http://www.swradioafrica.com/2...-conservancy-seized/


Another Zim conservancy seized

Posted by Alex Bell on Tuesday, June 12,2012

By Alex Bell
12 June 2012

Another wildlife conservancy in Zimbabwe has been seized by ZANU PF supporting land invaders, in defiance of parliamentary warnings that the areas need protection.

About 500 party supporters, led by a war vet identified only as ‘Comrade Shorty’, have invaded the Ruware Ranch in the Chiredzi River Conservancy. Shorty was quoted by the NewsDay newspaper as insisting that they were not ‘invading’ but occupying land given to them 12 years ago. The newspaper also reported that the land invaders were accompanied by representatives from the ZANU PF Lands Ministry.

The seizure of Ruware follows a court decision to allow the Savuli Conservancy in the Save Valley to be handed over to former ZANU PF deputy Minister for Gender and Youth, Shuvai Ben Mahofa. Mahofa originally grabbed the conservancy under Robert Mugabe’s land grab campaign in 2007 after she and former Bikita west ZANU PF legislator, Retired Colonel Claudius Makova, got an ‘offer’ letter to take over the land. Conservationists had been fighting ever since to try and keep the property, but this battle was then lost in April.

The Chiredzi River Conservancy and the Save Valley Conservancy have been worst hit by the onslaught of illegal settlers who have targeted conservation land, with thousands of people moving in and attempting to clear the land for crops. This has resulted in widespread destruction with hundreds of thousands of animals being killed.

The destruction has also been raised as a key point of concern in parliament, with warnings about how these ongoing invasions were set to affect Zimbabwe’s remaining protected areas.

A recent report by the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism identified Higher Education Minister Stan Mudenge and several top military and political figures as the individuals behind the destruction of Save Valley Conservancy.

The report says the forced seizure of the conservancy by top political and military figures with “no interest (or) experience in wildlife conservation” had resulted in massive destruction of the conservancy.

But no attention has been paid to these warnings, and land continues to be seized.

To contact this reporter email alex@swradioafrica.com or follow on Twitter @albell88

After reading the initial article, I searched to see if Mahofa was on the US banned list and it appears she is. Here is an article from WildlifeExtra.com:

"Mugabe cronie takes 8th farm
24/04/2012 15:30:26
Another Zimbabwe land grab – Courtesy of Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force
April 2012. When Zimbabwe’s Land Reform Programme started, the authorities promised that game farms and conservancies were not going to be touched, but as we all know, promises were made to be broken. Over 90% of the game farmers have now been evicted from their ranches and the new owners have slaughtered between 90 and 100% of the animals that were there.

Savuli Conservancy
Three farmers, Terry Andres, John Taylor and Grant Hudson have been ordered to vacate their 5,526 hectare conservancy to pave the way for former Deputy Minister of Gender and Youth, Shuvai Ben Mahofa to take over. The three conservators have been ordered to surrender Savuli Conservancy to Mahofa who should take occupation until 2033. The magistrate has authorized the messenger of the court to use reasonable force against the respondents if they try to resist eviction.

Shuvai Ben Mahofa
Shuvai Mahofa is a senior member of Mugabe’s ZANU PF. She is currently on A US list as the target of sanctions related to Zimbabwe. U.S. nationals may not do business with anyone on the list, or with other entities they control. She is also subject to travel restrictions in Europe."


I must have missed this when I was in Zim. So the question is, is hunting still legal on Savuli with Terry Anders?

http://wildlifenews.co.uk/2012...en-over-by-settlers/


Zimbabwe wildlife gem taken over by settlers


Kevin Heath June 12, 2012


About 500 Zan PF supporters have taken over one of Zimbabwe’s most precious wildlife gems the Ruware Ranch in the Chiredzi River Conservancy. While the land was set aside for resettlement about 12 years ago it is only in the last week that the settlers have moved in.

The move led by a war veteran named Cde Shorty involved 360 families of mainly government workers being given 6 hectares of land each of settlement.

While no reasonable person can be against Zimbabweans reclaiming land that was stolen from them during the occupation by colonial forces there are concerns that the latest resettlement in Ruware Ranch will have devastating impacts on the wildlife found within the area.



Wildlife conservancies and ranches have until recently been left relatively unaffected by the fast track land reforms in Zimbabwe. That change in March last year when government officials stated that wildlife ranches were to become part of the reforms.

Parks and Wildlife Authority Director-General, Vitalis Chadenga, described the new policy as ‘one of the unfinished businesses of the land reform program’.

One of the concerns with the settlement of the Ruware Ranch is that it appears to be headed and supported by the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement. However since 2007 wildlife conservancies and resettlement are supposed to be organised and managed by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management.

In February Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement Secretary Sophia Tsvakwi said before a Zimbabwean parliamentary committee, ”My ministry is no longer responsible for allocating land in conservancies. The ministry handed over conservancies which include Chiredzi River Conservancy, Gwaai Valley Conserv-ancy, Save Valley Conservancy, Midlands Black Rhino Conser-vancy, Malilangwe Conservancy, Bubi Intensive Conservancy and Bubiana Conservancy and from 2007, resettlement was handled by that ministry,“

The redistribution of wildlife based lands in proving to be difficult and complex. Over 28% of Zimbabwe’s land-cover is allocated to wildlife – either government backed parks and reserves or privately owned ranches and conservancies.

The wildlife conservancies are owned predominately by white farmers who are supposed to be working in partnership with Zimbabwean blacks but many have refused to voluntarily take part in the land and share redistribution and they are challenging the need to take part in the courts.

This has led to some to call for all wildlife land including the conservancies to be taken over by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management. The ministry would then be able offer the land out on a tender basis for the leases.

I do not believe Savuli has been taken over by anybody, as stated in the article. So makes me wonder how much truth might be in this.

Guys,

This whole article could be bullshit because Shuvai Ben Mahofa has not occupied Savuli. Terry Anders and company won their court case this spring and are resident on Savuli.

Mark

Thanks Mark. What's the skinny on Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force? Sounds like he is deliberately falsifying information.

Scott,

My understanding is that he is anti hunting and every safari operator in Zim hates him. Martin or Buzz could probably give more details on Rodriquez.

This thing with the seisure of Savuli came up earlier in another article posted by Kathi and stating that Terry Anders had been evicted from Savuli and it had been occupied. None of that happened nor was there any attempt to physically evict them or occupy the land. Terry won his case with the high court and has been conducting business as usual.

Mark

quote:

his thing with the seisure of Savuli came up earlier in another article posted by Kathi and stating that Terry Anders had been evicted from Savuli and it had been occupied. None of that happened nor was there any attempt to physically evict them or occupy the land. Terry won his case with the high court and has been conducting business as usual.

that is good news - the ruination of any part of that wonderful part of country is to horrible to imagine

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
Thanks Mark. What's the skinny on Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force? Sounds like he is deliberately falsifying information.

Every old school Rhodesian hunter that I have asked about Johnny Rodriquez has said almost exactly the same thing: "I reckon he does more good than he does harm and he certainly exposes many of the true wildlife travesties."

And a lot of what he projected about Savuli has born out to be true.

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
Thanks Mark. What's the skinny on Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force? Sounds like he is deliberately falsifying information.

Don't believe a word that comes out of Johnny Rodrigues's mouth.

He is as anti-hunting as they come, masqerading as a "conservationist"

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
Thanks Mark. What's the skinny on Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force? Sounds like he is deliberately falsifying information.

Don't believe a word that comes out of Johnny Rodrigues's mouth.

He is as anti-hunting as they come, masqerading as a "conservationist"

Saeed,
Notice I did not tout his conservation message...but...he exposes government sanctioned land take-overs and mass poaching that would otherwise get covered up. Again from the mouths of people that still hold land in Zim and not me...they reckon he does more good than harm.