Zimbabwe: Mujuru, Shamu Cross Swords

Financial Gazette (Harare)
April 21, 2006

Nelson Banya
Harare

UNRELENTING interest in HHK Safaris, the hunting business linked to Policy Implementation Minister Webster Shamu and Charles Davy, has led to revelations about a fallout with the powerful retired general Solomon Mujuru, who charged that HHK was part of a consortium that sought to monopolise the arcane but lucrative industry.

This follows recent disclosures by HHK managing director and major shareholder Graham Hingeston that Shamu was "only a front man" in the business, with no shareholding.

Documents made available to this newspaper show that Shamu and Mujuru clashed in early 2003 when their safari interests collided head-on at an auction for the government-controlled Chete concession on the shores of Lake Kariba.

Bamakino Safaris, a company then represented by Constance Tsomondo, Shamu's wife, won the bid after fighting off Mujuru's Trans Africa Ventures. However, this did not go down well with Mujuru, who wrote an angry letter to the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management, claiming his rivals had breached the rules.

"I was representing Trans Africa Ventures as a director. There were about 12 bidders. The auction started very well until we got to the figure of $200 million. From then on, it was Trans Africa Ventures and Bamakino Safaris, represented by Constance Tsomondo who remained on the floor bidding. Trans Africa stopped its bidding when the figure reached $575 million.

"However, what surprised me was that the woman with whom I was bidding, a Ms Tsomondo, was always getting instructions from Charles Davy and Webster Shamu MP as they were seated opposite the woman who was bidding. Furthermore, the consortium that won the Chete Safari tender is already operating the Chirisa Concession under Famba Safaris/HHK Safaris. In addition to the above, HHK Safais is already operating a hunting camp on the Chete Concession itself, managed by Mr Shawn Lamb, thus putting Trans Africa Ventures at a disadvantage.

"It is important to note that the Zimbabwean government's policy, in terms of hunting safari concessions, is one concession per consortium. In this case there is a clear breach of this policy. We do hereby appeal to your good offices to look into these irregularities as a matter of extreme urgency as it is grossly unfair for one consortium to have a monopoly of safari concessions throughout the country," Mujuru wrote.

Apart from Chete and Chirisa, HHK also controls the Deka, Matetsi and Riverside Ranch Matetsi safari areas in Matabeleland North, Lemco Conservancy in the South Western Lowveld, Omay Campfire Area and Sijarira Lodge on the South Western shores of Lake Kariba.

Mujuru also offered to bring in the police "to get to the bottom of this matter."

"We as Trans Africa Ventures are prepared to invite the Police Fraud Squad to investigate the company accounts of the two companies that competed so that we can all get to the bottom of this matter," he wrote.

Wildlife conservancies, which were opened up to greater participation by previously marginalised indigenous groups after the land redistribution exercise, have been at the centre of tussles involving members of the ruling elite with competing interests.

[A note of interest, current Zimbabwe Vice-President, Joyce Mujuru, is General Solomon Mujuru's wife. --T.Carr]

Terry: Great post, thanks. I think this buttresses my theory that the folks mentioned are indeed trying to monopololize the hunting industry in Zim, then control prices as they see fit by eliminating competition. jorge

HHK has been doing business pretty much as described for several years. How these "ministers" can claim that they knew nothing about this before is unimaginable.

Dancing amongst a bunch of black facists is quite a feat unto itself. Under the circumstances, HHK has so far survived under tremendous difficulties, both internal and external.

It is not dissimilar to any politician, squealing like a pig when they don't get what they want. If Nagan ultimately looses in New Orleans, squealing will take on a whole new meaning.

Though Graham and I have crossed swords in the past, he has to be given credit for his survival instincts.

Survival versus monopoly is possibly more accurate.

Sounds to me like the Vice President doesn't like that they were out bid on the auction for Chete. Being communists they don't like a free market system and would much rather just "expropriate" what they want for nothing.

465H&H

It really amuses me that folks who have abridged the rule of law in Zimbabwe want to appeal to the rule of law when they don't get their way.

HHK was the largest operator with more than 50 PHs hunting the last time I counted noses, but I have not been paying attention lately.

jim

Hey guys; With these confirmations, looks to me that US hunters DO HAVE something to worry about hunting with HHK...ie the Executive Order?? 470Eddy