afs have been kicked into touch for a change.

The best of luck to the legal owners!

We just need to get those quotas issued ASAP so the owners can salvage a season..which I believe they can do.

The last 2 season must have been financial disasters for the operators. I know of one high dollar high profile hunt totally cancelled because of these issues.

I feel for these guys.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I feel for these guys.

I feel for every white person and in fact, every person whether they be black, white, pink or purple who lives in that God Forsaken country that's ruled only by the law of sheer bloody lunacy!

The thought that it was our western Govts that allowed the entire situation to be created in the first place sickens me to my stomach........

quote:

The thought that it was our western Govts that allowed the entire situation to be created in the first place sickens me to my stomach........

+1 my friend +1

??