The Telegraph

Chelsy's dad speaks out
By David Blair, Africa Correspondent
(Filed: 11/06/2005)

Charles Davy, the father of Prince Harry's girlfriend, Chelsy, defended
himself in public for the first time yesterday against allegations that his
business partnership with one of President Robert Mugabe's ministers helps
sustain the Zimbabwean regime.

Mr Davy, a wealthy safari operator in Zimbabwe, owns a stake in one of
Africa's largest private game reserves.

His business links with a minister have aroused suspicion in Zimbabwe, where
all but a handful of white landowners have been dispossessed, and prompted
calls for him to be punished with sanctions.

Mr Davy, 53, broke his silence to respond to questions from The Daily
Telegraph about his business relationship with Webster Shamu, the minister
in the president's office responsible for policy implementation.

Mr Shamu, an MP from the ruling Zanu-PF party, features on a list of 95
prominent Zimbabweans banned from entering the European Union.

"I am in business with Mr Shamu and have been for five years," said Mr Davy.
"We have an excellent and honest business partnership. Why should this
change? I am in business not politics."

He claimed that he was not spared the Mugabe campaign of dispossessing white
farmers, saying that he gave up 140,000 acres to the government.

Following Mr Mugabe's campaign of bulldozing townships across the country,
which has left 200,000 people homeless and caused at least two deaths, the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change said yesterday that Mr Davy's
links with the Zanu-PF politician meant he was "sustaining" the regime and
would justify his inclusion on the EU's list.

"The MDC has called for all people directly or indirectly involved in
repression to be placed on the targeted sanctions list," said Welshman
Ncube, the MDC's secretary-general.

"People who sustain the regime directly or indirectly through their
businesses should also be included.

"If people like Charles Davy are indirectly involved in businesses with the
regime they fall under the second category and should be included on the
list."

The EU's list is reviewed every 12 months and comes up for debate next
February.

Mr Mugabe's bulldozers will help ensure the renewal of the EU's "targeted
sanctions" for another year.

The measures include a freeze on any assets that listed individuals hold in
European banks. Mr Davy rejected the MDC's criticism, saying: "I am in
partnership with a person who I personally like and get along with.

"I am not involved in politics in any way but I reserve my right of
association, as any person should, and I really do not see that the leaders
of any political party have the right to choose my friends or my business
associates."

Mr Shamu, a former editor of The People's Voice, Zanu-PF's propaganda
newsletter, combines his government post with running Famba Safari Company.

Together with another partner, Mr Davy said that he owned 50 per cent of
Famba. His own company provides marketing services for Famba and his
brother, Vincent, works with Mr Shamu as a director of Famba.

Mr Davy's relationship with a Zimbabwean minister has aroused suspicions
that it is only because of links to Mr Shamu that he has managed to stay in
business while white commercial farmers have been dispossessed.

But he said: "I have never received and do not receive any benefits outside
my business relationship with Mr Shamu."

Mr Davy's children, Sean, 21, and Chelsy, 19, are students at Cape Town
University.

His daughter's relationship with Prince Harry had caused a "spate of
rubbish" to appear about him in the press, he said.

"I have decided to put the facts on the table in the hope that you will
either leave me alone or at least write the truth and limit the adverse
impact of all these untruths on my children."

Mr Davy owns a five per cent stake in Lemco Safari Area, a private game
reserve covering 1,300 square miles in southern Zimbabwe.

He runs hunting safaris for clients who typically pay £660 a day to shoot
big game, including lion, elephant, leopard and buffalo.

He divides his time between homes in the Burnside suburb of Bulawayo, the
Chisipite area of Harare and a spacious homestead in the rugged bush of
Lemco Safari Area.

When Mr Mugabe began seizing white-owned land five years ago, Mr Davy made a
"strategic decision" to sacrifice four other farms, covering 140,000 acres,
to the government for resettlement.

"I have given up a rather large part of my life to end up with the bit I
have left," he said. "A lot of farmers in Zimbabwe have lost their farms and
I am no different."

Mr Davy's hunting business provides homes and livelihoods for 600 black
families.

He called on the MDC to "concentrate on repairing the situation here in
Zimbabwe rather than trying to disrupt" his work.

quote:

"I am in business with Mr Shamu and have been for five years," said Mr Davy.
"We have an excellent and honest business partnership. Why should this
change? I am in business not politics."

I suspect anyone who has started a business relationship with one of Mugabes ministers in the past five years IS guilty of supporting his crimes!

quote:

I suspect anyone who has started a business relationship with one of Mugabes ministers in the past five years IS guilty of supporting his crimes!

________________

Saeed,
Where do you reckon that 140,000 acres he lost came from? That's a bunch of land. Wonder how long he or his family had it before being robbed of it?
Dungbeetle

I like HHK Safaris, so I am not impartial, but HHK has kept a large part of the safari business going in a country that is otherwise going down the toilet.

And since most safaris in Zim are now on gov't concessions in one form or another, who is not in the sack with the gov't to one degree or another?

And besides, his daughter is hot!

Who Cares?

quote:

And besides, his daughter is hot!

Excellent point Will! Nuff Said

So now its OK, but when I had the audacity to suggested HHK was in bed with the devil. I was trashed for even thinking such a thing, Well kiss ole spot boys! and remember this old curmugdeon has a finger on the pulse of Africa...have a nice I told ya so on me!!

Who cares? Everybody should care, do you have any clue how many operators were run out of the business over this relationship, and whos greedy hands were fed, and that Zimbabwes Gov. is a link to terroism..I care for one...

Hey Ray,

I care too, but the MDC needs a better plan than just bitching about Mugabe and everyone else.

I bitched about the network news for 40 years, but until Rush, and then Fox News, came along I was just sitting around bitching. Until someone comes along with a better plan and implements it, it is just an excuse to blame everyone else for your problems.

Even if the white "saviors" came into Zim and cleaned house, when they left I suspect it would again be a toilet within a short time. It is just the nature of the beast.

quote:

Who cares? Everybody should care, do you have any clue how many operators were run out of the business over this relationship, and whos greedy hands were fed

What difference does it make. What's new. Same old story. Some things never change. If there wasn't anything to hunt in Zimbabwe nobody would give a damn.

quote:

Zimbabwes Gov. is a link to terroism

That may be so. But our time would be better spent on our southern border. We are being invaded by a third world countries. Terrorism is flooding across the border and ruining our education and medical systems. Zimbabwe will crumble and then the process with start over again. If we don't control our borders we are headed in the same direction.

Saeed and Ray are right. Just because his daughter is Boffing a Prince of England is no reason to give him a free pass.

If you build your own security on the backs of your fellows you are no better than the Quislings or the Vichy French.

Anyone who violates the criteria set up by the EU and the US, they are the same you know, should be banned from entry and anybody doing business with them should suffer the same fate.

If Mr Davy qualifies than he too should be on the list. If HHK qualifies than they go on too.

I have said this so many times I got sick of putting it down a year ago but the point is still valid.

More whining!

Where's your solution?

Just to be fair to Charlie Davey - and He is no mate of mine- he didn't select Shamu as a partner- he inherited him.

In 1994 Parks issued an (illegal) decree that for all new leases, the company would have to be at least 49% black owned. The Chirisa safari area was comming up for re-auction and a consortium or Ingwe, Swainsons and National were putting together a holding company to make a bid for it and get it of Chirelli who had it. Swainsons sugested their local MP - one Charles Ndlovu aka Webster Shamu as an honest black partner who would do his bit on getting parks to fulfil their end of the bargin, and yet not get greedy and need a car crash 3 years down the road... So Charles Ndlovu, MP for the small constiuency of Chigut it was.

He proved an honest partner in Famba safaris but parks was begining to disintergrate and the poaching levels in Charisa were getting out of hand- and it was becoming politically unaceptable for anybody to do anything. Bill Bedford of Ingwe wanted out of a parks controlled area. Charlie Davey was growing his empire and though that he could persuade parks to deal with the poaching, so one morning in '99 Charles Ndlouvu woke up to find his new partner in Famba safaris was Charlie Davey- they only told him after the fact!

Only in 2000 did Charles Ndlovu revert to using his real name -Webster Shamu and rise rapidly up the political ranks as one of the old league Nationalists (he joined up in the late 1940's)

Also, The MDC's cry against the one piece of land Davey still owns is a little sour grapes. Davey bought it off Eddie Cross-The MDC shadow finace minister- in 2000 after the land invasions started when Cross was sure all land would be nationalised. Davey lost all of his farm land but government has honoured his purchace from Cross because of the German Shareholding. Land with any componant of American, German, Italian or Spanish shareholding has not been touched. Davey played it carefully and got a partner who's government had a property agreement with the Zim Gov.

I could name 20 "reputable" hunting companies here who have some very unsavoury partners- not only old time nationalists but men wanted internationally for genocide.

I have often made posts in the past critising some operators for dealing with the devil...But will refrain from doing so again- do a search.

Its easy to critisize from this side of the pond. The people that are still there and are still hunting are protecting the wildlife thats left. I say let them salvage the industry if they can and control the poaching where they can so that we can fly over and enjoy it.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
More whining!

Where's your solution?

Will

No solution. I just believe in certain values. I know it is not popular to hold things, as integrity, honesty and honor in high regard anymore but I still try.

I don't believe that taking advantage of a sad situation for personnel gain or self gratification fits into my beleifs. Climbing over the bodies of your fellows in order to make a buck or have some fun is not, IMO, a correct way to operate.

No one beleives that anyone is going to invade Zim to throw the Bastards Out. That will only happen internally. Those that would help prop up the existing Government for selfish reasons are themselves part of the problem.

If Davy doesn't qualify then I hope he gets a pass. If he does qualify than it shouldn't matter how good looking his daughter is or who she's screwing.

Everyone has to make up his own mind about what to do when dealing with a corrupt government and its corrupt officials.

For Zimbabweans in the safari industry, it's increasingly become a do or die proposition: Either do as Davy has done or don't do business at all. Lose your livelihood and leave.

Hunters have the same choice. Hunt Zim and send money into the corrupt government's coffers, and into the pockets of its corrupt officials, or don't and hurt those who are hanging on and trying to keep the Zim safari industry alive.

I won't condemn Davy for what he's done any more than I'd condemn a fellow hunter for hunting in Zim.

Mickey,

I can rationalize all day long why I shouldn't feel guilty about going to Zim. I guess the biggest one is I'm selfish and want to get it while it lasts, whether it is in Zim or elsewhere. Another is that it helps to some extent the PH's and outfittters that are still there to make a living doing what they love, and what I love too.

When you get right down to it there are only a few countries left. South Africa is going down the toilet. Namibia can't be far behind. Tanz seems stable for the moment, but how long can it last? Moz has come back a bit, but I would suspect they are still unstable. Who isn't on the take in AfricA?

The politicians in every country I can think of there are crooked to some extent, just some worse than others. So if one is to pure of heart, where in Africa is one to go?

And as long as we are talking about taking the high ground, what about Massachusetts? Teddy Kennnedy, a known felon, that preaches to me about right and wrong? Or what about neighboring Missouri? The newly elected US Rep is a crook, who famous quote "Corruption is sometimes the cost of progress" fits him to a tee.

We are all surrounded by slime balls. I have no justification for going to Zim, other than I want those eles and piss on everything else.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
And as long as we are talking about taking the high ground, what about Massachusetts? Teddy Kennnedy, a known felon, that preaches to me about right and wrong?

We are all surrounded by slime balls.

Hey, Will, at least I'm doing something about it and not whining.

I vote against him once every six years!

And you can see for yourself by the polling results all the good it does.

mrlexma,

I figured the Mass. comment would get a stir out of you. I feel sorry for the folks that have to live there!

While we all debate the pro and cons of who sleeps with whom, ROME still burns, and MUGABE is laughing all the way to the bank.

Have a wonderful day and do what you think is right, dont listen to me or any others, it is a free world they say for us all to choose whom are our friends business aquaintainces and crooks, we are all masters of your own destiny and must rise or fall on our own decisions!!

I just hope those good folks in the UK Europe and USA are (pleased with their masters) whom willingly spend their hard earned tax dollars propping up the failed regimes in Africa, you guys are so kind

Regards, Peter

I haven't made it to Zim YET. From what I hear here and elsewhere if not for the "Daveys" of the world there would be precious little being done to save the wildlife resource there. Many don't like how it came down but it seems the resource, for the moment, is being managed and protected.

Will

I appreciate your candor. I would much rather have as a friend person who is honest with himself and me, even though we disagree, than someone who says and does what he thinks will please me and has no honesty.

You are being difficult to bait today.

incidently ray was right on with HHK - seems as they all carry zanu-pf cards

quote:

If there wasn't anything to hunt in Zimbabwe nobody would give a damn.

M16: Now aint that the truth, just a pity Zim was not sitting on a pile of oil

Since I have made four safaris in the past four years with HHK and have another booked for next year, this thread has made me sit back and think about what and why I have done and will do in the future in regards to hunting in Zim. Here are my thoughts and they are "MY" thoughts and I sure respect a differing view.

My number one priority is the wildlife resource and it makes no difference what country is involved and what type of government it has. To me wildlife will always come first. Governments come and go and wildlife must survive them all.

Second is my own selfish desire to experience the wildlife by seeing and hunting them. I can't afford to wait until the government becomes more politicaly correct. I'm getting too old for that. If I'm going to do it I need to do it now.

Here are some facts as "465H&H" sees them. You can bet that if you spend one dollar in any place in Zim, Mugabe will get his share. If I and other hunters don't spend dollars there the only one's to suffer will be the wildlife. The only thing keeping all the land from being turned into farm land and the animals eaten as manyama are the dollars brought in by tourists and hunters. To live and survive as a safari company or any other company in Zim at this time some level of dealing with the corrupt government is necessary. If doing that means survival to these companies and it results in saving wildlife my practical hat is off to those companies. Do you really want to be on the side of "political correctness if it means the destruction of zims wildlife and their elephants in particular?

Just one mans opinion.

465H&H

So if Osama or his partner was selling Ibex hunts in Afganistan - you
would sign up for it in the interests of wildlife!!

Are terrorists that kill Americans different to terrorists who kill
Zimbabweans??

Bwanamich!

I see your from Tanzania. I may be wrong but suspect your in some way connected to the safari industry there. The Tanzanian government is no shinning light in the world of democracy. If I remember correctly Tanzania was and probably is still largely controlled by the chinese. Your government supported and trained Mugabe's terrorists as well as the terrorists in Mozambique and probably several other African countries. The same could be said of the governments of Botswana and Zambia. I don't see anyone discussing the evils of supporting those governments. But, your point is well taken and I will think more on the issue. I just did and my opinion stays the same.

465H&H

So we are only trying to save the animals? Trying to save the few hardworking safari operators from destitution? We are not helping to support the government in it's oppression of it's people and is causing the suffering of hundreds of thousands?

What exactly is the differance between hunting in Zim and supporting Mugabe and hunting in Afghanistan and supporting Bin Laden?

Oh yeah. It is cheaper than going anywhere else for the same animals.

I hope no one has taken the view that I support Mugabe or his government. I barf at the thought. I think we all would like to see him and his government go and roundly abore what he has done to the people of Zimbabwe. Let's face a couple of facts. The dollars that he makes from the safari industry will not make or break the current government. The only way it will change is for the black majority there to want and seek change. The safari industry in Zim is one of the few profitable businesses in Zim and it is largely run under capitalistic methods. It is an excellent and possibly the only business there that demonstrates to the people what can be done under a non-socialistic form of business and government. Because of that it is an excellent demonstration of what they can hope to achieve with a change in government.

There is more then one way to skin a cat and hopefully we all want to see that cat skinned.

465H&H

Tanzania's President Defends Mugabe


Business Day (Johannesburg)

June 3, 2005
Posted to the web June 3, 2005

Jonathan Katzenellenbogen
Cape Town

Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa strongly defended Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Cape Town yesterday.

"Zimbabwe has a right to manage its own affairs," Mkapa said yesterday.


In reply to a journalist's question about his views on developments in Zimbabwe, Mkapa said Mugabe's land-redistribution programme was, "returning the ownership of the country to its people".

His remarks have confirmed further the Southern African Development Community's reluctance to distance itself from Mugabe on governance issues.

But the Tanzanian president's strident remarks in support of Mugabe also run counter to the message that the World Economic Forum is pushing at its Cape Town meeting - that of a continent increasingly unprepared to tolerate poor governance.

Issues of governance and accountability and how Africa can establish a common brand to promote the continent to investors are the focus of talks at the Cape Town meeting.

Tanzania has over the past decade established a good reputation among investors for what is widely regarded as friendly environment for business.

Mkapa said he felt emotional about Zimbabwe and particularly about what he saw as the west's unjust criticism.


As he would be leaving office when his term ended in a few months' time, he now felt free to speak out on Zimbabwe.

The Tanzanian president said he found "sanctimonious and pious declarations" by western countries about Zimbabwe "totally abhorrent".

Come on, we should forgive all these dictators' foreign debts. They need some more Swiss chalets for their "well-earned" retirements.

quote:

Originally posted by NitroX:
Come on, we should forgive all these dictators' foreign debts. They need some more Swiss chalets for their "well-earned" retirements.

NitroX

Actullay DONT laugh tooooooooo loud as there are rumours ( lily white liberals ) that are even saying WIPE the DEBT from these poor impoverished countries and just ADD IT ONTO the USA's existing debt and let the Americams pay for it .....

If that was true then I say stuff freedom and democracy and give me the UZBEKISTAN government anyday