‘Operators strip conservancies of wildlife’
The Daily Mirror Reporter
issue date :2006-Nov-12

The government has been urged to come up with a clear policy position on conservancies following allegations that some whites were stripping the wildlife concerns of assets and relocating animals in their territories in anticipation of imminent evictions.


Speaking at a meeting with Zanu PF secretary for lands Ignatius Chombo in Harare yesterday, ruling party provincial land committees said the absence of a policy on conservancies following the Fast Track Land Reform Programme was giving anti-government whites time to strip conservancies of all their attractions.
In its presentation, the delegations from Matabeleland North and South and Mashonaland West said they were concerned with the lack of action on the issue of conservancies.
“We have had reports and we have seen for ourselves cases of white safari operators relocating herds of wildlife. These people are not stupid and they know that the government has a policy of empowering the majority.
“As such, they are deliberately running down these conservancies in anticipation of receiving eviction notices.
“On the day when the government finally asks them to leave they shall simply get up and leave and blacks shall be allocated conservancies that have no animals.â€
Chombo said their concerns would be incorporated in a policy recommendation brief that would be forwarded to central government.
White Zimbabweans and foreigners own or control the majority of private wildlife conservancies in the country and their re-allocation to the majority black Zimbabweans has remained a contentious issue over the past six years as a lot of foreign currency earnings are at stake.
Some pro - environment groups have estimated that the country’s wildlife population has declined by around 60 percent since 2000 though there are conflicting reasons given for this development.
While the ruling party committees yesterday blamed safari operators for this, other observers have pinned the blame on illegal hunting tours and rampant acts of poaching by communities living around conservancies.
The Mashonaland East delegation at the meeting highlighted the fact that acts of poaching had negatively affected ecosystems in the province.
Environment and Tourism minister Francis Nhema’s cellphone went unanswered yesterday. However, the ministry has on a number of occasions expressed its displeasure at the glaringly high poaching statistics.
Another concern raised at the meeting was the lack of cooperation between ruling party organs and the central government’s district authorities.
Delegates concurred that this administrative disjuncture curtailed development, as the two should work together to fully implement policies.
The Matabeleland South delegation said: “Sometimes when we approach district administrators they tell us off saying we should stick to party politics.â€
Other issues that came up were the need for greater participation of youths in agriculture through allocation of land to younger people, greater empowerment of women, improvement of irrigation schemes tighter security on acquired land to stop sabotage by vandals and opponents of land reform.
Chombo suggested to delegates that an initiative could be worked out to allow Zimbabweans to productively access equipment and infrastructure lying idle after some companies closed.
He said: “We should look at ways of reopening the companies that closed so that the equipment and facilities lying idle can contribute to the economy.â€
He added that the deliberations from yesterday’s meeting would be incorporated in the party’s land secretariat’s report at the Zanu PF annual People’s Conference scheduled for Goromonzi in early December.

"Yea, we're going to screw you over, but don't eliminate the wildlife, 'cause we want to kill it all and eat it within the first two days after you are evicted."

Sounds fair to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
White Zimbabweans and foreigners own or control the majority of private wildlife conservancies in the country and their re-allocation to the majority black Zimbabweans has remained a contentious issue over the past six years as a lot of foreign currency earnings are at stake.

The small number that are left, that is.

The bickering of looters:

quote:

Chombo (da'man wid da plan for da next caper) suggested to delegates that an initiative could be worked out to allow Zimbabweans to productively access (i.e., STEAL) equipment and infrastructure lying idle after some companies closed (Closed? Like for a holiday?).

He said: “We should look at ways of reopening (breaking and entering) the companies that closed so that the equipment and facilities (goodies to be hocked or just trashed) lying idle can contribute to the economy (line the pockets of politicians and cronies).â€

kinda reminds me of a trip in lowveld where they took a white farmers land just before the crops were ready to come in. then came back in a week or 2 and wanted him to show them how to run the equipment to harvest, when he refused they threw him in jail. Funny how the have nots wanting what the haves got run through the history of mankind

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
The bickering of looters:

quote:

Chombo (da'man wid da plan for da next caper) suggested to delegates that an initiative could be worked out to allow Zimbabweans to productively access (i.e., STEAL) equipment and infrastructure lying idle after some companies closed (Closed? Like for a holiday?).

He said: “We should look at ways of reopening (breaking and entering) the companies that closed so that the equipment and facilities (goodies to be hocked or just trashed) lying idle can contribute to the economy (line the pockets of politicians and cronies).â€

Very funny, especially "Chombo (da'man wid da plan for da next caper)"

The old saying "They'd screw up a wet dream" comes to mind. Does anyone really beleive this horse $hit? What I saw in Zim and what I read about is not the same....either I saw things "only as a white man would", or they are full of brown material.....guess which one I'm going with.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer

Excuse me please, Mister Victim. Could you keep more cash in your pockets, so I can get a bigger haul when I rob you? Thanks, it's much appreciated.

Just for a sense of perspective (wrt "screwing up a wet dream") the wheel, arguably man's greatest invention, was unknown in Africa (south of the Egyptian sphere of influence) until the white settlers introduced it in the 1600s. Given time and AIDS, maybe the continent will revert back to the paradise it once was. jorge