http://www.zimbabwesituation.c...emier-resort-centre/



Armed men invade premier resort centre

By ZimSitRep_M | October 19, 2016


ARMED men have allegedly invaded Mapare Resort Centre close to Birchenough Bridge in the lucrative Save Conservancy, which has most of the big five game, it has emerged. BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU


Source: Armed men invade premier resort centre – NewsDay Zimbabwe October 19, 2016

The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), in a news alert, alleges that the armed men, who were accompanied by a Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) official, invaded the popular resort last Thursday claiming to be the new lawful occupiers.

“The invaders, accompanied by one who identified himself as Mudendi allegedly from ZimParks, approached the resort owners and gave them two hours to evacuate the premises,” ZPP said.

The resort centre, which has conference facilities, is owned by Edmore Marima.


Marima was unreachable on his mobile phone yesterday.

Marima’s wife, who was at the premises, said the men, despite claiming occupation, had no government documentation to prove their claims.

“The six had no eviction notices nor letters from the government, nor did they bring any form of documentation from the Provincial Affairs minister to substantiate their claims,” Marima’s wife told ZPP.

ZPP said the family was still in distress when it called on Monday and was informed that the matter had not been reported to the police because the law enforcers had in the past allegedly not attended to reports.

ZimParks public relations manager, Caroline Washaya-Moyo yesterday could not comment on the matter, saying she was in a meeting.

“I am in a meeting at the ministry (Environment, Climate and Water Resources) and can you kindly email me the questions so that I may attend to them?” she said.

Save Conservancy lies adjacent to Gonarezhou National Park and, at its peak, was a premier wildlife resort that attracted tourists from Europe and the United States of America.

Since the chaotic land reform programme of early 2000, conservancies have witnessed an upsurge in the number of poaching, especially of elephants and rhinos. The tusks and horns are traded on the black market and most exported to China and other Asian markets, where they are popular for their supposed aphrodisiac qualities.

Does anyone know where this is? I have never heard of it.

Larry it is to the North - Devore bank:

http://www.zimpeaceproject.com/?p=737



Alert: Invasion of Mapare Resort Centre


Six men armed with AK 47 rifles reportedly invaded Mapare Resort Centre in Masvingo on Thursday 13 October. The invaders, accompanied by one who identified himself as Mr Mudendi allegedly from National Parks, approached the resort owners and gave them 2 hours to evacuate the premises.

Mapare Resort Centre is along Mutare road soon after the Devure Ranch and is owned by the Marima family.

Mudendi claimed that the government was taking over the property as the rightful custodians. However, the six had no eviction notices or letters from the government neither did they bring any form of documentation from the provincial minister to substantiate their claims. The invaders forced themselves into the house of Mapare Resort Centre’s owner and have been living there since Friday.

This morning Zimbabwe Peace Project called Mrs Marima who sounded distraught and is concerned about fear being instilled in their workers. The family has not reported the matter to the police, as the police have not been helpful in the past.

Zimbabwe will implode in on itself. I am here. I know. It has to. It won't be anything all that dramatic and if you're here on a hunt it probably won't affect you. But as we get closer to the event horizon all of the tier-2 parasites are going to try and muscle into the troughs.

Guys,

Below from Gary Duckworth on this. Looks like it is of no consequence to SVC hunting.

Mark


Don’t worry about this. This is on one of the properties that was taken by Parks on the very North East corner of the SVC when they took Humani and Senuko. It went out to tender with the other two but nobody bid on it and so it is still a Parks area. The old owner Hermanus Vorster took on a black MDC MP as an indigenous partner. For his share this “partner” was given the “lodge” along the main tar road. His wife ran this “lodge” mainly accommodating over-night customers, food, hookers, etc. not exactly a luxury lodge as per the article. Anyway Parks now wants the lodge to use as their “camp” on this property and the woman was resisting so they sent some guys to evict her. This has NO effect on the rest of the SVC.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201610240537.html



Zimbabwe: Zimparks Dismisses 'Malicious' Newsday Article

By Walter Mswazie



THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has described an article entitled "Armed men invade premier resort centre" published by the NewsDay as "malicious". The NewsDay article on October 19 alleged that there were armed men who went to the premier resort centre, some 120km along Masvingo-Mutare Road near Birchenough Bridge, where they ordered the present operator, Mr Edmore Marima, to leave the premises within six months.

The article further alleged that the armed men were accompanied by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority officials.

Speaking during a media tour of Mapari Resort Centre, which is under the Save Valley Conservancies in Bikita District on Saturday, ZimParks Masvingo regional manager Mr Felix Chimeramombe dismissed the story as malicious and meant to peddle unwarranted falsehoods to tarnish the authority's image.

He said the "so-called" owner of the property is actually staying at the facility in violation of the law, and his eviction was long overdue. Mr Chimeramombe said Mr Marima has not provided the authority with documentation affirming his official entitlement to the property, rendering him an illegal settler.

He said it defies logic for the authority to invade its own facility when in actual fact it was granted control over it through an Act of Parliament. Out of 27 farms, the authority is running Mapari, Bedford Ranch, Humani, Senuko 2 and 3, and Impala.



The proceeds are shared between the authority and communities around the facilities, which are Chiredzi and Bikita districts.

The authority's regional boss said Mr Marima was riding on the original tenant, a Mr Voster, and has since lost the right to be on the premises when his boss' lease was not renewed.

"First, I want to clarify that the property in question is under Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority after it was handed over to us in 2014 through Cabinet.

"The Statutory Instrument in support of our assertion is there. NewsDay actually erred when their reporter went to the press without verifying facts on the ground.

Mr Marima, that the paper claims, is the owner of Mapari Resort Centre is actually an illegal settler," said Mr Chimeramombe.

He said what makes the story malicious is that the writer never bothered to seek the truth.

"We cannot be seen invading our own facilities," he said.