Zimbabwe: War Vets Invade Game Farm


SW Radio Africa (London)

3 July 2008
Posted to the web 3 July 2008

Tererai Karimakwenda


A gang of about 16 so-called war vets descended on Imire Safari Ranch in Wedza on Wednesday night and ordered owner John Travers to vacate the property by Thursday morning.

Travers and his wife Judy were threatened with death if they refused to comply. Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said the Travers' are still on their property and are trying to negotiate with the Minister of Tourism Francis Nhema, to save the ranch.


Travers had been warned and threatened a few days earlier on Sunday, when a group of war vets came to the ranch and ordered him to shoot 3 impala for them to eat. At first he refused but he later shot the impala after the gang became "extremely aggressive" and threatened to burn down his property. As they left with the impala, the gang told Travers that Imire was at the top of their list and they were going to take it. He reported the incident to the police on Monday who said they would initiate investigations. But police have traditionally been very slow to act on any issue regarded as 'political.'

An army general is known to be behind the attempts to take over Imire, despite the fact that National Parks gave the ranch special status as a black rhino breeding area, with government funding this project. Rodrigues said he is very concerned that if the ranch is taken over, all the animals will be killed. Referring to the war vets, he said: "Their history tells us they would kill everything. We lost 3 rhino in Chivero National Parks recently. They killed and dehorned them."

Rodrigues talked about another incident that took place in October last year on Imire, where 3 black rhinos were shot dead by members of the Zimbabwe Army, armed with AK-47 rifles and dressed in camouflage. Each rhino had a guard, but they were assaulted and tied up during the attack. The killings were described as a "senseless slaughter" because all the rhino had been dehorned.

Black rhino are a critically endangered species on the verge of extinction, and the lawlessness that prevails in Zimbabwe is yet another threat to the small population that still exists.

and people actually think this country is safe to hunt in?? just because a hunt is conducted on a government concession or tribal land obviously doesn't mean it is safe, not to mention the safety issue on white owned game ranches. drunk 20 year old "war vets" armed with AK 47's could care less who owns the property.

Reminds me of a saying I learned from a dealer in Vegas...Ya pay your money and you take your chances.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
and people actually think this country is safe to hunt in?? just because a hunt is conducted on a government concession or tribal land obviously doesn't mean it is safe, not to mention the safety issue on white owned game ranches. drunk 20 year old "war vets" armed with AK 47's could care less who owns the property.

And they could care less if you're a rich American tourist hunter who hopes he won't be included in the mayhem so he can shoot an animal. Not me...Seen too many bodies in Africa to even chance adding myself to the bag...