Safari operators appeal for Kasukuwere’s intervention

http://www.thestandard.co.zw

January 27, 2013 in Business

SAFARI operators have sought the help of Youth Development, Indigenisation
and Empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere after the Zimbabwe Parks and
Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) withdrew hunting rights from
indigenous operators and gave them to South African agents.

REPORT BY NDAMU SANDU

On December 31 2011, ZPWMA withdrew licences for concessions that were being
run by indigenous operators after the expiry of the licences saying they had
a new strategy of sweating the assets.

According to a Parks board resolution of a meeting held in April 2011 “all
expired leases must revert to the authority where they will be managed under
a different business model”.

“We have since received corroborated evidence that ZPWMA, which falls under
the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management, has handed
over the three concession Area namely Matetsi Unit 2, Charara Safari Area
and Makuti Safari Area to South Africa operators, Katzke Safaris and John
Nel,” Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOAZ) chairman Emmanuel
Fundira wrote to Kasukuwere in a January 10 letter.

“If ZPWMA required an agent rather than a concession holder, I am sure a
pool of existing operators could have been able to facilitate such a role
and also that a tendering process should have taken place, other than opting
to use foreign operators.”

The letter was copied to Environment and Natural Resources Management
minister Francis Nhema and chief secretary to President and Cabinet, Misheck
Sibanda.

Charara Safari Area is now being run by Edmond Mkaratigwa’s Bauna Safaris
effective January 1. The company was allocated the concession by ZPWMA.

Chararara, Matetsi Unit 2 and Makuti Safari Area were previously run by
Paradzai Zimondi, Mike Chidziva and Emmanuel Fundira respectively.

SOAZ said the actions by ZPWMA were not only deplorable “but in fact lack
transparency and are against the ethos ofindigenisation and economic
empowerment” adding that the move had weakened the economic base of
indigenous people, enriching foreigners with local resources.

SOAZ said it was “very concer-ned about this type of behaviour and believe
that your office needs to investigate the issue and apply corrective
measures accordingly”.

Nhema referred all questions to the authority’s acting director-general,
Edson Chidziya.

In written responses, the authority said the three concessions in question
were not run by South African operators as alleged, but were being operated
by the Zimbabwe Parks and Management Authority as strategic business units.

“The Authority appointed a marketing agent for the three (3) concessions as
is the norm in the tourism industry. The marketing side is being done by
foreign agents which is also the norm in the tourism industry,” it said.

It said, to be competitive in the industry, one had to depend on marketing
agents in source markets “for the purposes of marketing and selling tourism
safaris”.

“For hunting safaris, these are sold two or three years in advance by agents
in source markets that have direct access and command the respect of the
client base. Foreign clients want to deal with reputable agents whom they
have interacted with before as they entrust their hardearned money as
deposits for the hunts with these people,” it said.

The authority said that tourism entities or companies did not work with one
agent but several agents who were willing to bring business and under the
arrangements the marketing sales agent did not have any control or rights to
the business of the company except to market and bring in clients for which
they are paid a commission.

“In the selection process, both local and foreign agents are considered and
at present, we have applications from both local and international
companies,” the authority said, adding that the South Africa, agent was
appointed because of their reputation in the hunting industry and because
they had already been doing business with Zimbabwe hunting operators.

The authority said the wildlife industry was one of the most indigenised
sectors and Parks had no intention of reversing the Indigenisation Policy.

Matetsi 2 seems to have gotten a lot of attention recently?

The Zim lads must be grinding their teeth.