Mtsambiwa falls out with Parks?

By Kudakwashe Mutandi

THE Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has begun the search for a new director-general ahead of the expiry of Dr Morris Mtsambiwa’s contract in March this year.

Advertisements for the post appeared in the local Press recently.
Insiders at the authority told this paper that the placing of the advertisements was a clear indication that the director-general’s contract was unlikely to be renewed and it was not a coincidence for the adverts to appear at a time the Parks boss was on leave.
The chairman for the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority board, Mr George Pangeti, confirmed the “new hunt”, saying interested applicants were free to apply, including Dr Mtsambiwa.
Mr Pangeti said the board was going to accept and assess applications from all the applicants before conducting interviews.
“Dr Mtsambiwa’s contract is going to expire at the end of March this year. Like what happened last time, Dr Mtsambiwa is permitted to apply if he is still interested in the job, above all, the post is open to the public,” said Mr Pangeti.
Dr Mtsambiwa has served the wildlife authority for three terms from 2003 to date.
Ironically, the last two contracts were not advertised, which market watchers believe suggests the director-general “might” have had a fallout with the current board.
Contacted for comment on whether he was going to re-apply for the post, Dr Mtsambiwa said he had not made up his mind.
The 59-year-old ecologist boasts a PhD (aquatic ecology), MSc (fishers biology and management,) Bsc Biology and Geography and an MBA.
He is the former director-general of Swaziland National Parks and was appointed first director-general in 2003 for the local authority when it transformed from a Government department under the Environment and Tourism Ministry to an authority.
The transformation has improved revenue generation and generally enhanced operations to the authority’s ability to now put in place anti-poaching mechanisms, which include high-powered equipment and technology.
“As an organisation we tried to balance the main objective of conservation alongside that of profit making,” said Dr Mtsambiwa.
He has initiated many projects that have seen the rehabilitation of infrastructure and projects under the parks authority.
The authority embarked on infrastructure development projects as the country tried to meet its end of the bargain under tranfrontier parks. Dr Mtsambiwa faced many challenges at the Parks and Wildlife Authority which strengthened him even more in all his endeavours.
“It has been a challenging post, something that would keep you going,” said Dr Mtsambiwa.
The Parks and Wildlife Authority is the guardian of the country’s wildlife parks and also regulates the wildlife farming industry on behalf of the Government.