I know that this is the million dollar question. I have a hunt booked in August of 2006, but lately I am very worried if I will make it or not, considering what is going on there. What will be a year from now, what do you all think will happen by then?
I am also going to get trip insurance to cover my daily rate. Good Hunting to All!!

I predict Mugabe will be out and the GOOD AUSPICIES of the Western Governments will use your and my hard earned tax money to bail them out under the guise of, you cant leave the people to suffer, even if it was caused by the dictator

I can see the scenario unfolding NOW whereby we all sit back and Mugabe does the damage, and then when it all hits rock bottom then the [ PROFESSINAL BEGGERS ] or what I call CON MEN like Clinton and Mandela plead with broken hearts for us to cough up and help the starving, and guess what, most are taken in and conned by them hook line and sinker

We live in a foolish world dont we

While we are on about dictators HOW is friend Milosivic doing, the trial must have cost a small fortune so far and still counting (-:

And dear friend Saddam, I predict he will get off with a jail term and some sort of understanding that what he did was not nice but seeing a raft of others have killed millions and got away with it why make dear Saddam pay the ultimate price !!!

Peter

Hey Balla,
What about my trip next August, am I making it?

Hi Wolfgar //

My apology I got carried away with POLITICS

You should be just fine, we will send the Marines in to fix the problem if it gets too out of hand

GOB Bless the USA

Peter - redneck downunder in liberal NZ

If you are booked to hunt in a CAMPFIRE (tribal) area or in a parks safari area you will 100% fine. Doesn't matter if we have the army in charge, hunters will be VERY welcome.

Private land... I have some good friends in the Save conservancy and still hanging on to their ranch in Matetsi. At a thumb suck I rekon they will have a rocky ride but will still be there. Just about every farm that the government thinks they can steal, they have done so. Those with a componant of foreign ownwership are being left alone and the ones that were mistakenly occupied are being given back - and no attempt has been made to actually try and cancell any title deeds- all words and political posturing.

When I duck for the border- ask your outfitter to consider posponing your safari for a couple of weeeks.

In truth, I things will simmer along until inflation makes the shona people realise that they have a choice of risking dying on their feet- or definately starving on their knees. And the end will be brief (a week or less) and chaotic but not particularly violent. If you are out in the bush on a safari when the final collapse comes you will probably only know when you go back through the airport on your way home and the currency has changed to Rand or US$

Also, if you are aprehensive, simply arrange to charter straight from harare or bulawayo straight to the hunting area by plane, and skip spending too much time in the Urban areas. Both airfields are well out of town and will be unaffected even if the mob has finally gone baboon.

Also, I am not sure that by next year things will have changed... we have a long way top go. When I first visited Zaire the exhange rate was Z56: 1US$ When I next went back it was Z15.4 million:1 and a loaf of bread cost Z16,500,000-oo. It makes out 80,000:1 seem tame.

Thanks to you all. I'll be hunting the Plum Tree area with Wayne Grant for leopard and some plains game. I'm not so worried about what might happen when I'm there, I just don't want my trip cancelled due to the political situation. I am presently a police officer in New York, so I definetly have been involved in a few "situations" here, and besides, I will have a weapon while I'm there....

IHO for those willing to brave uncertainty Zim will cater to those with forign currency. Last year nobody in the airport made things easy for travel and I bet its more so today.For the first time we drove around a bit incountry and everything was fine as we had a bag or two of biltong on board. As some will be aprehensive about going that just makes it better for those who can adapt. I see it as an opportunity to adventure and others see it as a time to go elsewhere. Of course thats all for not if the shooting starts. Keep your money with a reputable outfitter in escrow until the last minute. Also charters are a good idea.

Wayne Grant is very honest and reputable and will not allow you to come should he feel you may be in any way endangered, or your hunt compromised.

As always Ganyana, thanks for your input. I really appreciate you weighing in on topics when you can. You add tremendous value to the forum.

Thanks,
Kyler

Wolfgar,

Spoke to my friends at Tshabezi Safaris and told that I was worried for there safety and what was really going on...They have no worry but concerned since they are natives to the country, born there...Lost most of their farm but still love the country...To sum it all up just like Ganyana said..Only time wil tell...

Mike

A bit off topic but I'm currently reading Terry Irwin's "Memoirs of an African Hunter" and he tells about Tanzania going through the same scenario in the 70"s? I'm not very familiar with African history but the situation sounds very similar. Is this BS just par for the course in Africa?

Do you think there is a Chinese influence in the future of Zim?

Arjun,

Gee, ya think?

Hi Will,

Hope you are well. Thats what I think may possibly be a hidden agenda! Look at the new Chinese planes...in Zim!

I heard talk about some farms being run or leased to the Chinese as well!

Anyway are you going to be in Reno, if so we must catch up. Tale soon.

Regards,

Arjun

Arjun,

Hopefully will be in Reno, pimping my book if it gets done in time.

When you get reddy to throw that 404 away, let me know.

Zimbabwe has oil -- I think the Chinese are interested in that oil. They have also been actively involved with Nigeria and Chad. It says something that Uncle Robert considers China rich enough to tie his line to their rising star... he's been treating them very hospitably.

Dan

When we flew into Harare this season, there was a high level Chinese delegation on the plane. They were there to see Bob about his platinum. A camera crew and several Zim officials met them upon arrival.

Regards,

Terry

quote:

Originally posted by DanEP:
Zimbabwe has oil -- I think the Chinese are interested in that oil. They have also been actively involved with Nigeria and Chad. It says something that Uncle Robert considers China rich enough to tie his line to their rising star... he's been treating them very hospitably.

Dan

"Although it has huge deposits of coal, the landlocked southern African country of Zimbabwe has no proven oil or natural gas reserves. However, it has been established that it has good potential for coal-bed methane gas production. Zimbabwe uses hydro-electric power, coal, liquid fuel, wood fuel, solar power and biogas. In 1997, firewood accounted for 49%, coal 22%, petroleum 15% and electricity 14%."

source:
Zimbabwe: Oil And Gas Industry
http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/oilg/af/zi/p0005.htm

-Bob F.

No surprise with the chinese,They were
advisers,and arms suppliers during the war
Now they have come for their payoff...