I am only posting this here because it gives a good list of the places and people that all safari hunters going to Zimbabwe need to avoid. I doubt it is news, to experienced Africa hands, that government motorcades regularly run over innocent civilians on a regular basis in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.

What is surprising here is the number of Mugabe's henchmen listed under the Gwaai Valley Conservancy. Very surprising, since my sources tell me it was allegedly shot out by Dawie Groenewald's company Out of Africa, along with his affluent American clients who would break any laws, and violate any code of ethics, to put a high scoring animal in some 'shenzi' record book.

~ Alan



Killing literally: Mugabe faster than climate change

http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/jun21_2012.html#Z20

After three fatal crashes in a fortnight caused by Mugabe’s huge fuel-guzzling and polluting motorcade, Zimbabwe’s 88-year old tyrant is arguably literally killing faster than climate change.

It could be argued that Mugabe has turned into an “assassin” or a “terminator” with no remorse whatsoever as he hypocritically lectures on a green sustainable development.

Contrary to pretences of being a caring president, Mugabe’s profligacy and disregard for the environment is tragically quite glaring not to be noticed - from an expensive and highly polluting motorcade, a bloated delegation, a failed land reform programme, to endangering wildlife and corruption.

There is obvious environmental pollution and a high accident risk in the tyrant’s high speed daily escort of not less than 10 vehicles, including close-security and 3 blacked-out Mercedes Benz saloons, one of them bearing the ZIM1 number plate, 2 police motorcycles, two military jeeps with ten armed soldiers and an ambulance.

Mugabe’s large carbon footprint is noticeable from his dozen trips to Singapore in the past year and his characteristic delegations like the one to the Earth Summit estimated at over 60 officials, some of them suspected of corruption.

Contrary to ZANU-PF claims of success in its land invasions programme, top ex-army generals working in the ministry of Defence have told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee that the controversial programme has failed to benefit war veterans.

Critics say Mugabe bought loyalty of a “new, well-connected black elite” of about 2 200 people which now controls nearly 40 percent of the 14 million hectares including wildlife conservancies and plantation land seized from white farmers.

Before the ZANU-PF land occupations, there were 640 ranches but only a handful remain.

For example, according to a Wikeleaks cable, conservancies were allegedly “awarded without being offered for public tender to allow regime insiders to gain control of concessions at below market prices.”

As a result, Cabinet Ministers and other senior ZANU-PF officials were reportedly making a killing from the wildlife conservancies, according to a cable released by Wikileaks. Among those named was Dumiso Dabengwa, who has
since left ZANU-PF and now leader of ZAPU.


The cable claimed that the following Office of Foreign Accountant Control (OFAC) sanctioned individuals were known to have a stake in a safari area concession, safari operator and private land/private hunting reserve:

Edward Chindori Chininga (Gwaai Valley Conservancy);

Jocelyn Chiwenga (Matetsi Unit 6 Safari Area);

Ignatius Chombo (Chiredzi River Conservancy);

Dumiso Dabengwa (Gwaai Valley Conservancy);

Joseph Made (Gwaai Valley Conservancy;

Amos Midzi (Gwaai Valley Conservancy);

Kembo Mohadi (Gwaai Valley Conservancy);

Charles Utete (Gwaai Valley Conservancy);

Paradzai Zimondi (Charara Safari Area);

Lovemore Chihota (Matetsi Unit 7);

Thandi Nkomo (Tuli Safari Area) sister of Louise Nkomo who is spouse of Francis Nhema, Environment Minister;

Webster Shamu (Chirisa Safari Area and 51% stake in Famba Safaris).

Webster Shamu’s wife also allegedly has a separate interest in Chete Safari but is not on the SDN list.


It is worth noting that some of the named people may no longer be on the sanctions list, neither are they being linked to any criminal activity. However there are allegations of prevalent controversial hunting practices of high quotas, poaching and poor wildlife management on the conservancies or private land.

In the early years of independence, Mugabe was said to be a committed conservationist and even had his own herd of elephants in Hwange National Park but it is not clear what went wrong. In the 1980s he gave two rhinos to North Korea before they died only a few months after their relocation, according to The Standard.

Then a giraffe became the first victim of Mugabe’s “Noah’s Ark” gift to North Korea in May 2010 when it died in an experiment described by experts as “bizarre” involving pairs of African animals, including elephants, zebras, giraffes and antelopes that were reportedly flown secretly to North Korea, without a clear indication of the benefit to Zimbabwe’s green economy.

In November 2011, Mugabe donated three elephants to China for what the regime said was appreciation for that country’s assistance to his wife’s orphanage. It is not clear if the animals Mugabe gave were his private property.

In Chiredzi River Conservancy, elephants and wildlife are under severe threat from people who were settled there but are relying on food aid because the area is too hot and the rainfall too low for crop farming.

Critics also cite Mugabe’s poor hand of discipline on his loyalists. A cable released by Wikileaks linked four senior ZANU-PF officials to rumours about rhino poaching.

According to a US diplomatic cable dispatched on 14 December 2009, US Ambassador Charles Ray named Environment Minister Francis Nhema, Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, Defence Forces Chief Constantine Chiwenga and chief of conservation in the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Vitalis Chadenga.

As long as Mugabe fails to curb corruption, improve environmental management and scale down on road and air travel, his unsustainable lifestyle will remain an economic liability, environmental hazard and a safety risk for a long time.