National

Cross border thieves target Mat North game reserves

Published

3 years ago

July 25, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Cross border thieves are targeting water infrastructure such as solar panels and pumps at boreholes in three game reserves in Matabeleland North’s, pegging back efforts by conservationists to save wild animals from effects of frequent droughts in the region.

Several solar panels have been stolen from boreholes dotted around Hwange National Park, Kazuma Pan National Park and the Zambezi National Park by suspected thieves from neighbouring Zambia.

Trevor Lane, whose Bhejane Trust has been leading in the mobilisation of funds to drill boreholes and install solar panels to power the pumps at the three game parks, said the theft of solar panels intensified during Covid-19 lockdowns.

“It is very disheartening and distressing to drive up to a solar panel array and see it has been vandalised and panels missing,” Lane said.

“And just when you think you have everything under control, there is a very determined gang of Zambian thieves armed with crowbars and hacksaws, who have been raiding and stealing panels and pumps along the upper Zambezi region, including on the Chamabonda Vlei.

“They use a combination of, cutting with the hacksaws and brute force with the crowbars to break the frames holding the panels.”

At one watering hole in the Zambezi National Park, thieves damaged four solar panels while trying to remove them.

They also tried to steal a pump at the site.

“They then hit Chamabonda two and again left empty handed, completely cutting up the lower frame but breaking up the panels in trying to get them out,” Lane said.

“Such trends have been playing out in our parks and we fear that during summer from August to October our elephants in particular are going to struggle more because these thieves seem not to have any regard for them.

“The more they vandalise these solar systems on a daily basis, the less we are going to be able to supply water to these elephants which rely on these boreholes and that’s disappointing.”

The Bhejani Trust director said Zambian authorities do not cooperate when they try to investigate the rampant thefts.

“We know the villages the thieves come from, we have some names, and you can guarantee all the villagers in Zambia along the river frontage know what is going on,” Lane said

The Zambians consistently fail to cooperate on issues of theft and poaching along the Zambezi and in Hwange.

“We have local poachers as well targeting our wildlife solar panels.

“We report every incident with police on both sides, but there has not been any arrest and prosecution yet.”

The value of stolen solar panels and pumps has been put at US$20 000.

Bhejane Trust runs 46 solar powered boreholes, two on windmills and one electric pump at the three game reserves.

On days when there are no interruptions, the organisation pumps close to a million litres of water a day for a target population of 20 000 elephants..

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said water shortages in games reserves were fuelling human-wildlife conflicts.

In 2019, 200 elephants died at the Hwange National Park due to water shortages as a result of a severe drought.

“We have lost too many people from animals such as elephants, which stray from parks into the communities in search of water and food,” Farawo said.

“So with such thefts we will find ourselves with increased number of fatalities and destruction of infrastructure and these are issues that need to be addressed.

“We will continue putting our rangers on the ground to monitor such illegal activities.”

Droughts have become frequent in Zimbabwe due to climate change and Matabeleland North is one of the driest regions in the country.- The Standard

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

3 weeks ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

2 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

National

Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

Published

2 months ago

January 27, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.