Safari jitters over govt hunt
Njabulo Ncube Chief Political Reporter

Safari operators throughout the country are in a state of panic following the launching of a government blitz to expose suspected corruption and financial irregularities within the lucrative industry.

Industry players said teams comprising officials from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), had made a series of raids on safari enterprises across the country.
The sources said the teams are investigating the financial records of safari establishments, particularly those on game hunting. The teams are also keen to check records on clients. The exercise is in response to allegations that safari operators could be prejudicing government of billions of dollars in hard currency through illegal hunting and false declarations of earnings.
“A safari operator recently shipped about 250 elephants to a game park in Zambia without the approval of the authorities,†claimed an industry insider.
Francis Nhema, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, confirmed that a team of investigators had been deployed throughout the country but stressed that the checks were routine.
“We are not looking for blood, but checking whether the players are doing the right thing,†said Nhema.
He said the teams would submit a report to him on their findings. “At the moment I can not say if they have unearthed any irregularities.â€

Financial Gazette - Harare,Zimbabwe

Translation:

The government is short on money and is looking for someone to squeeze.

let me get this straight - the zim government is going to go after private people to expose corruption

I am curious whether any other safari operators have had run-ins with the government since the original arrests.

Hopefully the good guys will not get caught up in the broader investigation.

What kind of cooperation could the Zim gov expect in uncovering foreign bank accounts that belong to the operators? ZERO, and that is where the $$$ are. Secondly, who do they have that are bright enough to complete such an audit?