Brett,



We had a discussion about Makuti last year and there have been published reports that Fundira was arrested (note the spelling Fundira NOT Fundera). Fundira is reportedly in league with Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris and Makuti is a questionable concession.



Do a search for Makuti and you will find the previous posts.



Regards,



Terry

Charl and Richard,

Thanks for the replies. I have been in contact with Don.

For anyone interested I have two independent confirmations that Gary is a licenced PH in Zim (PH no. 145) and has the full quota for Makuti. The Makuti concession, National Parks Estate, is leased to E. Fundera, not on or in leage with anyone on the US "banned list".

Best regards;
Brett

Do you still want that photo, i know it is 10 years ago but contact Don Lietzau at safari@gci.net

He will beable to help you.

From The Sunday Times (UK), 10 August



Zimbabwe wildlife crisis as elite grabs hunting rights





Jon Swain, Harare



As poachers slaughter more and more wildlife in Zimbabwe, the country�s minister of parks and tourism has almost bankrupted the body responsible for protecting endangered species of game by giving away valuable hunting concessions to family and friends in the ruling elite. Francis Nhema�s action is believed to have netted the individuals as much as �1m. But the parks and wildlife management authority, which he oversees, cannot meet the August wage bill for its 2,400 staff because it was not paid properly for the concessions. Last week banks were refusing to lend it any more money until it came up with a plan for repaying the loans. "But how can it while the minister is giving away the assets?" said an inside source. The knock-on effect of Nhema�s intervention has been disastrous. Zimbabwe boasts more national parks than almost any other country; they cover 14% of the countryside and were once superbly run. However, the impoverishment of the national parks has meant that scouts, the first line of defence against poachers, have been forced to cut back on patrols after running out of fuel for their vehicles and ammunition for their rifles. Rations are said to be in such short supply that some scouts have been ordered to shoot game for the pot whenever they go into the field.



Nhema had a reputation for good management until he began giving away the hunting concessions without going through a tendering process. One of the early beneficiaries of his largesse has been his sister-in-law Tendi Nkomo, the daughter of Joshua Nkomo, the late vice-president. She was awarded the Tuli concession for a token US$750. Another beneficiary is Emmanuel Fundira, the minister�s nephew. He was awarded the concession for Makuti, one of the most prized hunting areas where elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard are the main bag. The Charara concession, estimated to be worth more than �500,000 from hunting fees this season, was parcelled out to a consortium headed by Brigadier Paradzayi Zimondi and General Amoth Chingombe, two powerful army figures. The process started last year. This year it was expanded with Nhema �s creation of two new safari hunting areas to give away to cronies. One of them, at Sengwa, was created out of an area that had not previously been hunted but was designated as a wildlife research centre. Nhema has also dramatically increased the quotas of animals that are allowed to be shot to what conservationists say are unsustainable levels.



The annual hunting quota for Sengwa, which covers an area of 364 square kilometres, is now 12 elephant, five lion, 25 buffalo and 12 leopard. The sustainable level is put at two elephant, one lion, five buffalo and two leopard. Nhema confirmed that he had directed the allocation of hunting concessions to individual operators, but indicated that it had been on the advice of the parks authority. "If anything has gone wrong in the selection process of beneficiaries, the blame should be placed on the authority, which could have failed to discharge its duties efficiently," he told the state-owned Herald newspaper. Analysts said the changes have turned big game hunting into a new cash cow for the elite, who have already profited hugely from the seizure of thousands of white-owned commercial farms. However, they added that a rapid decline in the wild animal population from poaching meant the money was in danger of drying up soon. As much as half the country�s game has been slaughtered in the three years since war veterans began land invasions.



The land seizures have turned Zimbabwe from a peaceful and prosperous country into one of turmoil, lawlessness, hunger and poverty. It is estimated that it has lost as many as 3,000 cheetah, which are endangered worldwide, to gangs of illegal settlers who hunt them down with spears and dogs on confiscated white farmland. There are thought to be only 18 Liechtenstein hartebeest, a rare antelope, and the numbers of tsessebi antelope have fallen from 12,000 to 3,000. Several rare black rhino have also been killed for their horns, worth �30,000. Although elephants are not endangered in Zimbabwe, massive poaching of the 80,000- strong population has decimated some herds. A World Wide Fund for Nature survey counted 3,800 elephant carcasses in the Zambezi valley alone in the past four years. One person who has seen the damage at first hand is Sharon Pincott, an Australian conservationist. She works with the 400-plus herd of "presidential elephants" of Hwangwe. Despite their special status these elephants, too, have been poached. "What gruesome sight might I encounter today?" Pincott asks every time she goes into the bush to observe the elephants. "Will it be a severed trunk not long enough to reach the mouth with water?" she writes in Zimbabwe Wildlife magazine. "While I hope for the best I�ve learnt to be prepared for the worst."



P.S.

Francis Nhema is a named individual by the US State Department



P.P.S.

Don't forget the Lacey Act.

Terry,

This is a reply from a very good source. The other reply is much the same.

"Gary is a full licensed PH No 145. The concession holder is Emanuel Fundira, who I don't believe is on the list.

Makuti is national parks estate and leased to Fundera. The tender for the lease was hardly transparent, but it is a case of government looking after there own. Still, it is not stolen land and the quota legally (by all laws!)belongs to Fundera, so no Lacey act troubles from your end."

What Fundera is accused of is not giving enough tribute to the Zim government. I'm really not too concerned about that.

Best regards;
Brett

Terry,



It was Russ Broom Safaris. It appears they no longer buy quota from Fundira.



Although I probably will not return to Makuti, I posted this hoping to have this very discussion.



It appears that NO concession in Zim is being allocated in a transparent manner. Does that make ANY hunt in Zim a Lacey violation???



Best regards;

Brett

Brett,



What he is accused of is illegally externalizing US$100,000 from his hunting business.



I don't know the facts, but if there was no open and public tender for the Makuti concession and Zimbabwe law requires that all hunting concessions be tendered, then there is potentially a problem.



Who did you hunt with when you hunted Makuti for your elephant?



Regards,



Terry

Brett,



From a legal point-of-view one could argue that a concession acquired through corruption (and not through an open tender - if Zimbabwean law so requires) is an illegally acquired concession and therefore any animal hunted on that concession is "taken illegally" as defined in the Lacey Act.



It would really come down to how hard the US government wanted to pursue it. Given that there are reports of Fundira's association with Out of Africa and that we know that the US government has contacted some of Out of Africa's clients, it would seem to me that any hunt associated with Fundira could come under the scrutiny of the US government. In the real world, sometimes it would cost more to prove your are right than it would just to plead no contest and pay the fine.



I don't think all of the concessions in Zimbabwe have the same potential taint as Makuti. For example, I believe all of HHK's concessions have been awarded through an open bidding process. Same with Swainson's concession in Dande and Broom's Binga concession. Just to name a few.



I am not telling you that hunting on Makuti is a violation of the Lacey Act. When it comes to the law, I tend to be conservative and err on the side of caution, that is my nature.



Regards,



Terry

Most of the talk here seems to be about OOA, but believe me, there are a lot more companies than just this one involved in the shady dealings.

Please don't think I'm just trying to put people off of hunting Zim, it's each individuals choice whether they go go there or not and there are plenty of highly respectable hunting operations out there, Roger Whittal, HHK & John Sharp (for example) are all very respectable and professional operations, but bearing the Lacy Act in mind, I would have thought it sensible for EVERY single hunter (or at least, every single hunter from the US) to ensure that they have a clause in their safari contract stating that they will not be hunting on illegally seized land or with anyone who has had any dealing contrary to the standards as set out in Lacy Act.

Terry,

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I continue to wrestle with the implications of hunting anywhere in Zimbabwe.

Out Of Africa has been accused, it is rumored, of conducting hunts on confiscated private land with PHs not licensed in Zimbabwe for animals not on National Parks Quota. I would not come within a country mile of hunting with them, and not because of a potential Lacey Act violation. Beyond that things become less clear to me.

Regarding the awarding of leases, it is rumored that a successful bidder must have an �indigenous partner�, read person with government connections that is probably black. It is also rumored that this is why the Vincent�s lost Matetsi. Therefore even by current Zimbabwe law, this is probably not an �open bidding process�. Again, one could argue that ALL leases are �tainted� if not outright illegal.

Hunts in Makuti are currently conducted by a PH licensed in Zimbabwe for animals on quota established by Zimbabwe National Parks. The lease, it seems to me, is as legitimate as one can be in Zimbabwe.

Would I hunt Makuti under these circumstances? Probably. The main issue seems to be the lease. If the manner in which concession leases are awarded were closely scrutinized and held to a legal standard that we in the US or Western Europe would consider acceptable there might well be NO hunting in Africa.

Judging by the responses I received, those on the inside of the hunting industry in Zimbabwe seem comfortable with the situation in Makuti. I think that is the bottom line, at least for me.

Best regards;
Brett

Interesting discussion this...

Fundira sold the hunting to Out of Africa in the first year he had the concession. Realised it wasn't to his benefit and sub-contracted to other local safari operations including Russ Broom. For his pains in having OoA as a "partner" for one year he got to spend two months in the Harare Hilton - 7 course dinners you know ( One spoon of corn meal and six cabage leaves). For the first two years of his operation parks were getting fully shafted. He paid no fee for getting the concession (HHK paid 500 million for Chete with half the quota) and was only paying 10% of the trophy fees. This year he has paid the full trophy fees and a small concession fee. In part this is the reason that the parks officer in charge of the area earns US$140 per month! and the game scouts who often risk their lives to deal with armed poachers take home US$40 per month (and have resorted to extorting money from many PH's).

Ganyana,



What is your assessment of the situation now? Would you be comfortable in hunting Makuti as a client hunter with Gary Hopkins??



FYI, based on the information in your post I would most certainly not be involved in any way, shape or form with Fundira. But how is one to know all this? In response to questions about Makuti to very knowledgable folks, this did not come out...



Best regards;

Brett

Brett

I don't really know Garry so cannot comment on weather you would have a great hunt or not, although I love the Makuti area and have had several fun hunts there when it was allocated to citizen hunting.

In the greater scheem of things, I would accept that Garry is running a legitimate operation to the best of his abilities ( as Russ Broom was last year). The way the concession was allocated was not in the best interests of conservation but at least it is not stolen property and Fundera has not tried to get the quotas pushed up beyond reason.

So back to your question - Makuti is , well borderline, but just the right side. Hoe do you know. Try the association website (I think it is www.soaz.com or email the association zatso@mweb.co.zw

Ganyana, I just returned last night. I met some "interesting" people and have some new ( at least to me ) information. Email me when you get a chance. The connections go much deeper than I thought. Frankly I am soured on the whole thing.
Mike

I have never met Gary but have heard good reports about him, i have spoken to him on the phone. Contact Don Lietzau on safari@gci.net Don knows Gary very well.

Regards

Charl