2005 Archives

These pages have been compiled from various news reports relevant to conservation, wildlife and environment in Zimbabwe since the beginning of the 'Accellerated Land Redistribution' campaign in 2000. They have been arranged in chronological order and are being compiled in order to achieve a more holistic view of what has happened in Zimbabwe over the last four years--from a conservation perspective. We have been somewhat selective in the posting of these reports to avoid tedious duplication, or misinformation but if there is something we have missed please contact us.

November/December 2005

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....

14 December -- Endangered species' last stands listed... From the Pagham Mountain -- home of the Afghani brook salamander -- to the Nyanga Mountain -- lair of the Inyanga toad in Zimbabwe -- some 595 sites around the world have been identified as the sole home of at least one endangered species. Identifying these locations provides a front-line list of places that need to be protected because, if the site is lost it will spell the doom of the plants or animals that make their home only there, said Mike Parr of the American Bird Conservancy.

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.

[Ed: Kudos to SAVE Foundation and ZCTF - Full report with pictures avail as pdf]

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 endeavour. 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.

 

September/October 2005

29 October -- Urban Sprawl Threatens Vic Falls... Just yards behind the safari park outside the country's premier tourism centre, a factory belches grey smoke into the sky while in the overcrowded Chinotimba high-density suburb, lodges and hotels push ever closer to the park's fence. An unprotected dumpsite in the middle of the wildlife territory perpetually burns while baboons and other scavenging animals forage for scraps in the filth.

29 October -- Gamescout attacked by axe-weilding settlers.... The man with the terrible head injuries was a game scout employed on a ranch in the Lowveld, just outside Chiredzi. Earlier in the month he was out on light patrol duties on the ranch when he came across three AI settlers from the area. They obviously objected to the work in which he was engaged protecting game from poachers, and did not want to have him around, so they attacked him there and then, viciously, with an axe.

no date -- As Zimbabwe's Woes Mount, Mugabe Declares Open Season on Wildlife ... As famine looms for millions of his poorer citizens, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has declared open season on one of his nation’s greatest treasures—its wildlife. Invoking the populist rhetoric that has characterized his whole career, Mugabe has ordered rangers at Zimbabwe’s National Parks to cooperate with rural authorities in the wholesale killing of wild animals, including elephants.

27 October -- 151 Poachers Arrested... So far this month, 151 poachers have been arrested in Zimbabwe's national parks. In the past, poaching was mostly done by foreigners, but now Zimbabweans, especially those living near the parks, have also been reported to be engaged in poaching activities.

20 October -- Zimbabwe to remove villagers from game park... Zimbabwe is to remove 700 families who settled illegally near Gonarezhou National Park, the country's second largest game reserve, to make way for a planned transfrontier regional park.

15 October -- British tycoon consolidates grip on Zimbabwe’s anaemic economy... Harare - British business tycoon and President Robert Mugabe ally, Nicholas van Hoogstraten, has snapped a huge chunk of the Zimbabwe government-owned Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) to strengthen further his grip on the southern African nation’s sickly economy. According to RTG’s latest shareholder list, van Hoogstraten - who is said to have bankrolled Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party on many occasions - now owns 35 727 640 shares of the company to make him the eighth biggest shareholder in the firm that is among Zimbabwe’s top three hotel and tourism operators.

12 October -- Buffalo deaths: Zimbabwe suspects anthrax... At least 21 buffalo have died in the wildlife resort town of Hwange in north-western Zimbabwe in a suspected outbreak of anthrax, the official Herald newspaper said on Wednesday. "At the moment, we can only speculate on what is killing the animals based on the symptoms we established. It is definitely not hunger or thirst," the paper quoted Environment and Tourism Ministry Secretary Margaret Sangarwe as saying.

11 October -- Sleeping sickness: a Zimbabwean disease... One of the many crises which receives considerably less attention than it deserves is the health time bomb which is ticking away as traditional disease control measures are abandoned, essentially for lack of funds.

11 October -- Wolf(owitz) at Zim's door... The World Bank may withhold further aid to Zimbabwe to "set an example" over the situation under President Robert Mugabe, its chief Paul Wolfowitz said on Tuesday. The World Bank would be allocating its funds "very, very carefully, and in the case of Zimbabwe perhaps not at all," he told reporters here on the first stop of a regional tour.

9 October -- Minister takes up gold panning... Bulawayo - The Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Abednigo Ncube, recently led heavily armed anti-riot police to evict gold-panners who had struck a rich vein on a gold claim, The Standard can reveal. The incident happened last Friday. Authoritative sources in Matabeleland South said upon learning of the small-scale miners' windfall at Caesar East Two Mine, the minister immediately applied for a mining licence to extract gold from the same claim.

7 October -- State to Construct Border Post to Link With SA Park... The world's biggest wildlife sanctuary, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, got a boost yesterday when Zimbabwe decided to build a border post to facilitate passage between Gonarezhou National Park and South Africa's Kruger National Park.

7 October -- Massive Fish Poaching in Kariba... Fish poaching has reached alarming proportions in Lake Kariba's breeding shallow waters, threatening the viability of Zimbabwe's biggest kapenta fishing industry. Zambian and local poachers are said to be stealthily casting their nets in the prohibited breeding areas using canoes or rented boats during the night.

6 October -- Apocalypse for Zim's Energy Sector... At a time when most regional countries are moving into high gear and securing their power requirements ahead of the 2007 regional deficit, two firms which carry Zimbabwe's hopes of energy self-sufficiency- ZESA Holdings and Hwange Colliery Company Limited - are still groping in the dark.

6 October -- Bally Vaughn gets new Director... After eight years at Bally Vaughan working first as a volunteer and then as a consultant amongst the animals that I consider to be my family, I [Sarah Carter] will be taking over the tenancy of the Bally Vaughan Bird and Game Sanctuary on the first of October 2005.

5 October -- Zimbabwe moves rhinos from poachers' zone - report... Harare, Zimbabwe's wildlife authority has moved more than 200 endangered black rhinos from a farm near its western border with Botswana to prevent poaching, a local daily reported on Wednesday.

5 October -- Zim to grow 'oil trees'... Zimbabwe will soon start growing the oil-rich jatropha tree to manufacture its own blend of diesel as the country battles to overcome acute fuel shortages, state radio reported on Wednesday.

[Ed: This Caribbean native, Jatropha curcas has not been assessed for potential invasive qualities in Zimbabwe, but is considered a high-risk plant rejected for import to Australia (see link).]

4 October -- Baboons Wreak Havoc... Baboons are wreaking havoc in Kariba and Chirundu, snatching bags from unsuspecting people and at times breaking into cars and homes in search of food. So serious is the problem that yesterday, the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority had to dispatch a team to fight the marauding baboons.

3 October -- Tourism bounty brings added responsibilities... A few weeks ago, a tourist from Zimbabwe was shot dead in the lower Zambezi, a private game area in Zambia, by a roving poacher with an AK-47 who also seriously wounded her husband.

3 October -- Bring Back DDT... Roger Bate and Richard Tren, the co-founders of Africa Fighting Malaria , recently presented the following testimony to the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee exposing the fraudulent science behind the DDT ban.

[Ed: We've re-posted this article - would anyone care to comment on this controversial topic?]

1 October -- Wildlife Farming Holds Real Potential... Nairobi, A question which has been raised by a number of readers with an interest in wildlife conservation is: Why is it that the Kenya Wildlife Service is only criticised in the press, and rarely praised? Is there something that KWS has done that deserves praise?

[Ed: This article announces the formation of the Kenyan Wildlife Farming Association wishing to develop the Kenyan Wildlife Farming sector using the Zimbabwean model]

1 October -- State Vows to Peaceful Nuclear Energy Application... The Government is committed to the setting up of an appropriate legal framework that will enforce and facilitate the peaceful application of nuclear energy in the country. Zimbabwe's Charge D' Affaires and Alternate Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr Vova Abednigo Chikanda, said it was pleasing to note that the atomic energy agency had put into the pipeline its intended assistance in tackling communicable diseases.

31 September -- 50 elephants starve to death... Harare - Zimbabwean authorities are considering moving elephants from the country's overburdened national parks to Namibia after at least 50 pachyderms starved to death, a state daily reported on Monday.

31 September -- Game park's wildlife dies of thirst as Mugabe lives in luxury... Wild animals in Zimbabwe are suffering and dying as the sun beats down during the year's hottest season.Like so many humans, they are victims of President Robert Mugabe.

29 September -- Zimbabwe to bring steam trains back into use.... Zimbabwe is to go back to using steam locomotives to boost its ageing fleet of diesel trains and attract tourists, the state-run Herald newspaper has reported. The country has an acute shortage of foreign currency needed to import fuel and spares, but most of the spares for the steam trains can be found locally, the report says. Zimbabwe also has plenty of coal. "We intend to use (steam locomotives) to boost our operations and as a tourist attraction,"

28 September -- Europe is 'fuelling ivory trade' ... Recently crafted ivory jewellery can be found with relative ease in Paris. Europe's thriving ivory retail market is threatening an increase in elephant poaching, conservationists have warned.

27 September -- Brain Drain Heads for Crisis: Study.... Zimbabwe's brain drain could be headed for a major crisis point with research indicating that 500 000 of the country's mainly professional cream has left the country.

27 September -- Hunting Proceeds Rake in $12 Billion Per Month....Zimbabwe is earning over $12 billion a month as hunting proceeds since the beginning of the hunting season in May this year.

27 September -- Hwange to Explore Methane Gas.... Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) is now working on ways of extracting coal bed methane gas as the exploration for alternative energy sources intensifies.

23 September -- Limpopo Accord Signed.... Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique have agreed to declare the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park a regional asset in order to secure funding for its development from the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad).

23 September -- Title Deeds to 4 000 Farms Nullified.... [The] Government has directed the Registrar of Deeds to immediately nullify all title deeds to the 4 000 farms which have been nationalised following the recently promulgated Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No.17) Act.

23 September -- Chinese Given Kunzvi Dam Tender.... [The] Government has awarded a tender for the construction of long-overdue Kunzvi Dam to the Chinese amid allegations that normal tender procedures were not followed.

22 September -- Ostrich Project Pays Off for Colcom... Colcom Holdings' ostrich-breeding project has started bearing fruit and has contributed positively to the company's profits in the six months to June 30, the company has said.

21 September -- Bid to Revive Ethanol Plant.... [The] Government has intensified efforts to resuscitate the ethanol plant at Triangle near Chiredzi to cushion the country against high international oil prices, a Cabinet Minister has said.

20 September -- State to Descend On Vehicles Emitting Heavy Fumes.... [The] Government would soon clampdown on vehicles that emit too much smoke as it intensifies efforts to phase out ozone-depleting substances and keep the environment clean and safe.

20 September -- Uncontrolled Fires Destroy $700bn Forests.... Forests with trees worth more than $700 billion have been destroyed by uncontrolled fires in Chimanimani and other areas countrywide over the past three weeks.

20 September -- Kadoma Gold Millers Risk Mercury Poisoning: Study.... Gold millers in Kadoma possess higher levels of poisonous mercury in their blood, urine and hair, according to samples tested by the Global Mercury Project (GMP) recently.

19 September -- Harare Water Woes to Persist.... Water shortages will continue to haunt Harare until the treatment works are fully overhauled, a new dam constructed and a new pipeline and treatment works commissioned.

19 September -- Threat to Harare's Ecosystem... For most people resettled at Hopley Farm in Harare, selling firewood to nearby high-density suburbs has become a lucrative business. "This is the only business I can do because I have no capital to start any other project. For this, I just need an axe," said Alfred Marwa, pointing to a pile of wood he was selling, just outside the farm.

16 September -- Four Elephant Calves, Buffaloes Die in Matetsi... Four elephant calves and several buffaloes have died in the dry Matetsi area between Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls amid revelations that there could be massive deaths of wildlife due to starvation.

15 September -- He was named “Future”... It was late May when I first sighted one of the ‘F’ family youngsters, his trunk ripped off by a wire snare. He was born to the ‘Presidential Elephants’ in early February of 2003, making him now a little over two-and-a-half years old.

[Ed: Report from the Presidential Elephant Research Group]

14 September -- ZANU-PF officials implicated in illegal trophy hunting scams... Several ZANU-PF officials have been implicated in illegal hunting activities that involve fake names and permits and the killing of animals in protected areas. Investigations have so far identified 4 senior officials of the ruling party and their associates who allegedly aided local and foreign trophy poachers to loot wildlife in the Intensive Conservation Areas of Matabeleland North.

6 September -- Sinamatella runs out of water - Urgent appeal for help.... Following our last "Good News" report about the abundance of water at Main Camp in Hwange National Park, we have just discovered that the situation in Sinamatella is very different. We are being inundated with desperate appeals for help because there is NO water in Sinamatella. We are informed that National Parks has run out of diesel to run the pumps and all the water holes have been reduced to pools of mud.

5 September -- Wildlife Authority to Get Boost From Rentals... The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is expected to get a financial windfall of more than $5 billion in rentals this year for the 13 photographic sites it leased to safari operators last week.

[Ed: I am fed up with Zimbabwean reporters using the Zimbabwean dollar as an economic indicator - they might as well be talking in elbows, at least that would be more meaningful. Would any economists out there care to comment?]

5 September -- Police, Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers' Union Team Up.... The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers' Union (ZCFU) and police in Insiza have embarked on a programme aimed at raising resettled farmers' awareness on the importance of the environment and on how to conserve it, an official said yesterday.

[Ed: Nice example of the blind leading the blind]

5 September -- Top Zimbabwe Official Sues Colleague over Land Use....One of President Robert Mugabe's closest aides has gone to court against a more junior political colleague in what has become a front-page legal brawl over the use of land expropriated from white farmers. The case is symptomatic of increasing arguments over land tenure.

[Ed: this was a 6000 ha game reserve].

4 September -- Introduce Environment Education, Says Minister.... There is [an] urgent need to embark on environmental education to make society more conscious of its obligations and responsibilities to its natural surroundings, Environment and Tourism Minister Cde Francis Nhema has said.

 

July/August 2005

31 August -- Zimbabwe: Zanu Elite, Anticipating Change, Takes Over Green Belt Farms.... A list of top Zanu-PF officials has been published who have laid claim to prime estates along a proposed water pipeline from the Zambezi to Bulawayo.The politicians and army officers have taken over prime wildlife-rich farms along the route of the Zambezi Water Project in Matabeleland, on a 450-km greenbelt, according to a report in the Financial Gazette.

31 August -- Transfrontier Park Set to Boost Tourism.... In the words of one conservationist, "the practice of conservation must spring from a conviction of what is ethically and aesthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient." The wisdom inherent in these words probably prompted Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe to develop one of the biggest wildlife sanctuaries in Africa - the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP)

31 August -- State Bans Hunting in Dete, Hwange.... [The] Government has banned, with immediate effect, hunting in the Dete and Hwange areas to protect the presidential herd of elephants which has been designated for game viewing and photographic safaris only.

31 August -- Cross Dete Water Project At Advanced Stage: Governor.... The Cross Dete water project, the main component of a multi-billion-dollar fruit and tomato canning factory to be built in Dete, has reached an advanced stage, a senior Government official has said.

31 August -- Thousands to benefit.... The recent launch of a transfrontier park between Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique is set to improve the lives of thousands of marginalised communities living in the border region where the three countries meet, through sustainable utilisation of natural resources.The cross-border project, known as ZIMOZA (Zimbabwe-Mozambique-Zambia) Transfrontier Conservation Area, taking its name from the first two letters of the countries' names, is however, not the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.

29 August -- Zim tries power from pig manure.... Harare - As Zimbabweans battle frequent power cuts, local pig farmers want to apply for funding from the central bank for a project to generate electricity from pig manure, state-controlled radio reported on Monday.

26 August -- Greedy Zanu PF Cheifs Draw Dam Water Illegally.... Corruption in the land reform process has taken a new dimension, with Zanu PF cheifs allegedly illegally drawing water from dams at the expense of other farmers.

25 August -- Chefs in Fresh Land Grab Orgy in Mat North... Senior Zanu PF politicians and army officers have grabbed prime wildlife-rich farms along the route of the Zambezi Water Project in Matabeleland, as they strategically position themselves to benefit from the stalled project, which is expected to create a 450-kilometre greenbelt.

25 August --Climate Experts Set to Meet in Harare... Climate experts from within the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) will meet in Harare next week to exchange technical information and come up with an authoritative forecast for the region's next rainy season.

25 August -- U.S., Zimbabwe Researchers Help Subsistence Farmers... It's not enough just to let subsistence farmers in Zimbabwe know it will be a dry or wet growing season, says new research from a team led by Boston University's Anthony Patt. You should back up that information with opportunities for the farmers to meet together and ask questions about the forecasts. The study's findings could aid farmers in regions strongly influenced by large global climate variations such as those caused by El Niño and La Niña.

22 August -- 14 ivory tusks recovered in Gokwe ... Fourteen ivory tusks worth over $60 million, a Lee Enfield rifle and a double barrel shotgun have been recovered in Gokwe following a raid by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

22 August -- Zim's Birth Rate Falls... Zimbabwe's fertility rate - at 3,6 children per woman in the 1992 census - is roughly half the rate seen at independence and seems set to continue dropping further towards the replacement levels of an average of a little over two children born to each woman.

21 August -- Woman killed by lions at Zimbabwe wildlife park.... A pride of lions attacked and killed a Japanese woman visiting a Zimbabwe wildlife park, state media reported today.

[Ed:this occurred at the lion and Cheetah Park, Zimbabwe's equivalent of a zoo].

21 August -- Elephants Besiege Resort in Zimbabwe.... Six elephants went on a rampage in the Zimbabwean resort town of Kariba, trampling gardens, damaging homes and forcing people to flee.

19 August -- Hwange National Park gets New Warden... It gives us [Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force] great pleasure to report that the new warden of Hwange National Park is doing an excellent job and we would like to thank him for his efforts. We have received reports that most of the pans around the Main Camp tourist routes are full of water for the first time in years.

17 August -- Countries to Discuss Security Concerns Before Opening Park... The three countries that make up the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park are expected to meet soon to discuss security concerns ahead of the park's opening towards the end of this month.

16 August -- Fences not the only barrier for cross-border park... The Pafuri-Banyini pan in South Africa's north-eastern Kruger National Park teems with game. Elephant bulls amble among clumps of marula trees and impala leap gracefully across the grassland, where buffalo graze.

15 August -- Statistics Vital for Tourism Sector: Nhema... The Minister of Environment Minister, Mr Francis Nhema, has underscored the importance of statistics to the measurement, management and development of the tourism sector.

14 August -- Arrested for taking photos in Zimbabwe...Just hours after landing in Zimbabwe, I was sitting in a police station being interrogated. This is life under President Robert Mugabe, whose image stares at you from photographs in the Harare airport

13 August -- Rights-Zimbabwe:Whither Civil Society?... As Zimbabwe has slipped deeper into political and economic turmoil over the past five years, the role of civil society in helping the country to address its problems has come under increasing scrutiny.

12 August-- Nigeria Praises Zimbabwe's Wildlife Management....Zimbabwe is among the best countries in Africa in the management of wildlife and conservation of natural resources, a visiting Nigerian official has said.

10 August --Masvingo Governor Calls for More Investment On Great Limpopo Park.... [The] Government has called for increased investments on the Zimbabwean side of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park in the Lowveld for the country to immediately benefit from the anticipated tourism boom after the creation of the mega-park.

7 August -- Big bass in Zimbabwe have Alabama roots.... On July 25, 2004, Maxwell Mashandure caught an 18-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass while fishing from a kayak-like boat on a man-made lake in Harare, Zimbabwe, in southern Africa.

[Ed: See this paper about the effects of Bass in Zimbabwean Streams]

7 August -- The mighty roar of Victoria Falls... Zimbabwe has its problems, but in a visit to 'the smoke that thunders' Don Pinnock found fine hotels, friendly people and wildlife and came back with cash to spare.

[Ed: Getaway magazine's assessment of Vic Falls as a Tourist destination].

5 August -- MZWT in Ambitious Fundraising Projects... The Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust (MZWT), the implementers of a project to pipe water from the Zambezi River to arid Matabeleland, wants to embark on an ambitious programme to raise billions of dollars to kick-start the project.

5 August -- Exposé On Hotels a Mirage... Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono's exposé on hotels that he accused of prejudicing the government of millions of US dollars turned out to be no more than a mirage after most hoteliers were later cleared of any wrongdoing.

5 August -- Arex Studying Quelea Bird Migration Patterns... Agricultural Research and Extension Services (Arex) yesterday said it was investigating migration patterns of the notorious quelea birds, that have threatened to reduce the winter wheat harvest by about 20 percent.

4 August -- Councils Pollute Manyame River.... Businesses operating on the banks of Manyame River are on the verge of collapse owing to the continual discharge of raw sewage by the Harare and Chitungwiza city councils into the river.

3 August -- Handy gardening tip No. 5: How to keep elephants out of your garden.... Well, you might not need it in New York City, but a program funded by the Bronx-based Wildlife Conservation Society is helping African farmers save their precious crops from marauding elephants and other voracious munchers.

2 August -- Parks Authority Suspends Ivory Sales.... The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has, with immediate effect, suspended selling ivory to all registered dealers to enable it to monitor the destiny of 430 tusks sold in May and June this year.

1 August -- Zimbabwe : Transfrontier Park and World Heritage Site under threat... an account of the Chirundu Project and the GLTP from the Zimbabwe Conservation and Development Foundation.

29 July -- China's Zimbabwe embrace seen as rights challenge... WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's embrace of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe amid international censure of the African strongman is part of disturbing pattern of Chinese support for repressive states, U.S. critics said.

[Ed: This article goes on to imply that Zimbabwe may be setting itself up as a source for China's insatiable demand for illegal wildlife products, see article below].

28 July -- Record Bail for Chinese.... Two Chinese nationals, believed to be part of an illegal ivory dealing syndicate involving former Bikita East Member of Parliament Walter Mutsauri, were yesterday granted a record $250 million bail each.

28 July -- Parks Embarks On Electrification Project.... The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has embarked on a multi-billion-dollar electrification project covering four of its major parks in the country.

28 July -- Parks Authority Needs 120 Vehicles.... Parks and Wildlife Management Authority urgently needs 120 four-wheel drive vehicles to effectively combat rampant poaching in its wildlife sanctuaries.

[Ed: Where are they going to get the fuel to run them? Maybe horses would be more appropriate technology].

27 July -- Mega-park set to open in August...Nelspruit - Plans to open the world's largest wildlife reserve, the Greater Limpopo transfrontier park, next month were on track, said Kruger National Park (KNP) spokesperson Raymond Travers on Tuesday.

26 July -- Support Reforestation Initiatives...the greatest contribution to rural reforestation made by communal farmers like Mr Chitima is the production and supply, every year, of thousands of eucalyptus trees that are now replacing the endangered long-maturing indigenous tree varieties like Msasa, Munhondo, Mupfuti and Mupani.

[Ed: reafforestation with exotic species - especially thirsty eucalyptus trees is an horrendous act of environmental vandalism and must be stopped immediately See this link]

22 July -- Saving the Painted Dogs... Through The Painted Dog Conservation Project, and with some funding from the government, Lombardo and a team of wild dog enthusiasts employed local residents to build a conservation center.

21 July -- Quelea Birds Invade Mash Central... Grain eating quelea birds have invaded vast swathes of winter wheat in Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and West.

20 July -- Opening of Park delayed due to lack of funding.... SABC news recently carried a story about the new border post between South Africa and Mozambique in the Kruger National Park which will hopefully be opened during the next few months.This is part of an ambitious Transfrontier Park between South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, which would have been completed in 2003. However, questions have been asked as to what is holding up the project.

18 July -- Prevent Wild Fires, Says Nhema... The Minister of Environment and Tourism Cde Francis Nhema has called on the nation to co-operate in the prevention of wild fires in order to conserve the country's fauna and flora.

18 July -- Forestry Company Set to Export Timber to Botswana.... The Forestry Company of Zimbabwe will export billions of dollars worth of timber to Botswana where it is desperately needed by the construction sector.

18 July -- Land invasions will not affect GLTP : minister.... Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the environment minister, says land invasions in Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park will not affect its overall integrity as part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP).

17 July -- Land Grab Puts Mega Park at Risk .... Former Tourism Minister Valli Moosa's ambitious plan to create Africa's largest transfrontier park is under serious threat from illegal land invaders.

17 July -- More Zimbabwe Ruins.... Elsewhere in this newspaper we have published a disturbing picture. It shows how desperate Zimbabweans have invaded that country's Gonarezhou National Park and erected dwellings.

16 July -- Chirundu Project : Second Phase communiqué.... On the 24 th June 2005, the Zimbabwe Conservation Development Foundation (ZCDF), brought attention to substantiated information of a structured group of farmers, business persons, companies and other independent stakeholders, having moved comprehensively towards launching Stage 1 of a 120,000 hectare agricultural development in the proclaimed Urungwe, Chewore and Sapi Safari Areas and the Mana Pools National Park bordering on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. The ZCDF has subsequently learned that a decision to "stop" the development has been made.

15 July -- White Farmers have NOT been invited to return to their farms... The JUSTICE FOR AGRICULTURE TRUST is concerned by recent press reports and the resultant false perceptions emanating from them, at rural and urban grass roots levels, that farmers are being invited to return to their farms, and are infact taking up such offers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

14 July -- Thirsty Zimbabwe courts Anglo to revive ethanol plant.... Harare - Zimbabwe has approached multi-national giant Anglo American Zimbabwe to revive an ethanol plant in the country’s lowveld region to try and fix a crippling fuel crisis that has worsened because of rising world oil prices, authoritative sources told Zim Online.

[Ed: I want to investigate to see which nation was the first to start blending ethanol and petroleum, because Zimbabwe has a long history of using 'biofuels' that climate change experts in Washington are suddenly getting excited about]

May/June 2005

30 June -- Moringa Tree Production Gets $60 Million Boost.... Farming and propagation of moringa tree, referred to by medicinal scientists as "Africa's wonder tree", has gathered momentum in Zimbabwe with Tree Africa donating $60 million towards the large-scale cultivation of the tree.

30 June -- Massive Dam Rehabilitation Programme On Cards... [The] Government will this year embark on a massive dam rehabilitation programme as part of its efforts to put more land under irrigation to boost food production during the 2005/06 agricultural season, the Minister of Special Affairs Responsible for Lands, Land Reform and Resettlement, Cde Didymus Mutasa, has said.

28 June -- UK, US 'caused Zimbabwe droughts'... A state-run newspaper in Zimbabwe has suggested the UK and US are to blame for droughts in southern Africa.

28 June -- Bumi Elephant Snare Removal... We would like to report that thanks to various people and organizations who donated money for the tranquilizer M99 in response to our appeal for the snared Bumi elephants, wire snares have been removed from an elephant and a buffalo in the Bumi Hills area.

24 June -- Clean-Up Forces SPCA to Kill Animals... The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has been forced to kill animals under its care in order to create room for hundreds of animals left homeless by the government's ongoing clean-up campaign, the Zimbabwe Independent has established.

23 June -- Botswana Targets Tourism for Economic Growth... Botswana, which has been attracting more than a million visitors a year since 2003, aims to double its annual tourism growth rate of eight per cent over the next five years.

21 June -- Dark, acrid smoke now rises above Victoria Falls gorge in place of the mist... The sight of the mist rising out of the Victoria Falls gorge, said David Livingstone, was so beautiful that it stopped angels in their flight. Last week, the dark, acrid smoke of burning homes billowing up on the other side of the falls village, would have caused those angels to hasten on their way in horror.

21 June -- The beginning of the end... Zimbabwe police have extended a demolition campaign targeting the homes and livelihoods of the urban poor to the vegetable gardens they rely on for food, saying the crops planted on vacant lots are damaging the environment.

21 June -- Africans need DDT, not 'blah, blah, blah'.... Africans have paid a heavy price for the West's misplaced demonising of the mosquito-killing pesticide. [Ed:These ideas appear to be doing the rounds in Washington DC, would anyone care to comment?].

21 June -- So far away from home... No matter what the country of origin, it's usually the mundane things which strike world travelers as the most foreign. In Mike Downing's case, it was the South African coffee.

[Ed: Only one disparaging reference to Zim, but some interesting game-farm industry figures for comparison with Zimbabwe, some insight into the attitude of American trophy hunters].

20 June -- Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force press release... It is the expressed and unequivocal purpose and policy of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force to work without financial or material gain and to be completely independent of political predilection towards the holistic preservation of Zimbabwe’s wildlife, associated environments and natural resources for the absolute benefit of the country and as an incontrovertible legacy to future generations of Zimbabweans.

16 June -- Homeless camp along river bank ... The banks of Mukuvisi River have been turned into a squatter camp around Mbare as scores of families whose illegal shacks were destroyed by the police during the on-going clean-up operation.

14 June -- Minister says poaching is under control in Zim park .... Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the minister of environmental affairs and tourism, has dismissed reports that Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park has been plagued by extensive poaching.

12 June -- Zimbabwe undercover: how Mugabe is burning opponents out of their homes...Our reporter watches covertly as the urban poor are driven into the countryside in a campaign reminiscent of Pol Pot.

[Ed: While no direct references to wildlife are contained in this report, the urban-rural migration of 200,000 people will undoubtedly have environmental consequences].

11 June -- Zimbabwe's great white survivor... The rugged bush country of Zimbabwe's low veld, where lions roar at night and elephant and buffalo graze by day, offers a unique setting for a way of life that has all but vanished.

10 June -- Sources Say: Beware of charging elephants... United States Senator John C. Astle is back from Zimbabwe, and boy, does he have a story for us: He was nearly killed by a charging elephant.

9 June -- Campfire Realises U.S.$3m...Thousands of families are set to benefit from the US$3 million (over Z$2 billion) raised from the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) Association through safari hunting trophies last year.

8 June -- Zimbabwe to evict illegal game farm settlers... Zimbabwe will evict people who illegally settled on wildlife sanctuaries during seizures of white-owned farms but did not say whether former owners would be allowed back, state media reported on Wednesday.

7 June -- No End in Sight for Jumbo Crisis... There has always been a protracted struggle between man and the elephant, over habitats with either mammal encroaching into the other's habitat.

5 June -- Paid Thugs Continue to Threaten Zimbabwean Farmworkers and Endanger Vital Breeding Herd and Wildlife Ahead of Deadline to Nationalise All Farming Land... Paid thugs continue to terrorise Zimbabwean farm workers on an arid Mwenezi cattle and wildlife ranch in Masvingo province, putting at risk more than 2 500 valuable beef cattle and threatening the survival of the only wildlife herds left in the area.

2 June -- Poachers invade Tuli Block... An upsurge in the use of wire snares to trap game by poachers has hit the Tuli Block, forcing law enforcement agencies and tourism operators to form several committees to combat the menace.

31 May -- Zimbabwe: Taxi Drivers Roped-in to Boost Tourism... Zimbabwe's Tourism industry, once the country's second largest foreign currency earner, has declined sharply in the past few years as a result of the ongoing economic and political crises.

31 May -- SADC Experts Pledge to Work Together in Managing Jumbos... Wildlife experts from the Southern African Development Community have pledged to work together to effectively manage the growing elephant population in the region.

31 May -- 'Increase Entrance Fees to Zim's Tourist Attractions'...Delegates attending the just-ended African Wild Life Consultative Forum said Zimbabwe should increase entrance fees to its array of fascinating tourist attractions because of their high historical value.

31 May -- Poachers Threaten Fishing Sector... Zimbabwe's fishing industry is under threat of collapse from foreign poachers who are illegally buying fish from unscrupulous rig attendants and an influx of cheap kapenta fish from neighbouring Mozambique.

30 May -- Zimbabwean police arrest US cameraman... Zimbabwean police arrested a United States citizen caught filming police as they carried out a clean-up campaign against illegal housing occupants and unregistered traders in the eastern city of Mutare, state radio reported on Monday.

30 May -- Zimbabwe set to nationalise land... Zimbabwe is to proceed with plans to nationalise all farmland, a ruling party official has said. Zanu-PF spokesman Nathan Shamuvarira said the party would amend the constitution so as to abolish rights to private ownership of land.

30 May -- Killing Zimbabwe's golden goose... Trucks, socks and even soft drink cans are being pressed into service by Zimbabwean gold smugglers desperate to avoid trading their treasure for worthless currency at rock-bottom rates.

27 May -- Zimbabwean Science Academy Seeks Funding... The Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences (ZAS) is launching a fundraising drive to support its efforts to promote the advancement of sciences in the country.

24 May -- Central bank chief threatens to shut down hotels over forex remittances... Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono has threatened to close down some of the country’s biggest hotels for allegedly failing to remit to the central bank hard cash earned from foreign guests.

21 May -- Zimbabwe wants white farmers back.. The head of Zimbabwe's central bank has suggested that white farmers be allowed back on the land taken from them and distributed among supporters of the Mugabe regime.

19 May -- Protecting Biodiversity 'May Clash With Pursuit of MDGs'...Achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of targets aimed at halving global poverty by 2015, could come into conflict with parallel efforts to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, according to a new report from some of world's leading environmental scientists and policymakers.

17 May -- Panners Spill Cyanide, Mercury Into Dam.... Scores of villagers and farmers staying around Mutevekwi Dam in Shurugwi have stopped drawing water from the dam after gold panners spilled cyanide and mercury into it.

17 May -- Work to Put Basic Infrastructure in Gonarezhou National Park Intensifies....Work to put in place basic infrastructure in the Gonarezhou National Park which is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park has intensified despite challenges being faced in implementing the project, a senior Government official has said.

15 May -- Mugabe plans changes to constitution.... Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party is set to amend the constitution to nationalise all land, automatically nullifying court petitions by thousands of white farmers hoping to reclaim their confiscated property.

13 May -- Tourism Sector Slumps 18 Percent... Contrary to official claims that the tourism industry is coming out of the woods, statistics from the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) indicate the sector slumped by 18% last year alone.

13 May -- Birders fly into rage over twittish tourists... Local birders are all atwitter after a Swiss photographer destroyed kingfisher nests at a Paarl bird sanctuary while trying to take pictures of them.

13 May -- Land grab to go to arbitration...About 1 500 commercial farmers who have had their land forcibly and sometimes violently seized by Robert Mugabe's government have taken their case to international arbitration.

13 May -- Mugabe appoints police chief to oversee land redistribution... President Robert Mugabe has appointed Didymus Mutasa, the head of the country's secret police, to oversee Zimbabwe's controversial land redistribution programme.

8 May -- Govt raids hotels.... Fears of a total collapse in Zimbabwe's multi-billion dollar hospitality sector mounted last week following a countrywide blitz on hoteliers unleashed by the dreaded surveillance and investigation arm of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) in a desperate bid to scrounge around for foreign currency.

9 May -- African Wildlife Foundation Expresses Concern for the Wildlife and People of Zimbabwe...Zimbabwe, one of Africa's most beautiful countries and with a rich wildlife heritage, is presently struggling from the combined effects of a drought, economic problems and political uncertainty.

8 May -- Floods Fear As Dam Wall Reveals Cracks....Masvingo - Lake Mutirikwi's dam wall faces collapse after developing huge cracks that pose danger to people living near the lake.

6 May -- Parks Authority Hikes Accommodation Rates... The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has hiked accommodation rates for its lodges and hotels dotted across the country's tourism resort centres by more than 100 percent, citing high operational costs.

6 May -- No food, no fuel - but a glut of elephants for sale at £1,000...Zimbabwe, which is struggling with chronic shortages in everything from fuel to food, claims that it has at least one huge surplus - elephants. The Government's wildlife and parks department says that there are 60,000 more elephants than can be sustained in the wild and has invited local farmers to buy them to populate remote ranches and private game reserves

5 May -- Poachers Arrested, 18 Dogs Killed...National Parks and Wildlife Authority rangers have arrested three poachers and killed their 18 dogs for hunting game at Chipunza Game Park near Ewanrigg Botanical Gardens in Acturus.

5 May -- Train Runs Over Four Elephants... Bulawayo - hundreds of passengers travelling on a National Railways of Zimbabwe train from Victoria Falls to Bulawayo are lucky to be alive after the train ran over four elephants.

5 May -- Sub-Aqua Unit Searches for Drowned Rangers.... The police sub-aqua unit was yesterday scouring Sebakwe Dam in an attempt to locate the bodies of two Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers who drowned when their boat capsized on Tuesday.

3 May -- Parks Authority Earmarks $50m to Refurbish Lodges... The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority will set aside $50 million every month for the refurbishment of its lodges countrywide, Herald Business has been told.

March/April 2005

30 April -- Zimbabwe's economic crisis, declining tourism take toll... Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - Tani Nyoni sat in the dust, sliding her scrap of sandpaper down the long neck of yet another wooden giraffe. She was surrounded by her creations - stacks of skinny legs and faces, ready for buyers who no longer come.

29 April -- Parks Authority Begins to Realise Dividends... Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is beginning to realise dividends from the commercialisation programme it embarked on at the start of this year.

29 April -- Harare reaches state of collapse... Harare - Picture a township of 100 000 people going two weeks without water, suffering sewerage bursts, no fuel, and power blackouts that often last half the day. That is the reality in Mabvuku/Tafara township, one of at least seven Harare suburbs afflicted by the progressive collapse of basic services.

29 April -- Mining decline hits workers hard... Harare - The sudden closure of mines in Zimbabwe five years ago is still having a negative impact on the livelihoods of thousands of former employees.

27 April -- Zimbabwe turns to wildlife as food source... President Robert Mugabe's regime has directed national parks officials to kill animals in state-owned conservation areas to feed hungry rural peasants - a move that could wipe out what remains of Zimbabwe's impalas, kudus, giraffes, elephants and other species.

26 April -- ZAWA to Bring Cheetahs to Control Impala Numbers...The Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) will soon introduce cheetahs in the Mosi-O-Tunya National Park as predators in an effort to reduce the number of impalas that are a threat to the eco-system due to over-population.

25 April -- The tourist trap... The Guardian's Tom de Castella on the risks of being an undercover reporter in Zimbabwe.

24 April -- Tourists see Zim game rangers kill elephants for celebrations... A least nine elephants were shot, four by Zimbabwean National Parks scouts, and used as meat for celebrations to mark the 25th year of Zimbabwe's independence, according to conservationists.

24 April -- Project to Stem Rising Mukuvisi Polllution... The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) last week commissioned Z$500m for the Intergrated Water Resources Management of the Mukuvisi River and its catchment project.

14 April -- After war, Namibia's Caprivi aims for tourists... KATIMA MULILO, Michael Mutaveti has seen South African troops occupy his homeland in Namibia's Caprivi Strip, Angolan guerrillas fight through it and insurgent fighters crushed. But its isolated beauty gives little hint of its turbulent past and this thin sliver of land between Angola, Botswana and Zambia now wants to woo tourists in a bid to reduce chronic poverty and unemployment.

12 April -- Farmers Warned On Compensation Offer... About 3 000 commercial farmers displaced by President Robert Mugabe's controversial land reform programme have been urged to be cautious with the government's latest compensation offer.

11 April -- Ancient African Kingdom May Anchor Cross-Border Conservation Area... An Iron Age archaeological site will likely form the centerpiece of a cross-border conservation area under negotiation by three southern African countries.

10 April -- Botswana woos rich tourists with "Africa-lite"... The drive from the gate to the lodge may be less than 10 km, but it yields elephant, baboons and even a solitary tortoise, pulling its head back into its shell as the Land Rover passes.

8 April -- IUP's safaris show dark continent to students... Rebecca Sterley won't forget the roar of a lion, the warning trumpet of a bull elephant, a young giraffe cocking its head in curiosity or the "earthy, grassy smell" of Africa. [Ed, this article cites the moving of the programme from Zimbabwe to South Africa due to civil unrest i9n Zimbabwe.

8 April --Zambezi Large Mammal Survey Finds Elephant Populations Increasing...You would think elephants would be relatively easy to count. After all, they are the largest terrestrial mammal on earth. But it gets complicated when their range crosses three national boundaries and the elephants are constantly on the move.

7 April -- Is it ethical to visit 'outpost of tyranny'?... Zimbabwe's wildlife industry struggles as many tourists steer clear of the Mugabe regime. Not long ago, travelers longing for adventure and wildlife in Africa had an obvious destination: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

6 April -- More Fences to Drop Between Kruger, Mozambique... The second phase to drop fences between the Kruger National Park (KNP) and Mozambique and create the world's largest transfrontier park, begins this month.

30 March -- Engineer's new charity to assist endangered wildlife... A Zimbabwean living in East Grinstead has been so touched by financial shortages in his former country he is planning to set up a charity in a bid to help.

30 March -- In Africa, fighting poachers on a shoestring Zimbabwe... As the country slides further into chaos, an independent group of scouts must work harder to protect the bush and its animals.

28 March -- Poached Ivory Stockpile Tops Nine Tonnes... Zimbabwe's poached ivory stockpile has reached nine tonnes, worth over US$2,3 million, but the country can neither export nor sell the lot locally due to restrictions imposed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

28 March -- Zimbabwe: Harare's Water Supply Threatened.... The spread of the fast growing water hyacinth weed in Harare's Lake Chivero is threatening the capital city's main water supply.

25 March -- Parks director under investigation... The disciplinary hearing for suspended Parks and Wildlife Management Authority operations director Vitalis Chadenga took place this week amid allegations that there are attempts to scuttle the findings of a committee which investigated him.

23 March -- Tourists flee park elephants slaughter.... Horrified tourists have fled from Zimbabwe's largest game reserve after witnessing the "wholesale slaughter" of animals, part of what conservation groups fear is an officially sanctioned poaching ring.

21 March -- Desperate cry from Venezuela's wild ... Venezuela is now like a house on fire in the name of Marxist revolution. The worst of it is in land confiscations. The regime is declaring productive land "unproductive" and expropriating it for redistribution to "the people."

[Ed: there is a comparison drawn here between Zimbabwean land seizures and the confiscation of a Venezuelan wildlife reserve].

18 March -- Authority Embarks On Development Projects... THE Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has embarked on infrastructural development projects in Gonarezhou National Park as Zimbabwe takes steps to meet its end of the bargain under the massive Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

18 March -- Parks Authority Forms Taskforce to Reclaim Gullies in Safari Area...The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has formed a 20-member taskforce to reclaim gullies and dongas caused by rampant illegal gold panning in Mupfurudzi safari area in Shamva.

18 March -- Airzim Plans to Reintroduce Hwange Flights... Air Zimbabwe is planning to re-introduce flights to Hwange as part of efforts to revive the fortunes of the perennial loss-making parastatal, Business Chronicle has learnt.

16 March -- 3,000 more tourists expected... Over 3,000 American tourists who had been visiting Zimbabwe annually will be diverted to Uganda due to the deteriorating political situation in the southern African country.

16 March -- Into The Heart of Zimbabwe's Darkness... As the country prepares for a critical general election, Jeremy Gordin and Daniel Howden report from the opposition heartlands, where standing up to Robert Mugabe comes at a perilous price.

15 March -- Snare Wire Art weblog... The painted dog conservation project run by Greg Rasmussen is running an innovative project to raise money for conservation by turning snares into art.

15 March -- Court Frees Parks Director... The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director of operations, Vitalis Chadenga, who was facing charges of theft by conversion involving $3,5 million, has been freed by a Harare magistrate.

15 March -- Parks Auction Raises $13bn.... The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority last week raised $13 billion from the Zambezi Valley hunting camps auction held in the capital.

12 March -- Lodge Offers Unique Traditional Touch... [Ed: It appears Bally Vaughn is still in business]

11 March -- Farmers' Claims Rise to $116 Trillion.... Displaced commercial farmers' claims against government should balloon to $116 trillion after they factor in improvements on farms and damages incurred during the chaotic land reform programme.

11 March -- Ostrich Production Set to Rise... Ostrich production is expected to increase to 25 tonnes this year, rebounding from 23 tonnes two years ago.

11 March -- Stanchart Avails $750bn to New Farmers... Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe has thrown its weight behind the land reform programme by availing $750 billion to A1 (communal and small-scale) and A2 (large-scale) farmers this current season.

11 March -- Harare's Water Woes Deepen... Harare City Council yesterday shut down half the Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant to repair an array of electrical and mechanical faults, plunging the city into deeper water woes.

10 March -- 'Mushroom Growers to Spread Wings' ... Zimbabwe mushroom growers are set to spread their wings to regional and European markets, an official with the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) has said.

9 March -- Panners to Receive $2bn to Formalise Operations... The Zimbabwe Panners' Association (ZPA), a new association representing gold panners, will receive at least $2 billion from the Government to enhance and formalise its operations, an official with the association has said.

9 March -- Family Holds Month-Long Exhibition in Germany... A Zimbabwean family that held a month-long exhibition of its fine art pieces in Germany returned home early this month after holding several shows.

8 March -- Botswana to Switch On Electric Fence Before Poll ... The Botswana government, afraid of an anticipated large influx of Zimbabweans after the March 31 poll, wants to switch on the controversial 480km electric fence on the border with its northern neighbour.

8 March -- Authority Sets Aside Funds for Parks' Renovations.. More than $535 billion has been set aside for the refurbishment of wildlife parks and other recreational facilities as the country intensifies its efforts to revive the tourism sector.

7 March -- Hotel Group Records $22bn Loss.... Hotel group Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) has posted a $22 billion after-tax loss, in inflation adjusted terms, for the financial year ended December 31 2004.

6 March -- The Wonder That is Vic Falls ... This opinion piece explores sex tourism at Victoria Falls...

4 March -- Authority to Commercialise... The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has embarked on an ambitious commercialisation drive aimed at reorienting its operations towards profitability.

 

January/February 2005

 

25 February -- Zinwa Advises of Water Weed Spraying...The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) is advising the public of a massive aerial spraying of water weeds in Manyame River and its associated tributaries in Epworth, Ruwa and Chitungwiza on Saturday 26 February to Sunday 27 February 2005.

24 February-- Lack of Tourists Forces Firm to Keep Luxury Camp Under Wraps... Conservation Corporation Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, which owns top of the market Matetsi Safari Lodges, is failing to open its Safari Camp, a luxury camp shut down four years ago due to lack of business.

24 February -- Pageant Set to Boost Zim's Image...Zimbabwe's tourism industry, in the doldrums for the past five years due to a combination of economic and political problems, expects a major boost by playing host to the Miss Tourism World 2005 pageant.

23 February-- Tourism Aims to Rake in US$250m... The tourism industry is aiming to increase its earnings this year to US$250 million from US$152 million generated last year.

23 February-- 4 Arrested: Game Meat Recovered ... Police in Gwanda have arrested four suspected poachers and recovered two vehicles, game meat and five rifles near West Nicholson.

23 February-- Dutch customs seizes elephant parts... Amsterdam - Dutch customs police have seized a shipment of African elephant body parts, including 22 feet, eight tusks, eight ears, three tails, a skull and an entire hide, officials said Wednesday.

23 February--With xenephobia rising, electrified border fence hailed... Changate - The word "Zimbabwean" gets Motswana traditional leader Jackson Ofentse hot under the collar. "Please don't ever mention to me the criminals from across the border," he told IRIN.

15 February--State Prioritises Water Resource Development...Developing water resources in the country has been one of the Government's top priorities since 1980 to ensure that every Zimbabwean has access to water.

14 February-- Farmers Urged to Venture Into Wildlife Farming .... The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has urged farmers to venture into wildlife farming to generate foreign currency for the country.

14 February--Zambia in the grip of a tourism boom....The number of tourists visiting Zambia has quadrupled since foreigners began to shun neighbouring Zimbabwe four years ago, boosting revenues to R918 million last year, officials said this week.

13 February -- Election Violence Likely to Dampen Tourism... Zimbabwe's ailing tourism industry is likely to suffer a heavy knock from the political and social unrest that characterises the election period, experts in the tourism industry have said.

9 February-- Tobacco Farmers Urged to Establish Energy Woodlots...Tobacco farmers have been encouraged to establish energy woodlots as an alternative source of energy to cure tobacco.

4 February--Donors Spurn Zim Transfrontier Park ... Donors are withholding funds for the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park until Zimbabwe restores the rule of law, the Zimbabwe Independent heard this week.

28 January--Acid Spills Into River... Residents of Gwanda are staring danger after a goods train derailed and spilt 40 000 litres of the highly toxic sulphuric acid into a river in a catchment area of the dam that supplies water to the town.

27 January --Workshop to Maximise Water Resources... Delegates from South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana are holding a three-day "Water for Food" workshop here, aimed at devising ways to maximise regional water resources.

26 January--Zimbabwe sculptors struggle with sales... Zimbabwe's traditional stone sculptors, who once earned huge sums from Western tourists, museums and galleries, are now struggling to survive due to their country's isolation.

21 January -- National Parks Hikes Leases...The Department of National Parks has hiked wildlife and safari operation leases by between 350% and 850%, a move which could force a number of operators to close shop considering the decline in the tourism industry.

21 January-- Eastern Suburbs Face Water Shortages... Residents in Harare's eastern suburbs of Mabvuku, Tafara, Zimre Park, Epworth, Ruwa and parts of Msasa face water supply disruptions owing to low levels at Donnybrook and Ventersburg reservoirs.

20 January -- Malaysia Still to Give Nod to Zim Beef.... A Malaysian team which visited Zimbabwe last month to sample beef products in the wake of the 2000 outbreak of the dreaded foot-and-mouth-disease is still to break its silence on the country's suitability to export beef to the Asian country.

14 January--Speed Up Tourism Master Plan, Industry Urges Government...Players in the tourism sector have urged the Government to speed up the implementation of the proposed Tourism Master Plan, as it would help revive the industry.

10 January--Water Woes Dog Nuanetsi Project...More than 1 800 hectares of prime farming land lie unplanted at Nuanetsi Irrigation Scheme in Masvingo due to a critical shortage of water.

10 January--Illegal Gold Panning Threatens Kwekwe...The City of Kwekwe faces a potential disaster if portions of the city caving in because of illegal mining and indiscriminate blasting of support infrastructure of the shafts and tunnels at Globe and Phoenix Mine by a syndicate of illegal gold miners are not stopped.

9 January--Cheeky Chilli Chills Jumbos...Close to 250 000 households in Zimbabwe, neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique can now defend their crops against rampaging elephants, thanks to a grant from the World Bank, which is introducing chilli cultivation in the southern African region.

8 January-- Parks Management Mum On Director's Fate...The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has remained mum on the fate of its suspended operations director, Mr Vitalis Chadenga despite its announcement in November last year that investigations were complete.

7 January-- Masvingo Plagued By Rampant Gold Panning...Masvingo City Council has failed to deal adequately with the rampant illegal gold-mining activities that are posing a serious danger to the water reservoirs located on a hill on the outskirts of the city.

7 January--NGOs Vow to Continue Despite Bill...Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) involved in issues of democracy, human rights and media advocacy have said they will continue operating until government uses the NGO Bill to ban them.

4 January--More trouble for Mugabe's embattled propaganda chief ... Pressure continued to mount on President Robert Mugabe's out of favour propaganda chief, Jonathan Moyo, with police forcibly evicting his close relative from a farm he ceded to her. Heavily armed police have since last week camped on the wildlife-rich Dete Valley Lot 2 farm in Matabeleland North province preventing Jackie Meyers, who owns the farm and is a cousin to Moyo, from entering the property saying she acquired it improperly.