American tourists troop into Zimbabwe for hunts

By Reason Mpofu
Bulawayo Chronicle

April 9, 2008

TOURISTS from America and some parts of Europe have started trickling into the country for hunts in defiance of warnings by the United States not to do so.
The US State Department issued a special Zimbabwe travel alert in February warning its citizens against travelling to the country.
The travel alert is part of a whole package of sanctions levelled against Zimbabwe because of its land reform programme.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager, Retired Major Edward Mbewe, said on Friday this year’s hunts would be some of the best if confirmations made so far were anything to go by.
He said a number of clients, mostly from America, Spain and other parts of Europe had confirmed their hunts for this season.
He also said hunts had already started at individually owned properties.
In issuing the travel alert, the US State Department noted that the country was expected to plunge into violence during the election period, a claim which has since been proved wrong.
The elections were conducted in a peaceful manner with a number of observers describing them as free and fair.
The West and America have also used the Hunting Report Newsletter, edited by Barbara Crown, to demonise the Zimbabwean people.
The magazine, which uses hate language, reduces the Zimbabwean people who benefited in the land reform programme to “ . . . squatters occupying white farms, creating chaos in the countryside.â€
Since the commencement of the land reform programme white former landowners have discouraged American citizens from doing any business with new safari operators, accusing them of occupying what they have coined “stolen landâ€.
So desperate are the Americans that they are now reminding people not to do business with some Zimbabweans.
“The second document posted to the new Reference Desk section is the US State Department’s newly updated list of Specially Designated Nationals from Zimbabwe. You'll recall this is the list of individuals and business entities with whom US citizens are barred from conducting any business transactions.
“The list names numerous farms that may be conducting safari hunting. If you plan to hunt in Zimbabwe and you are a US citizen, make sure your operator is not doing business with any person or entity on the State Department’s SDN List. We advise you to get a written statement from your intended operator that indicates he is aware of the SDN list, has studied it and has no business relationship with anyone on the list,†wrote Ms Crown.
Ironically the same publication goes on to write that there were positive reports on the hunting activities in Zimbabwe. “There is every reason to believe hunts will go forward next year in the troubled nation of Zimbabwe. My own hunch is Zimbabwe will stay together the way it did this year in the face of a crumbling economy and a political system in shambles. Importantly, as this is written, we have processed 33 Subscriber-Written Reports on 2007 safaris to Zimbabwe. Most are very positive,†reports the publication.
In a desperate move to give more space on the demonisation of Zimbabwe, the newsletter has created a section on Zimbabwe on its website.
“Our newsletter deadlines simply do not allow us to provide the service we feel we should provide paid subscribers. What we have decided to do is create a special section within our website (huntingreport.com/zimbabwe-crisis), where we will post on a daily basis all of the feedback we are receiving on this problem,†reads the statement.
Despite these entire writings, tourists continue to visit Zimbabwe and give a totally different account of what is written in the international media.
Some subscribers to the Hunting Report News letter who were in Zimbabwe during the 2007 safaris have defied all odds and told the Zimbabwean story as it is.
The seven subscribers are reported to have said: “ . . . the only trouble any of them reports is a brush with the law that resulted in a fine for riding in a car without a seat beltâ€.

This article is silly and just plain wrong on a number of points - but in light of Causey's swing at Ganyana - this is halarious:

quote:

The West and America have also used the Hunting Report Newsletter...to demonise the Zimbabwean people.

OK, so are we trooping or trickling?

Sounds like the Zim tourism department has hired an American PR firm.

Bill Quimby

For whatever it is worth we left Zim 7April and had no problems either on the road, in Harare or the airport.

Bryan, will you be making a hunt report even though you did not take an ele? Would love to see one if you have time. It might be especially helpful in light of all that is going on.