Nhema probes hunting deals

From Bulawayo Bureau

CABINET has asked Environment and Tourism Minister Cde Francis Nhema to compile a comprehensive inventory of hunting concessions as it emerged that cases of alleged underhand dealings are rampant in the allocation of these concessions, Government sources have revealed.


The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, confirmed yesterday that such discussions took place in Cabinet recently.

"He (Cde Francis Nhema) has been requested by Cabinet, as is the norm, to compile a list of the hunting concessions and details of their current holders.

"That is still to be done. This is just a normal routine that takes place in Cabinet," said Dr Sibanda.

The sources said the Cabinet gave Cde Nhema the orders during a meeting convened a fortnight ago. All hunting concessions due to expire by year-end, including those on experimental leases, are expected to be auctioned this year.

One of such concessions, Matetsi Unit One, was auctioned on Friday last week and raked in $152 billion.

Some individuals are reported to have been holding on to their concessions for more than 10 and even up to 20 years.

According to sources, a representative of the operators is reported to have met Vice-President Joice Mujuru on Tuesday last week to raise cases of some irregularities in the allocation of concessions.

Dr Sibanda, however, said he was not aware of the latest meeting between Cde Mujuru and the representative of safari operators and subsequently giving a directive that all concessions be auctioned.

Efforts to get a comment from Cde Nhema were fruitless, as his mobile phone was not reachable.

However, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager, Retired Major Edward Mbewe, confirmed yesterday that more concessions were up for grabs, but would not discuss other issues, referring all the questions to his director, Dr Morris Mutsambiwa.

"To start with, the auction on Friday went on very well. The concession went for $152 billion. There was a good turnout with more than 10 people registering as bidders.

"The rest of the concessions that are expiring this year will be auctioned. All potential bidders should stay alert, as we will be flighting some adverts. We do not want situations where some people will complain of having been left out," Maj Mbewesaid.

Any one know who the successful bidder on Matetsi #1 was?

465H&H

What does $152,000,000,000 in Zim amount to in USD these days?

465H&H,
Didn't HHK have some hunting rights in Matetsi? I noticed on their website that it was nto listed or offered as of yesterday.

This may have been my imagination, but I thought I had read/heard/seen or whatever that Matetsi had been closed.....

No, HHK just lost out on unit one when they split from charlie davy.

Fridays rate of excahnge was US235,000:1 so I make that US$ 648,000

That would be pocket change for Charles.

465H&H

How long do you get the concession for that kind of money?

Gunny

The concession is officially for 5 years 2007 to 2011

The buyer- a group of indigenous buisnessmen- are banking on the exchange rate having devalued so much over the next 21 days that they will pay only half of that, and are trying already to delay payment even longer. Today the exchange rate fell to 300,000:1 against the US and if they can put off paying for a couple of months...

quote:

Originally posted by Ganyana:
The buyer- a group of indigenous buisnessmen- are banking on the exchange rate having devalued so much over the next 21 days that they will pay only half of that, and are trying already to delay payment even longer. Today the exchange rate fell to 300,000:1 against the US and if they can put off paying for a couple of months...

Never a dull moment in Zim!

Ganyana, is "a group of indigenous buisnessmen" a euphemism for Mugabe cronies?? Anybody associated with the established hunting industry, and any word on how they will market the area??

- mike

Being nasty old cynical me and lookiing at who was slaping the bidders back and buying the scotch later I think we will see more of Out of Africa.

Thanks Ganyana, even if the message was not what most of us would have liked to hear....
- mike

Not wanting to sound (tooooooooooo complementary about the Zim's Cronies) BUT if we look more closely at MANY OTHER so called Western or (non Africa) democracies in the WORLD you will find (exactly the same thing) going on (polishing the door handles) BUT proberbly (more covertly) than going on in Zim's ...... so DONT for one moment think it ONLY happins is (dear beloved Zimbabawe) as the whole world to some degree or other works on stealth and corruption, it is nothing new really ..... if you want corruption on a GRAND SCALE just look at the UN and you have the BIG DADDY of them all

HOLY SMOKE Ganyana that (forex rate in Zim's) is getting beyond a joke now !!! As thay say in that famous LIMBO dance ... how low can it go (the value)

Cheers, Peter

Bala Bala- When I first went to Zaire(what is now Congo) in 1984 the exchange rate was Z56 to the US$. There was no real black market and the only reason to change money with the indian traders was to avoid standing in the queue at the bank. When I was there just six months before the civil war broke out in 1999 the exchange rate was 15,500,000: 1US$ and a loaf of bread was 16 million. The largest notes in common circulation were 5 million Zaires! How low can we go? Reckon on rate reaching 400,000:1 by the end of this month.

Zimbabwe: No Money to Print Currency

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
May 29, 2006
Harare

Cash shortages have returned to haunt Zimbabweans. Banks started rationing money on Friday, allowing clients to withdraw only Zim$5 million (about US$49) to avert crowd trouble, but most ran out of mint-print, prompting desperate clients to form overnight queues outside.

Last month the government awarded civil servants hefty salary increases after the opposition Movement for Democratic Change urged them to join planned future demonstrations. Official sources said the recent 150 percent pay rise for soldiers, teachers, policemen and nurses had put a strain on money supply.

Reserve Bank officials told IRIN that plans to print about Zim$60 trillion (about US$592.9 million) were briefly delayed after the government failed to secure foreign currency to buy ink and special paper for printing money.

Inflation has shot to 1,042 percent and is still climbing as the economic meltdown continues, putting Zimbabwe's rapidly dwindling working class in an ever more precarious position. Cash shortages were last experienced in 2003 and only ended after the introduction of high- denomination bearer cheques.

One bank manager told IRIN: "We don't have enough money. The best we can do is to share the little money that is there among our clients," but added quietly, "As the manager I can use my discretion and assist genuinely desperate cases."

However, his voice was not low enough and he was immediately surrounded by more than 20 people. "I need to pay $40 million [US$395] at the hospital, $5 million [US$49] is of no use to me," pleaded one man.

Another in his late 20s was equally desperate. "I need to withdraw $200 million [about US$1,976] by Saturday to pay the bridal price for my girlfriend, but at $5 million [US$49] a day I will not have enough money on the day," he lamented.

The manager, sweating profusely, escaped to the safety of another office.

Margaret Phiri, 36, who teaches at a school 70km east of the capital, was equally devastated.

"I had borrowed a total of $6 million [US$59] from friends and I was supposed to pay them back this week after getting my salary from the bank, but as things stand now I am in trouble because those people expect me to bring them their money, while I also need to get money to sustain myself," she said.

A soldier who refused to identify himself could not hide his frustration. "What do you think I will do with this $5 million[US$49]? It cannot buy much. I usually withdraw all my salary at once, but now I am being given the burden of coming to the bank again for more withdrawals," he complained.

The soldier was followed by murmurs of: "The government has failed," and "This is a sign of poor economic management."

It took a long wait on the sidewalk in a temperature of 25 degrees centigrade before Given Maramba, a Harare resident, reached the bank teller. "You really need nerves of steel to endure the torture of those queues - I queued for a solid three hours before I was finally served," he said, brandishing a wad of notes.

quote:

The soldier was followed by murmurs of: "The government has failed," and "This is a sign of poor economic management."

Seems to me the people starts realising that Mugabe and his crowd are lunatics. Maybe this is the beginning of the end for Mugabe. What a memorable day that will be.

Interesting, they raise the pay of public servants by 150% but they can't get it out of the bank. Looks like good business practices to me.


465H&H

I think the market for wheelbarrows will be good in Zimbabwe, a market opportunity.

Anyone want to swap some hunting for a container of wheelbarrows.

(For anyone who doesn't know, wheelbarrows were used in pre-Nazi hyper-inflation Germany to cart money to the bakery to buy bread.)

Question: What did they use in Zimbabwe for lighting before they had kerosene lamps and candles?

Answer: Electricity!!!!

"Robert Mugabe - Courageously leading Zimbabwe forward into the 12th century."

-Bob F.

The government has finally found some ink! The new $100,000 notes hit the streets tomorrow! A bit late and they have already pissed the civil service off, but hey- the stock exchange has been closed for nearly two weeks now in an argument over tax on stockbrokers - government is loosing 10 billion a day in lost stamp duty but refuses to back down- the stockbrokers have the law on their side - so stalemate!

12 century??? More like the 6th- Fall of rome, collapse of money in europe - return to barter trade...Breakdown of roads, sewers etc. Really, there is nothing new!

Ganyana ...

So pray tell me at (what point in time) should I buy billions of Zim Dollars so that when the currency comes right SOON I can make a killing profit on the exchange rate ...

Am I presumptious at this point in time in thinking the exchange rate will come back down again in the near future

PS: Please can you (post a picture) of the NEW 100,000 note when you get one in your sweaty hands

Peter