Save Valley chaos: Mutambara drags feet

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

Tuesday, 14 May 2013 10:50
HARARE - Zimbabwe’s conservation and tourism sector has entered a “New Dark
Age,” and its crown jewel, the Save Valley Conservancy (SVC), could shut
down any moment from now, a leading conservationist and investor has said.

Fingers are pointing at Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, whom
stakeholders and even fellow Cabinet members accuse of dragging his feet.

Problems in Save started when Zanu PF officials and military personnel
invaded some conservancies owned by foreign nationals, resulting in
confusion regarding hunting licences at a critical time of the hunting
season.

Wilfried Pabst, a German national with extensive interests in the SVC, told
the Daily News the wildlife sanctuary, known in conservation circles
globally as the Gold Standard, is on the verge of collapse.

“Each day no permit is issued, tourist visits and hunting safaris are
cancelled, deposits have to be repaid and the country’s tourism reputation
has entered a new dark age,” Pabst said.

He accused Mutambara of using the country’s precious wildlife to ingratiate
himself with Zanu PF hardliners. Mutambara heads a Cabinet committee
appointed by President Robert Mugabe to ressolve the conservation debacle.

“Mutambara is looking for a political home and can do anything to make
hardliners in Zanu PF now known as the “Masvingo 37” happy by agreeing to
the issuing of hunting permits to party activists and military personnel who
have been forced on us.

“He is looking for acceptance and as chairperson of a Cabinet committee
mandated with finding a lasting solution to the problems in the SVC, he is
now very much part of the problem,” said Pabst.

Tourism minister Walter Mzembi, a member of the Cabinet committee headed by
Mutambara seemed clueless as to why there has not been a solution.

“I cannot understand why the chairperson (Mutambara) has not brought the
report with recommendations from the committee to Cabinet five months later.

“He had promised to bring the report within a fortnight,” said Mzembi.

“The irony is that, we all seemed to have agreed on a solution and the
agreement we thought at the time had been accepted by the supposed two
protagonists myself and Environment and Natural Resources minister Francis
Nhema,” Mzembi told the Daily News yesterday, adding that he was attending a
tourism indaba in Durban, South Africa where the issue of SVC was cropping
up.

“I am here at Africa’s Best Tourism Expo defending the issue of Save which
seems even more contentious than the timing of our elections. It is bleeding
my sector.

“It is dangerous for leaders to take inter-ministerial resolutions back to
contesting stakeholders before cabinet deliberates on them, which seem to
have been the case in this matter. This is what is stalling progress,” said
Mzembi.

Mutambara refused to give a detailed response, saying he would release a
full statement at the end of the week.

“We will talk to you at the end of the week,” he said before hanging up.

The committee includes Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo, Nhema,
Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere and co-Home Affairs ministers
Kembo Mohadi and Theresa Makone.

Pabst’s sentiments were echoed by German ambassador to Zimbabwe Hans Gunter
Gnodkte, who had no kind words for Mutambara.

“We have talked to everyone in the Zimbabwean government but received no
satisfactory reply. I tried to talk to DPM Mutambara and he was just yelling
at me. He is a pretty sick personality,” Gnodkte told the Daily News.

“We still hope though that people with a sense of responsibility will
prevail and save the country’s wildlife. A lot of people in Zimbabwe want to
destroy the wildlife but I think the State president is not one of them.

“I have spoken to Didymus Mutasa and he has given me the impression that
Mugabe is sympathetic,” Gnodkte said.

Early this year, Mutambara threw Gnodkte out of his office after the German
envoy had sought audience with him.

Pabst said apart from Gnodkte’s efforts, he had also sought to engage Vice
President Joice Mujuru with no success.

“Instead of assisting, she dragged Nhema into a meeting we were having with
her. The minister berated me in front of a senior German minister and Mujuru
just sat there watching,” Pabst claimed.

Pabst claimed that in previous years, the SVC was issued with permits each
year in November ahead of the following year’s hunting season.

“Tourism Hunting Safaris are often pre-sold to influential and
high-net-worth individuals overseas.

“Deposits are lodged in advance and the National Parks not issuing permits
for 2012 is like defrauding these prospective tourists, hunters and guests
to Zimbabwe.

“The closure of the venture will render 1 000 people jobless and bring
starvation to over 10 000 others. It will also deny the traditional chiefs
any cash generation for their subjects from the SVC. SVC will shortly seize
to exist,” Pabst said.

Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Caroline
Washaya-Moyo refused to say much.

“It is an issue that is now within the confines of the ministry of Natural
resources and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara’s office. We are not
commenting on this matter because it is out of our hands,” Washaya-Moyo
said.

Washaya-Moyo referred further questions to an official identified as
Samuriwo from the ministry of Environment and Natural Resources who also
refused to comment.

“It is a Cabinet issue and I am not allowed to talk about it,” Samuriwo
said.

But Pabst described Mutambara’s actions as economic sabotage because they
were a threat to the successful hosting of the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia
in August.

“Why then is the malicious and intentional destruction of the wildlife and
tourism asset by Mutambara and his group not considered economic sabotage?

“How can international investors and foreign governments support a
government some of whose members are destroying the very tourism destination
that the UNWTO is supposed to promote and foster?” he queried.

“As an investor I can clearly state that investing in good faith after being
encouraged by the highest office in the country in 1992 was a grave
mistake,” said Pabst.

This is very sad especially knowing what all Willi has done in the Save.

The Save is a special place. Too sad what is happening there.
AWA

What a shame - The Save is a gem. Its demise is truly a tragedy, as we all know, a long line of tragedies in Zim. Those who have stuck it out and tried to make a go of it deserve our respect. The Save was the place of my first safari and I wanted to show it to my kids. Hopefully the situation will improve.

Planning on being there in late July. Guess we will wait and see... Perhaps plan B?

Supposed to be there in 20 days.

Will hope for a miracle up to the day I leave then Plan B will be set in action.

I'm going to Zim hunting one way or another.

Damn shame for the operators, hunters, and the wildlife.

Extremely disappointing for many.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201305100717.html

ZimParks Appoints Director-General
10 May 2013

The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Board has appointed a substantive director-general.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the authority's board chairman Mr George Pangeti said Mr Edison Chidziya, who has been the director for conservation now assumes the director-general's position.

"He holds a Master of Science in Environmental and Ecological Sciences degree from United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Science, Agriculture Honours from the University of Zimbabwe.

"Mr Chidziya has a wealth of experience ( 23 years) in the conservation field.

"We trust he will get the necessary support from all stakeholders to meet the challenges of this position," he said.

Mr Chidziya filled the position which was left vacant by the late Vitalis Chadenga who died in September last year.

I have no idea how true this, but I have heard that they have found diamonds there.

If true, that is the end of the Save.

They were definitely mining up river in 2012. I have heard the same rumor.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
They were definitely mining up river in 2012. I have heard the same rumor.

Larry..do you know if Sango has received their quota?

it's true they have found diamonds there.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
They were definitely mining up river in 2012. I have heard the same rumor.

Larry..do you know if Sango has received their quota?

The last I heard, they had not.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
They were definitely mining up river in 2012. I have heard the same rumor.

Larry..do you know if Sango has received their quota?

As of this morning, they have not.

Hopefully that changes in a few days.

Hi Folks,

Nobody in the Save has their quota. The only one legally hunting in the SAVE at the moment is Msaize ( Brookland Safaris )Don't ask why they are hunting, because I don't know the details.

Yes, a Chinese company is trying to secure the rights to mine in the conservancy. More money out of diamonds than wildlife........GOD BLESS CHINA

quote:

Originally posted by Thierry Labat:
Hi Folks,

Nobody in the Save has their quota. The only one legally hunting in the SAVE at the moment is Msaize ( Brookland Safaris )Don't ask why they are hunting, because I don't know the details.

Yes, a Chinese company is trying to secure the rights to mine in the conservancy. More money out of diamonds than wildlife........GOD BLESS CHINA

Bloody China will be the end of Africa!

Anywhere they are found in Africa wildlife takes a nose dive!

They are going to court over this matter. I think either today or tomorrow.

They have courts over there?

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
They are going to court over this matter. I think either today or tomorrow.

The urgent appeal was thrown out. Not good news for the operators or those with hunts booked there.

I'm glad I went there and was able to hunt there before the invasion. Great place indeed.

I went 4 times. I hope i get the opportunity to go again.

I was planning a family trip to Sango next summer. Now we are going to Buybe instead.

I sure hope we get the chance to hunt the Save one day.

Five timer. Special place. Shame.

I hunting Humani in 2007 and loved and and would have gone back. Terrible shame. My thoughts go to the people that this will directly affect.

Been twice to the save and it is a special place.

Sad to see what is happening to good people who have worked hard to help the wildlife and build a great hunting destination.

Hope to make it there in the near future if things settle down.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Thierry Labat:
Hi Folks,

Nobody in the Save has their quota. The only one legally hunting in the SAVE at the moment is Msaize ( Brookland Safaris )Don't ask why they are hunting, because I don't know the details.

Yes, a Chinese company is trying to secure the rights to mine in the conservancy. More money out of diamonds than wildlife........GOD BLESS CHINA

Bloody China will be the end of Africa!

Anywhere they are found in Africa wildlife takes a nose dive!

A big plus one!!! No matter whether they are exploiting wildlife (read lion bone, ivory, and rhino horn) or the natural resources (read uranium, diamonds etc.) they will kill everything in sight to get what 'they' want! Truly a damn shame! Now our beloved President Obama even has us indebted to them. They will see every natural resource in the world run into the ground or die trying!