Zimbabwe: Midlands Conservancy Shelved in Favour of Farming


The Zimbabwe Guardian (London)

19 June 2008
Posted to the web 19 June 2008

Dyke Sithole


THE establishment of a multi-trillion Conservancy Education Centre in Kwekwe (located in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe) is clouded in uncertainty following the government's acquisition of several farms making up the Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy.

Sources in the Wildlife industry told the Zimbabwe Guardian that several properties, constituting the conservancy, have already been acquired by the Government for farming purposes.


"The Government has acquired for farming most of the properties which make up the Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy.

"One of the key farms of the project, Iyabi Farm, has been taken by the Zimbabwe National Army for its training programmes," said a source privy to the goings-on at the vast conservancy.


A member of the United Kingdom based at Sebakwe Black Rhino Conservancy Trust, Charles Stocks, whose organization bank rolled the project, recently told the Trust's members that the Trust is now uncertain about the future of the Conservancy.

Following discussions with the Midlands Governor, Cephas Msipa in the year 2002, the Government had offered 37ha of state land at Sebakwe Country Club for the construction of the education centre at an initial estimated cost of $100 million.

Sources close to the Trust said the financiers were putting all plans on hold until there were adequate assurances that the 100 000 hectare conservancy would remain intact.