Ex-ZANU PF man denied US visa
Njabulo Ncube Chief Political Reporter

THE United States (US) has denied suspended former ZANU PF Matabeleland North provincial chairman Jacob Mudenda a visa to attend a high-profile safari trade fair in Nevada amid revelations Washington is mooting a ban on trophy hunting in Zimbabwe by its citizens.

Sources said the American refusal to grant Mudenda a visa was part of efforts to fully implement targeted travel and financial sanctions slapped on President Robert Mugabe and officials in his party and government after he controversially won the 2002 presidential elections against Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change.

The US, which regards Zimbabwe as a rogue state and “an outpost of tyrannyâ€, has put in place stringent visa requirements for Zimbabweans seeking to enter that country.

Mudenda, suspended by the ZANU PF presidium together with five other provincial chairpersons in 2004 after the ill-fated Tsholotsho meeting, and who is the newly elected chairman of the amalgamated Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, is on the US travel sanctions list.
The list includes President Mugabe, his family and a majority of his Cabinet ministers.

Sources told The Financial Gazette that Mudenda intended to fly to the US with other stakeholders in the country’s lucrative safari sector to attend the annual hunting and safari showpiece in Nevada.
Efforts to contact Mudenda yesterday proved fruitless. A secretary at his Bulawayo law firm said he was still on holiday.

It has emerged that indigenous safari and hunting concession operators unaffected by the sanctions were duly issued with visas and are due to attend the trade fair as well as exhibit and sell some of their wares in the US. Most of the safari operators will leave Zimbabwe on January 15.
Players in the safari sector expressed concern over the looming ban the US wants to impose on its citizens, considered cash cows by the country’s wildlife industry.

According to the industry players, US citizens comprise between 80 and 90 percent of the people who visit Zimbabwe for trophy hunting.
“Although there is talk of shifting focus to Russia, the Russian hunters consist of a few elitists, while the Americans have created a large market of middle-class hunters with a lot of cash to spend on trophies,†said a hunting expert.

The proposals to ban trophy hunting in Zimbabwe by US citizens come barely two months after the US widened sanctions against President Mugabe’s ruling clique by including spouses and children of government and ruling party officials. US President George Bush issued an executive order last November to extend the economic sanctions net against Zimbabwean officials and froze more assets allegedly owned by President Mugabe’s cronies.

The executive order also allows the US authorities to “block the property of additional persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe, their immediate family members and any persons assisting themâ€.

A ban on hunting in Zim would cost a lot of people money if they have already sent in deposits. Hope nothing happens!

Have been in regular contact with US F&W officials and have called the political officer at the US embassy in Harare to see if anything has changed. Nothing nor is anything like a national ban planned - that they know of. However, the US is looking very hard at certain operations and the importation of stolen goods into the USA... Jacob Mudenda is living in Tais De Vries's house and will not even let him remove personal items such a cloths and kids toys from his own house! Inaythi Safaris

I am so sorry the people of Zimbabwe must endure this seemingly endless misery. As a newspaper wire editor and with an interest in Zim, I ran a profile of Archbishop Ncube in last Sunday's paper -- praying for Mugabe's death indeed.

This may be an ignorant question, but how would the US enforce this??

I don't need a visa from ZIM to enter ZIM, and i don't need permission from the US government to fly to RSA. I can see them stopping the import of trophies from ZIM, but I am just curious how they would do this?

Proabably by refusing imports of trophies, I'd guess. They could also trace wire transfers and harrass booking agents.

That being said, I still have a trip to Zim planned for May 1.

-Steve

OOps. Now I get it.

Zim is the one considering banning hunting by US citizens. I re-read the post. Sorry for the confusion.

quote:

.... Washington is mooting a ban on trophy hunting in Zimbabwe by its citizens.

Players in the safari sector expressed concern over the looming ban the US wants to impose on its citizens, considered cash cows by the country’s wildlife industry.

I read it as the U.S. imposing restrictions on U.S. citizens.

-Bob F.

nothing is going to happen

Bob Fawcett,

"I read it as the U.S. imposing restrictions on U.S. citizens."

So did I and I still do. Looks like about 85% of the market would dry up. I think it's a big mistake and would very much hurt efforts to conserve the animals left in the various concession still open to hunting. . If they aren't being hunted for money...then they will be eliminated for food! That's what happened in Ethiopia the 3 years hunting was closed there.
Rich Elliott

I still think it's the ZIM officials retaliating for the US locking up assets.

I just can't see the US banning it's citizens from doing something that is perfectly legal and ethical in another country.

For example, I have a friend who surfs in Cuba all the time. He flies through Mexico. I guess I'm just thick headed.

N'gagi,
Yes and the US Cuba traveler could be prosecuted. Several people are every year. Dan Snow went to the pokey for trying to run Bass Fishing trips to Cuba after the travel ban.
I suspect that agents booking for a Zimababwe outfitter could be prosecuted as well.If it's done the way the Cuba restrictions are being implemented it could be a big problem. Anyway, let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Rich Elliott

Rich Elliott

To answer your question about 'how would they know', it's about the same as travel to Cuba. When you return to the US, remember that Customs Form you fill out? On it, you state the countries you have visited on your trip. If it's determined that you visited other countries NOT listed, you can be busted.

How do they know? Well, some folks who travel without license (normally thru Mexico) actually DO list an embargoed country (Cuba) on the form ... duh. OTOH, there IS travel to Cuba (and spposedly other coutries which may have a 'travel ban') that is legal. It's called 'Licensed Travel' and comes under two type of licenses, "General Licenses" and "Specific Licenses".

To make a long story short, the US Immigration folks actually do some things to try to monitor travel by unlicensed citizens. That would probably inclue your friend who surfs in Cuba. There is a group of organizations that exist to try to defeat the embargo and help those who are 'caught'. This is a whole 'nuther ball game, but this is the way it would probably apply to Zim.

I sure hope it doesn't come to that.

Thanks for the explaination, but I still find only ONE reference to a ban of US hunters and it looks to me, as if it is a threat from Zim. Not the other way around. Re-read just this part:

"According to the industry players, US citizens comprise between 80 and 90 percent of the people who visit Zimbabwe for trophy hunting.
“Although there is talk of shifting focus to Russia, the Russian hunters consist of a few elitists, while the Americans have created a large market of middle-class hunters with a lot of cash to spend on trophies,†said a hunting expert.

The proposals to ban trophy hunting in Zimbabwe by US citizens come barely two months after the US widened sanctions against President Mugabe’s ruling clique by including spouses and children of government and ruling party officials. US President George Bush issued an executive order last November to extend the economic sanctions net against Zimbabwean officials and froze more assets allegedly owned by President Mugabe’s cronies."

I think this is the key phrase:

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Players in the safari sector expressed concern over the looming ban the US wants to impose on its citizens, considered cash cows by the country’s wildlife industry.

[Emphasis added.]

You are still misinterpreting this I think. the US is imposing sanction against the operators, who are ZIM's cash cows.

"it's citizens, meaning ZIM citizens"

Look:

t has emerged that indigenous safari and hunting concession operators unaffected by the sanctions were duly issued with visas and are due to attend the trade fair as well as exhibit and sell some of their wares in the US. Most of the safari operators will leave Zimbabwe on January 15.
Players in the safari sector expressed concern over the looming ban the US wants to impose on its citizens, considered cash cows by the country’s wildlife industry.

I respectfully disagree. Restrictions the US wants to impose on its (the US's) citizens, who are the cash cows for Zim's safari industry.

Of course, it could be poor pronoun reference and a different "cash cow" even though they go on to talk about how US citizens are the mainstay of the safari industry.

Edited: I don't really care to get into a grammar argument -- not really my strong suit.

Mine either, but this is rather vague really. It can easily be interpreted both ways. I'd like to see the original article...Kathi???

quote:

Originally posted by N'gagi:
Mine either, but this is rather vague really. It can easily be interpreted both ways. I'd like to see the original article...Kathi???

She pasted the whole thing. Read it here.

Unfortunately no more clarity on the situation.

What zimbabwe needs is a good coue and some skilled U.S. trained marksmen, this would end the Mugabe problems in the country.

Till a new ruling party is installed there the situation will only worsen and the restrictions and sanctions by the U.S. there is going to dry up the country's main source of forex coming in.

I read it as the US Govt were considering banning it's citizens from hunting in Zim. I'm not a lawyer (Thank God! ) but I'd have thought this would be contravening the rights of the citizen........ If it's not, it bloody well should be.

However if the Govt wanted to track the movements of a citizen to see if they had flown to a certain country it would not be difficult for them to do so.......esp in this post 9/11 world.

Life's getting more and more like "big brother is watching" every day!

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:

quote:

Originally posted by N'gagi:
Mine either, but this is rather vague really. It can easily be interpreted both ways. I'd like to see the original article...Kathi???

She pasted the whole thing. Read it here.

Unfortunately no more clarity on the situation.

I wrote to the author for clarification. I'll post a reply if I get one. Thanks

I wouldn't make a big deal about it, except I have a deposit already sitting with Big Five, for Chewore camp, and i'd like to flush this out.

N'gagi,

I'm not trying to be agrumentative here; just a little friendly back and forth discussion.

The U.S. has been imposing various sanctions on Zimbabawe for some time. I think this would be a case of the U.S. prohibiting U.S. citizens from hunting in Zimabawe as a further tightening of sanctions against Zimbabawe. It would dry up a source of foreign (hard) currency for the Zim government. The article could have been worded better to be more clear, but I still think that's what it's talking about.

Zimbabawe is desperate for foreign currency. Why would the Zim government be the one to ban U.S. citizens from hunting in Zimbabwe and thus cut off that source of foreign currency?

"The United States (US) has denied suspended former Zanu PF Matabeleland North provincial chairman Jacob Mudenda a visa to attend a high-profile safari trade fair in Nevada amid revelations Washington is mooting a ban on trophy hunting in Zimbabwe by its citizens."

"Players in the safari sector expressed concern over the looming ban the US wants to impose on its citizens."

To me that all means:
Washington denied the visa to Mudenda. Washington considers further tightening of sanctions against Zimbabwe by considering to impose a ban on trophy hunting by U.S. citizens in Zimbabwe.

Very similar to restrictions placed on U.S. citizens concerning travel to Cuba, etc.

-Bob F.

There is ample precedent for the imposition of travel bans on US citizens (as in the case of Cuba, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Iran, etc.) and such bans are quite legal.

As to whether, as this article suggests, the US would ever impose a ban on travel by US citizens to Zimbabwe, I think it is highly doubtful. Terrorist states are the focus these days.

Yeah, but I don't think the article is talking about a total travel ban. Just a ban on hunting by U.S. citizens. And that could be enforced, as one example, by not allowing trophies to be shipped back from Zimbabwe, etc.

-Bob F.

This is why in police work we HATE PRONOUNS.

John punched Frank. Then he told him, that he was going home to get a bat to hit him with.

We can tend to think tha after JOHN punched FRANK that John told Frank that he, JOHN was going home to get a bat to hit FRANK again, this second time with a bat.

BUT, any decent defence lawyer can prove that the words as written can also mean that FRANK responded to being punched by JOHN by telling JOHN that he, FRANK was going home to get a bat to hit JOHN with said bat.

quote:

Originally posted by BFaucett:
Yeah, but I don't think the article is taking about a total travel ban. Just a ban on hunting by U.S. citizens. And that could be enforced, as one example, by not allowing trophies to be shipped back from Zimbabwe, etc.

-Bob F.

Yes, of course. Our federal government has myriad ways of enforcing its will.

Any state, for example, is free to abolish any and all speed limits. No federal law prohibits that. Can't prohibit that sort of thing. Violates constitutional principles of federalism.

However, if a state with the desire to build itself an autobahn wants federal highway dollars, just be ready to say aufweidersehn to the federal bucks . . .

It would be easy to construct a legally defensible ban on hunting by US citizens in Zim, if there was the federal will to do it. But there isn't, or at least I don't think there is.

Yeah, and I bet George Bush could not get a visa to Zimbabwe either.

Most things published in the press are at least 25% inaccurate and this article seems to follow that rule.

Not sure I know what you mean.

If the feds were to ban hunting in Zim (and I reiterate, that is highly unlikely, IMHO), then Air Force One would hardly be headed there any time soon.

I am confident that this story is false.

I am currently in Washington DC for an NRA Board of Directors meeting. I mentioned this story to NRA's deputy director of ILA (the NRA's lobbying arm) and he said "well I'll just call our folks we work with on issues at the State Dept and ask." The response was a pretty strong denial saying it was "100% false".

Then I got an email fron Don Causey at the Hunting Report today and he said that his sources in DC say the same thing.

I think it's false.

Todd

Todd, I called SCI over a year ago to discuss the problems with importing firearms into South Africa and they were completely in the dark about it. They should have been very aware of this before it happened. The problems were, and still are very real, and SCI was completely ignorant of the facts. The national offices of the NRA probably aren't too concerned with up to the minute information on Zimbabwe. They have their own agenda here to deal with. I had a bad feeling this was going to happen with Zimbabwe. From what I interpret from the article, the US will impose a travel ban for its citizens going to Zimbabwe-the same as Cuba, Syria, North Korea, et al.

Tembo,

Yes NRA has a HUGE domestic agenda, and have no real mechanism to affect change in Africa.

However alot of the NRA leadership are interested in the issue because many of us have hunted there, and want to continue to do so.

So these things are monitored and to the extent that we can, we try to help.

This inquiry was simply informational to see if the newspaper story was true. We got it straight from the US State Department that the story is FALSE. (I am stressing the point, not shouting.)

There are currently no plans to ban US Citizens from hunting in Zimbabwe.

The State Department guy said that they have spent the whole day answering questions about this and that the story is false.

Todd

Todd, I hope that is correct. Without hunting $$$'s Zimbabwe would crumble even faster than it is. Thanks for the clarification.

Zimbabwe “Hunt-Ban Report†Is False
(posted January 06, 2006)

Here we go again…. A completely wrong and irresponsible report in a local newspaper in Harare, Zimbabwe, claiming that the US is about to ban hunting in Zimbabwe, has been picked up on the Internet and treated like Gospel, touching off waves of panic that have flowed back and forth between Zimbabwe and the US now for close to 24 hours.

Will everyone just relax for a moment….? There is absolutely no truth to the original report and even less in all the baseless speculation that has gone on since a reporter by the name of Njabulo Ncube told readers of the Financial Gazette in Harare that "Washington is mooting a ban on trophy hunting in Zimbabwe by its (e.g., US) citizens." Nothing of the sort is going on, and we have that straight from the people in Washington who are not just in a position to know about any "mooting" as regards Zimbabwe, but who would be doing the "mooting" if any "mooting" was going on.

"It's just not happening," is the way our contact put it, going on to note that he was so perplexed by the above-mentioned article that he contacted US Treasury Department and US Fish & Wildlife Officials to see if there was some kind of trophy-import snarl or communications breakdown between the White House and the State Department. There wasn't, and there isn't. All that's involved here is irresponsible journalism magnified by Internet forums that purport to moderate their discussions but don't really do so.

There is even more misinformation in the Financial Gazette article that created all the panic. Seems the article claims that a banned individual by the name of Jacob Mudenda has been denied a visa to attend the Safari Club International Convention in Reno. The article identifies Mudenda as "chairman of the amalgamated Safari Operators Association." Mudenda is actually head of the Indigenous Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, not the association mentioned above. No such organization even exists. More important, though, is the fact that Mudenda is not a banned individual. The only possible bit of truth in the offending article is the possibility that Mudenda has been denied a visa. We could neither deny nor confirm that fact.

The bottom line here is - if you are a safari operator in Reno who has waffled on his plans to come to Zimbabwe because of the above-mentioned article, get on the plane. If you are a client who was planning to book a safari to Zimbabwe, go ahead. There is no new threat to your plans to hunt Zimbabwe.

The only wrinkle of new concern we have to pass on is the almost certainty that the US State Department is going to start adding specific lodges and properties to its list of individuals and entities that US citizens may not do business with. Agents and operators take note: This possible move deserves close attention.

We are going to continue to monitor the situation in Zimbabwe, and we will let you know if there are any changes. In the meantime, our previous suggestions about how to do your due diligence on hunting in Zimbabwe still stand. First, go to our web site and check and see if your intended operator is on the banned list (Go to our Home Page, http://www.huntingreport.com, and scroll down to Other Hunting News. Click on Executive Order 13391). Then ask your intended operator to declare in writing that he is not involved with a banned individual. Keep that declaration in a safe place. - Don Causey.

Tembo,

You are welcome, and I hope it remains true.

Todd