Ministry to allocate wildlife to communities

By Reason Mpofu, recently in Masvingo

THE Ministry of Environment and Tourism has allocated 1 000 non-trophy elephants to communities across the country as it moves to empower people who live near wildlife areas.

Speaking in an interview in Masvingo on Saturday during the third Parks and Wildlife Day celebrations, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Cde Francis Nhema, said his ministry had with immediate effect, resolved that communities which share boundaries with game and national parks should benefit directly from wildlife proceeds.
Benefits from wildlife have over the years been channelled to communities through their respective rural district councils. However, the councils have been accused of abusing the funds.
“You are all aware of our renowned CAMPFIRE programme which is the heart of delivering benefits to those who bear the brunt of living with wildlife and to the nation at large through poverty alleviation. To enhance the benefit from trophy elephants, my ministry has allocated 1 000 non-trophy animals for other uses,†he said.
Cde Nhema said the 1 000 non-trophy animals would be distributed countrywide and that would be done according to the capacity of various areas.
“These elephants will be distributed according to capacity to utilise. The communities need to set up partnerships with the private sector in order to fully utilise these elephants,†he said.
Cde Nhema said his ministry was exploring ways of making communities benefit more from wildlife.
“We are working on a system that will make communities benefit more. We are also looking at ways to capacitate them to a point where they are in charge and ultimately cut off the middleman,†he said.
Cde Nhema said most communities had complained that they were not getting anything from the council.
“The money has over the years been remitted to councils. But for reasons best known to them councils have used this money for other things. The system that is being put in place will see the villages having their cheque book where the money will be deposited. They will come up with their strategic plans as to what they want to use the money for,†he said.
Cde Nhema said some communities were already implementing the new system.
He said his ministry would continue to issue out non-trophy animals depending on the population.
“My ministry will issue a further number of elephants once the 1 000 that I issued have been properly accounted for. The number on issue will depend largely on population statistics. It will increase where there is capacity to utilise and reduced if deemed necessary,†said Cde Nhema.
He said more money realised from wildlife would continue to be poured back to the people in a bid to improve their livelihood.
“More money from wildlife utilisation will find its way to improving our livelihoods through the building of more and better equipped schools, clinics and other social amenities,†said Cde Nhema.
The Minister said communities should aim at realising maximum gains from the animals.
“With our trophy animals, we can sell all products to different stakeholders who need them. We will have more cheap meat available to our communities thereby improving their protein intake. The skins go to manufacturers while ivory will go to the ivory manufacturers.â€

Looks like a lot of guys will hopefully get their hands on cheap ele hunts sounds promising.
Hopefully allowing someone to come over for at least two eles at a good price.

If anybody needs to be recorded with footage shooting the 10 or so eles they bought you know where to find me.

quote:

“We are working on a system that will make communities benefit more. We are also looking at ways to capacitate them to a point where they are in charge and ultimately cut off the middleman,†he said.

Cut out the middlemen...sounds like we will be booking our hunts directly with Chief _______. I imagine they will put us up in their shambas......and we can experience real Zimbabwe.

I wasn't sure capacitate was a word, so I looked it up:

"To cause (spermatozoa) to undergo the physical changes needed to penetrate and fertilize an egg."

In other words, they are getting ready to F*** us.

Great Plan!

quote:

Originally posted by 404WJJeffery:

quote:

“We are working on a system that will make communities benefit more. We are also looking at ways to capacitate them to a point where they are in charge and ultimately cut off the middleman,†he said.

Cut out the middlemen...sounds like we will be booking our hunts directly with Chief _______. I imagine they will put us up in their shambas......and we can experience real Zimbabwe.

I wasn't sure capacitate was a word, so I looked it up:

"To cause (spermatozoa) to undergo the physical changes needed to penetrate and fertilize an egg."

In other words, they are getting ready to F*** us.

Great Plan!

Hey, 404 - You got it, man! That's what Zim politicians do best, no kidding. Expect chaos, hope for the best.

Richard.

Author of: The Hunting Imperative; African Epic; Ndlovu - The Art of Hunting the African Elephant (Available from Rowland Ward Publications and Safari Press)

One week too late for me...I was just there!

I wonder if cutting out the middle man means that the tribes will be dealing directly with local Zim hunters that are do it your selfers.

465H&H

I read this a good news...a long-awaited and much needed increase in the PAC quota (it's currently around 100). These chiefs aren't going to get into the safari business...they are merely going to resell their quotas to the highest bidder.

Now unless the State Dept messes this up, we hunters are in on an elephant cull...something a lot of folks have been looking for for a long time.

According to very credible sources, the extra quotas are only for next year and scattered across 40 CAMPFIRE Concessions. All will be allocated internally with Zim operators.

Does anyone have any idea how these are going to be allocated? Where, when, how and to who specifically?

Jeff

Boys, don't do this. This is just a way to provide hard currency to prop up the Robert's government. If you buy the hunt directly from the government, think about where your money will be going.

Dave

The two sources I spoke to would know if there was anything to know. The details have not been worked out except that it will go to CAMPFIR and the allocations will be internal (Zim companies). At this time that is all that is known. TIA.

I don't see this as winding up any differently then it is now, except the hunting quota will increase by 100. I don't think that is significant.

The PH/outfitters will be lined up to buy them and resell them to us dudes as usual.

I think it's a good start. I look at all those surplus elephants as an economic shot in the arm for those involved in the hunting business from the outfitters and PH'S to the trackers, camp staff and everyone else our dollars may help. Won't put a dent in the ele population.

May help a tiny bit as elephant population control but with a human population of 14 million, the cull wouldn't even make appetizers!

You will just have a small problem if the State department decides to stop Americans from hunting there......

But, like all things in Africa, espc. THAT country.....sounds good on paper, but would LOVE to see how they implement it......Money paid into the "cheque" account of each tribal member.....BS......

I still think 404 Jeff has got it right.....

quote:

THE Ministry of Environment and Tourism has allocated 1 000 non-trophy elephants to communities across the country as it moves to empower people who live near wildlife areas.

Speaking in an interview in Masvingo on Saturday during the third Parks and Wildlife Day celebrations, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Cde Francis Nhema, said his ministry had with immediate effect, resolved that communities which share boundaries with game and national parks should benefit directly from wildlife proceeds.
Benefits from wildlife have over the years been channelled to communities through their respective rural district councils. However, the councils have been accused of abusing the funds.

Yukon Delta,

This certainly sounds like "with immediate effect" means "right now".

This does not sound like CAMPFIRE to me.
Does this minister have the power to do this?
Is the above quote accurate?
Did you talk to this ministry?

If so, can your sources be more accurate than the minister himself?

Of course Uncle Bob can still change all rules and regs at a moments notice.

Hi Steve. You're reading that like an American would and understandably so but that is a mistake. Remember TIA? I will state it this way...as of this week it will be CAMPFIR and it will be next year and at this point it is internal. That has been confirmed from many sources. It might help to remember that elections are next year and this kind of thing often happens at precisely the right time to garner votes.

Make no mistake, the Zim govt. has not done this to help their starving people or the wildlife. They have done it to help themselves. If they were interested in their country's welfare it would be handled differently and long ago.

SGraves- As of last night this was still in the "talk" stage. The Perm Secretary of the ministry with the verbal backing of the minister made the announcement. On Thursday the DG of Parks was called to a meeting at ministry and what Government wanted to achieve, explained. All of next years CAMPFIRE quotas were returned on Friday and Scientifict Services asked to see how best to break up the extra allocation.

These are only for next year. Trust me, nothing ever happens quickly in Africa, and remember the minister is not in charge of parks or wildlife law enforcement, so he can say what he likes, but it doesn't mean it will happen - especially if the parks DG is playing to a different audience

YD, Russ, Richard, and Ganyana, thanks for the info. Potential problems for good people appear to have been averted, and my mis-understanding corrected.

I might just add an observation: South Africans in general, and those in the hunting industry in particular, are the most negative of all regarding Zimbabwe. On a recent trip, I spent three days in SA (Not hunting, visiting friends) and when I told them I was going to Zim for a month, their reactions were "Are you nuts you will never get back in one piece" ,"There is no food, they are eating their dogs up there", "I wouldn't be caught dead up there", "Why are you supporting Mugabe" and "The game has all been shot and poached, there's nothing left". Well I have to say the reality was nothing like the predictions (well I knew this anyway but I listened to their input anyway.)

Here is my take.

Zim is safer than RSA by far. The crime rate is nowhere near what it is in RSA. There is some risk of mugging in Harare, esp on the road from the airport. But they dont shoot you for a cellphone like they do in RSA. The police have crime and prostitution under control. As well as illegal immigration. In RSA all those things are way out of control.

There is very little racial tension on the ground in Zim. The few whites that are left are accepted by the blacks, and everyone is really friendly. In RSA, racial tensions are higher than they have been since the 70s. Whites are persecuted economically by the govt. Consequently, even the youth is becoming racist again.

Traveling by road was easy and safe. There is very little traffic (only those with USD can get fuel). There is livestock on and near the roads during the day. Not at night. Traveling by road in RSA is hairy. There are large trucks everywhere. Taxis in dubious mechanical condition with wannabe formula 1 drivers at the wheel. And pirates armed with AKs that will pull you over, take your vehicle, and shoot you if they are having a bad day.

There are still 400 white-owned farms in Zim and some of these farmers have been told they are there for good. Some have recently been notified they are being evicted, but many of these evictions are being challenged successfully in court. The situation in RSA is grim. Farms (and businesses, to the extent that you have to hand over 38% to a black) are being taken and it's not over by far. And the ANC is going to face a crisis at the next elections so the farms are going to be a political football. The ANC has made it clear they approve of Mugabe's land grabs. It's not over by far. The problem is exacerbated by the population explosion in SA, fueled partially by runaway illegal immigration.

There is still outstanding hunting in Zim for DG in the many huge govt (parks) concessions and campfire projects, as well as on communal lands. There is no affordable DG hunting in RSA, and very little DG hunting at all. If you shoot a buffalo there, he probably has a name.

There are still a couple of large conservancies in Zim that are choc-a-bloc with superb plains game and DG trophies. Lemco/Bubiana and Save to name two. These are huge properties that are well-managed. In RSA, there are large numbers of PG available as well. But most of the PG hunting is high-fenced on smaller properties, some to the extent of offering a very artificial experience. Do you want to shoot an Axis Deer in S Africa? Or an Nyala in the E Cape? No problem. We have (or will have, by the time you arrive), one for you.

It's extremely cheap to shop in Zim if you have USD, except for hotels which are rather pricey due to a govt policy which requires the bill to be paid in USD, most of which does not end up in the hotel's bank account. It's quite expensive in RSA now that the $ is still around 7 SAR and the country's inflation rate has persistently been high. A lunch for two at a modest restaurant runs about $30 in RSA. In Zim, about $6.

I didn't see one person that appeared to be malnourished in Zim. In the rural areas, everyone has five goats, ten chickens, a patch of mangoes, bananas, maize or sorghum. And cows and donkeys if not in a tsetse area. In the towns, there isn't much employment but people seem to be eating. Maybe the hungry ones were hiding but I didn't see any of those. And there are plenty of dogs running around, so I doubt those are being eaten. In RSA, there are orphans and children on the streets in rags begging. Unemployment in SA is also very high.

Electricity, telephone, and town water are intermittent in Zim but that doesn't affect you in camp. In RSA things still work fairly well.

It's hard to find certain items in the stores right now but again if you have USD you can get just about anything. (The stores are officially empty because nobody is going to buy something for $10 and sell it for $5, which is what the govt has mandated). In RSA you can get just about anything but if it's imported it ain't cheap.

So I tend to disregard any opinions re Zim emanating from SA.

Sorry, I had to post this here in response to some scepticism from other posters regarding elephant hunting in Zim.