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ZimConservation Newsletter: November/December 2005
ZimConservation
January 23, 2006

Happy New Year from ZimConservation, and apologies for the late production of this newsletter for November/December.

27 DECEMBER- HEAVY RAINS SAVE HWANGE'S WILDLIFE. Life-giving rains have brought temporary relief to the thirst-crazed animals of Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe after a fierce drought which left the park littered with shrunken, rotting corpses.

21 DECEMBER- LION HUNTING QUOTAS DECREASING... The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management are significantly reducing the number of lions on quota for sport hunting on the boundary of Hwange National Park. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management are now considering a four-year moratorium on lions.

21 DECEMBER- ELEPHANTS CAUSING UNTOLD SUFFERING... The ballooning elephant population in Zimbabwe has resulted in untold suffering of people living around jumbo-infested areas, in the wake of an international row over possible ways to control the growing numbers of the endangered species.

19 DECEMBER- LOSS OF FISH SPARKS WRANGLE... The Bulawayo City Council and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority are embroiled in a bitter exchange of words after the latter allegedly released water from two Umguza dams resulting in the loss of fish worth millions of dollars. According to a monthly report of the local authority's Environmental Management and Engineering Services Committee for November, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority employees allegedly drained the water to cater for farmers downstream....

13 DECEMBER- WILD ANIMALS KILL 27 PEOPLE NATIONWIDE.... At least 27 people lost their lives to attacks by wild animals countrywide this year, the Communal Areas Management Project for Indigenous Resources CAMPFIRE) said yesterday. According to the CAMPFIRE annual report, the 27 people died after being attacked by elephants, hippos, buffaloes and crocodiles. Binga district recorded the highest number of deaths with nine people in which four were killed by elephants...

10 DECEMBER - "SAVE HWANGE APPEAL" SET UP!... The Trust was set up in response to the crisis in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. It has no political or national affiliations, but is a purely humanitarian response to an intolerable situation which had developed in the park because of drought and the lack of funds, fuel and water.

08 DECEMBER - ZIMBABWE SUSPENDS OSTRICH EXPORTS...Zimbabwe has temporarily suspended ostrich and poultry exports following the detection of avian influenza type H5 virus on ostriches at two farms in Nyamandlovu and Bubi districts.

08 DECEMBER - GUARD AGAINST MIGRATORY PESTS!..The Department of Agricultural Research and Extension Services (Arex) has warned farmers of migratory pests which are a problem during the rainy season. Pests such as armyworm and locusts usually migrate to Zimbabwe between November and early March during which they could damage young cereal crops.

12 DECEMBER -- HOW TO RUN A LODGE IN THE WILDS OF AFRICA [Forbes 2006 Investment guide]... Days after former bond trader Barry John van der Maas moved to eastern Zambia in May 2001, he paid court to Senior Chief Nsefu of the Kunda tribe. Word of the young Briton's arrival had already spread, so Van der Maas drove 12 dusty miles to the chief's village, knelt on one leg before the sitting chief and clapped in three sets of three. Once invited to shake the chief's hand, Van der Maas, then 27, explained he had acquired a lease on land just outside Zambia's South Luangwa National Park where he planned to run a safari lodge.

5 DECEMBER -- DEATH IN THE BUSH... The stench of decay rises from the bush just outside of Main Camp, the dilapidated, near-deserted head-quarters at Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park. Only a few months ago, the acacia groves, savanna grass and mopane scrub ran thick with wildlife. But now a visitor can drive for miles without seeing anything alive. There's plenty of death, though.

[Ed: Pretty Graphic Newsweek Article]

4 DECEMBER -- ANTHRAX KILLS VILLAGERS IN ZVIMBA... Three people died in Zvimba last week, while 90 others were treated after they were suspected of contracting anthrax. Environmental health officers dispatched to the area said the 90 people were taken to Murombedzi Hospital, where some were treated and later discharged, but others were still detained by late Friday.

1 December -- Villagers Scavenge for Food... Zimbabwe, facing a growing number of people in urgent need of food handouts, has stepped up grain imports from South Africa to avert starvation, amid reports of villagers in remote areas scavenging for food while others eat roots.

[Ed: I have often see this eating roots reference - can anyone comment on what roots they eat?]

1 DECEMBER -- 'TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GOOD ZIMBABWE, IRAN RELATIONS'... The Iranian Embassy in Harare has challenged stakeholders in the tourism sector to take advantage of the cordial relations between Zimbabwe and the Asian country by coming up with strategies to revive the fortunes of the tourism industry. In an interview yesterday, head of the cultural section of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr Amir Ahmadi, said his country was keen to promote tourism and cultural exchanges between Zimbabwe and Iran.

29 NOVEMBER --$1,8 TRILLION REQUIRED TO SET UP JATROPHA OIL PLANT'... About $1,8 trillion is required to set up an oil expressing plant for the jatropha seed to be used in bio-diesel production. An official with the National Taskforce on Production of Bio-diesel told Herald Business yesterday that they submitted the proposal to the Government two weeks ago.

29 NOVEMBER -- ZIMBABWE VILLAGERS ABANDON LAND TO DIG FOR GOLD... Chinhoyi - Deep in the bowels of the earth, Rambai Mabayo, ferociously throws the pickaxe into the ground. There is a dogged persistence and determination in the manner he goes about his business, heavy drops of sweat trickling on his cheeks. As he continues deeper into the gaping hole, Mabayo seems oblivious of the danger that the mine could simply cave in and bury him alive. Gradually, Mabayo presses on.

25 NOVEMBER -- PARKS AUTHORITY ACTS TO IMPROVE WATER SUPPLIES... In a move prompted by the increasing deaths from thirst of elephants in Hwange National Park, the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has begun to scoop dams and dig trenches to improve water supplies. Hwange - which is home to over 70 000 elephants - has been facing critical water shortages that have seen elephants and other game species dying of thirst over the past months.

25 NOVEMBER -- KARIBA LOSES STATUS DESPITE GREAT POTENTIAL, ATTRACTIONS.... Kariba appears to be losing its place as one of the country's prime tourist destinations despite its immense potential and exquisite attractions. Most of the lakeside hotels have lost considerable business over the past years while others have even closed down.

22 NOVEMBER -- POOR IGNORE BAN ON URBAN FARMING AS FOOD PRICES CLIMB... Harare - Urban Zimbabweans, facing soaring food prices, are increasingly defying a government order not to grow crops in cities and towns ahead of the new agricultural season. The government early this year banned urban farming in undesignated areas as part of a clean-up campaign, saying it was contributing to soil erosion, siltation of dams and providing cover for criminals.

21 NOVEMBER -- ZCTF REPORT ON RELIEF OPERATIONS IN HWANGE.... Thanks to those of you who assisted with funds, especially the SAVE Foundation of Australia, I was able to go to South Africa and purchase 2 new engines for the pumps in Hwange National Park as well as enough spare parts to repair another 20 engines. Thanks to Expeditors for clearing the goods so quickly and efficiently at the border. In view of the critical situation up in Hwange, I went straight from South Africa to Hwange to try and get some water pumping as soon as possible. I delivered half the spares and one engine to Sinamatella and the balance to Robins Camp.

21 NOVEMBER -- ELEPHANT'S SUCCESS BREEDS ITS DEMISE... Just over 100 years ago, there were at most a few thousand elephants in the whole of Africa south of the Zambezi. There are now more than a quarter of a million of them. This astonishing growth in numbers has led the elephant into a new danger, however: The South African Government is planning to carry out an unprecedented massive cull, amid claims that the world's largest land animal has become its biggest pest.

20 NOVEMBER -- MUGABE REVEALS URANIUM POWER PLAN... Deposits of uranium have been unearthed in Zimbabwe, the country's President Robert Mugabe has said. Mr Mugabe said Zimbabwe would use the uranium to boost its energy supplies, but would not pursue nuclear weapons.

[Ed: Hmmm, how very unoriginal - North Korea came up with that. Mugabe must have missed the memo - nuclear scientists don't work for mickey mouse money or stolen farms.]

18 NOVEMBER -- 99 ANIMALS DIE OF THIRST.... The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has so far lost 99 animals at Hwange National Park. This was revealed by the authority's public relations manager Retired Major Edward Mbewe. Rtd Maj Mbewe told journalists during a tour of the park on Tuesday that more than 40 elephants, 53 buffaloes, a giraffe, three zebras and two impalas succumbed to thirst and black leg, a disease that affects animals when the ground is too dry.

18 NOVEMBER -- ANTHRAX KILLS 3 PEOPLE IN MASVINGO... Three people and 130 cattle have succumbed to an anthrax outbreak that has hit most parts of Masvingo Province in the past few weeks. The dead are from Bikita, the worst affected area where 14 livestock deaths were reported. The resurgence of anthrax cases in both humans and livestock has raised alarm bells in the Department of Veterinary Services which has expressed concern at the impact of the outbreak on the province's beef herd.

18 NOVEMBER -- US ISSUES TRAVEL WARNING FOR ZIM... The United States government has issued a fresh warning for its nationals travelling to Zimbabwe. This comes a week after Washington summoned its ambassador to Zimbabwe for consultations after he was reprimanded by government over statements he made at a local university.

18 NOVEMBER -- PEOPLE DISPLACED BY DAM [KARIBA] SEEK COMPENSATION... When the giant Lake Kariba was built in the 1950s, authorities at the time celebrated its construction as one of the most sterling feats of engineering and human endeavor. The lake, whose construction was completed in 1958, provides hydro-electricity to Zimbabwe and Zambia and influenced the springing up of bustling commercial, fishing and tourism activity in Kariba town and on its shoreline thereby generating significant revenue and employment to the country. However, 47 years down the line thousands of people who were displaced on the Zimbabwean and Zambian banks of the Zambezi River to make way for the colossal water reservoir feel that they are entitled to compensation.

15 NOVEMBER -- SADC URGED TO SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE ON WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT... Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have been urged to speak with one voice in finding solutions for sustainable management of wildlife in the region. The call was made by delegates attending the just ended African Wildlife Conference Forum (AWCF), which ran from November 7 to 10 in Mauritius.

15 NOVEMBER -- NO ROOM FOR ZIM JUMBOS... There is no way Namibia can give shelter to elephants that Zimbabwe is said to be considering relocating here, a senior official in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said yesterday.

15 NOVEMBER -- BIODIESEL FEEDSTOCK PROJECT LAUNCHED... The Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on fuel and power import substitution recently launched the biodiesel feedstock production project in Mudzi, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe and Murehwa districts. Production of biodiesel from jatropha curcas (mujiramono) that is found in abundance in these areas is being viewed as an alternative to fossil fuels whose prices keep sky-rocketing, posing major challenges to oil importing countries.

12 NOVEMBER -- VENTURE INTO GAME FARMING, MUJURU URGES COMMUNITIES... Acting President Cde Joice Mujuru has urged communities here to venture into game farming, irrigation and ranching to alleviate the current food shortages and generate foreign currency. Addressing a rally in Beitbridge yesterday, Cde Mujuru said since the border town was a drought prone area where animal husbandry was rife, it was wiser to put resources into such projects.

11 NOVEMBER -- THIRST CLAIMS WILDLIFE IN HWANGE... A water and grazing crisis, following four consecutive droughts, is looming at Hwange National Park with no solution in sight to save the dying wildlife. This week, the National Park and Wildlife Management Authority hired 20 men to rehabilitate water trenches destroyed by elephants and to dredge all pans and compact the bottoms to reduce seepage of water in the over 14 000 square kilometre park.

11 NOVEMBER -- WILDLIFE DECIMATION THREATENS TOURISM... Zimbabwe's tourism industry faces collapse after reports of extensive wildlife deaths due to poaching and lack of water in national parks with Gonarezhou and Hwange particularly badly hit.

11 NOVEMBER -- HARARE TO HOST 5-DAY URBAN AGRICULTURE FORUM... Countries from East and Southern Africa will meet in Harare next week for a training of trainers high-level forum on sustainable urban agriculture. The five-day regional forum - which is expected to draw participants from South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Botswana - seeks, among other things, to develop and enhance capacity in training in various aspects of urban agriculture.

9 NOVEMBER -- POACHING UPSETS ECOLOGICAL BALANCE... After pulling the plug off the lifeline of tens of thousands of fish at a dam in Shamva last week poachers literally got away with "murder". For draining a water reservoir dry to catch fish in the dam, more than 20 fish poachers were given an option of paying a $150 000 admission of guilt fine or go to court.

9 NOVEMBER -- DANDE BENEFITS FROM CAMPFIRE... [Charles Jonga] said significant quotas would ensure that the community realises huge benefits from hunting proceeds that would fuel development in various aspects. Between 2002 and 2003, Masoka earned about US$95 000 as dividends from safari hunting operations. For the first quarter of 2004, the community earned US$60 170, which constituted 59 percent of the gross revenue paid to council for safari operations.

9 NOVEMBER -- WE CAN KILL, OR SAVE, THE EARTH... Mirriam Namushi comes from a dirt-poor family in rural Zambia kept alive by women. She knows the meaning of relying on natural resources for survival. How, at the age of 38 and with four young children of her own, did she come to be a prosecutor of environmental crimes and the abuse of natural resources? Namushi was one of 42 students who graduated recently after spending a year honing their skills at the Southern African Wildlife College in Limpopo.

8 NOVEMBER -- LET DDT TAKE CARE OF MALARIA SCOURGE... This week, the Southern African Development Community commemorates malaria week and, coincidentally, the US congress is debating appropriations for malaria control to be spent by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Unless congress insists on wide-ranging changes to the way malaria control is conducted, most of the money appropriated will be wasted and Africans will continue to mourn their children, mothers and fathers for years to come.

8 NOVEMBER -- ZIMBABWE LAND INVADERS BURN US$22 MILLION IN PLANTATION FIRES.... Harare - Zimbabwe's Timber Producers Federation (TPF) has said about Z$1.3 trillion (nearly US$22 million) of export timber was lost to forest fires since the beginning of the year, adding that the government was for political reasons reluctant to act against black farmers accused of causing the fires.

7 NOVEMBER -- DAM PROJECT GETS $152BN... The Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust (MZWT) has received $152 billion from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to fund the ongoing construction of the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, the project patron, Cde John Nkomo said.

4 NOVEMBER -- AFRICA: WATCHING WILDLIFE IN REMOTE ZAMBIA... Spending four days at Tafika, a remote Zambian bush camp, turned out to be an experience in microcosm of many themes of African life. The scenery fulfilled my Hollywood-fed, Western image of Africa, alluring in its beautiful dangers: a brown winding river, teeming with hundreds of hippos and crocodiles; heat; tsetse flies.

[Ed: a small dig at Zimbabwe in here]

4 NOVEMBER -- TOURIST RESORTS TO GET FUEL FOR FESTIVE PERIOD... The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has set aside 80 000 litres of fuel for distribution in all major tourist resorts during the festive season. In an interview yesterday, Parks public relations manager Retired Major Edward Mbewe said the decision was reached after realising that the authority was losing business owing to fuel shortages.

2 NOVEMBER -- MAGAZINE LAUNCHES ZIM WILDLIFE RESCUE PLAN.... Getaway magazine has responded to a report published this week in Independent Newspapers about the plight of wildlife in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park and has launched a rescue plan to supply fuel to the park's borehole pumps and for anti-poaching.

2 NOVEMBER -- DR LIVINGSTONE'S FAVOURITE, I PRESUME... Hidden away on a

6000-acre private reserve, yet a mere hop, skip and a jump from 'the smoke that thunders', is one of the world's best kept secrets, the Stanley and Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls.

*This is ZimConservation's ninth newsletter summarizing the conservation headlines for November and December 2005. Please visit www.zimconservation.com for the full articles and an archive of all Zimbabwean environmental news since 2000.

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