Ganyana



I totally agree with the sentiment and in theory it is the only way to go ... DONT PAY BRIBES .... In reality will it make a difference to a government whom trample over all citizens rights on a daily basis, or should I not be so pessimistic ....



I have a policy myself when travelling through Africa, not only Zimbabwe, to refuse to pay a bribe or grease a palm, but even I in isolated instances will cough up with a (small sweetner) to help my passage with a minimum of hassle, in some special instances it can save hours in delay and when one is waiting for an (international connect flight) or other time based instances, even the strongest will is tested ...



I know when we cough with a bribe we are part of the problem, but it is virtually impossible to stamp out in Africa as I see it !!!



I wonder whom of our guests have felt the same as me and although we know money is not required by law we buckle and pay beacuse we want to get to a destination on time .... the old addage TIME is MONEY comes to the fore ...



Peter

I have a better suggestion, why not go beat your head against a brick wall? The bribe thing goes up the scale pretty high like all the way to Magabe. It is a way of life and I don't think ZATSO will stop it..

I have found over the years its much less of a problem to pay the damn bribe than to deal with the situation, in fact the bribe beats the hell out of Zim and Tanzania red tape, providing one uses the proper protacal in presenting the offer..Most 3rd world countries do pretty well with it. Mexico, Tanzania, RSA, Zim and a host of others..Interresting enough is its pretty open and the money goes across the top of the table a Mexican official once told me, in the USA it's all under the table..Apparantly in the UN its pretty much under the table.

However I might comply with your suggestion and report them after I have returned home if you think its the thing to do..Can't hurt.

I wonder if your not just hanging on to a dream, Zim looks pretty well done for to me..I suppose I too would hang in there until hell froze over if it was my country..

No, a bribe is for some young man to buy his grand mother some tea, now that cannot be all bad for she is poor and has few luxurys in this world, but the tea is comforting to her poor old bones, it would be sinfull not to take the money for her...

All kidding aside were I a black African, I would take every bribe or nickle I could get my hands on...Were I a poor child born in povery of Mexico, I would deal dope like a mad man...

It's so bloody easy to be rightous when your wealthy and all of us are..but for the grace of God, there be I is one of my mottos that I have tried to live by...

I have only been to Africa one time.... but isn't there a difference between a tip and a bribe? In my book a bribe is to get an official to do something WRONG. A TIP is given to someone who does his job RIGHT.

Screw that, I'm paying thousands of dollars for a hunt and you expect me not to pay a bribe of a dollar or five that may save me 5 minutes or more of exasperation. I hand dollar bills out like candy when it looks like the situation calls for it and consider it money well spent.

I am by no means an expert on Africa, the furthest from it in fact, having been on my first trip this year. But the way I figured it, when in Rome....

I find it an interesting contradiction that while we as Americans abhor the thought of "bribes", American people involved in service industries are the first to stick out their hand for a "tip" (ever been to the beggar capital of the world, Las Vegas?). We seem willing to make exceptions for the people in the U.S. who, just like the African officials we complain about, are already getting paid by another source.

Don't get me wrong, there comes a point when it gets ridiculous, and I realize we all have different lines to draw, but I find it hard to believe 5 or 10 bucks here or there is going to bust the budget when we're spending thousands to hunt.

Not trying to start an argument, just see some inconsistency in application of "ethics".

For those of you want to play hard ball and not pay bribes good luck!!! I am with Ray on this one and have no problem at all paying any bribes as that is the "system" and do not have time to try and play hard ball and tell them that I am too good and honest to pay any bribes. I just consider it as helping people who have less than I do and at the same time not having any headaches. If you play hard ball, I can promise you that you will have wished you had donated some $$ when it is all said and done! Just my opinion though and do not think it is any big deal. If I get stopped at a road block in Tanzania, I politly greet the policeman and hand him $2 and he gets a bigger smile on his face over that $2 than most people get when they get there work check for thousands of dollars. Now what is so bad about helping a guy out with $2 here and there Yes some bribes are a lot more, but that is usually when we are trying to get something we want and is just an extra price to get it and be happy Heck you will probably have to bribe ZATSO to do something about the customs guys if you want anything to get done

I have saved tons of excess baggage charges and hours of time for myself and my clients paying bribes. Americans don't normally do it well, but most of the world seems to operate on bribery once you leave here. If it saves me time and money I am all for it.

Having been through the routine several times by myself, I appreciate the help to navigate airport terminals with heavy baggage. What I do is offer the "seeker" payment AFTER they perform the offered service. Many times I have used some good quality sweets I carry on the plane for such occasions and they are quite happy.

For the gun rack and registration que I used the food thing and had excellent results.

Hey Anne, thats a tip not a bribe...thats legal anywhere!