Tourism and Environment

Parcelling of land in Hwange National Park sparks fears of ecological disaster

Published

3 months ago

July 16, 2024

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Conservationists in Hwange district are sounding the alarm over the parcelling of land to Chinese and land barons for mining and development in the ecologically sensitive Hwange and Victoria Falls National Park, home to the rainforest.

During a recent parliament session, Larry Norton, a tourism player from the Larry Norton Art Gallery, stressed the need for careful consideration of the Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill (H.B.1, 2024), which aims to address human-wildlife conflicts and sustainable conservation.

“In recent years, many of us who live in Hwange have watched what’s happened on the edges of Sinamatella… can you imagine that hole at the edge of Hwange and in the middle of Hwange National Park?” Norton quizzed.

Who is going to come into that park? It’s impossible… we have to be very very careful, pay attention to how the laws can be utilized, manipulated, taken advantage of, because the losers could be our children,” Norton warned.

“We also have here a living animal, the Victoria Falls itself and there has been a dismantling of the buffer area around those falls, and the protection of the Victoria Falls itself.

“In the last two years, due to an oversight of leadership, in many different departments, it’s unbelievable…some of us here have fought a court case to protect that area for our children, and l honestly appeal to you to pay attention to what we are doing for the long term.”

Sithandazile Siwela, a female tour guide in Hwange and Victoria Falls National Parks, also expressed concerns about the extinction of wildlife and called for stiffer penalties.

“We have seen the extinction of the pangolin, the black rhinoceros… I want us to send a message to these legislators: can you guys review those penalties that are being given to offenders? We will be seeing in the next decade the animals that you are saying – the black and white rhinoceros – we will be seeing them in the books, because we do not have them in the park.”

Conservationists are seeking clarity on how Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority plans to handle these concerns.

They are also urging the government to revisit the bill and address their concerns to ensure that wildlife conservation benefits both people and wildlife.

Norton emphasized the importance of taking time to gather feedback and considering the pros and cons of the bill to prevent manipulation by land barons or corrupt individuals.

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Baby elephant finds new lease on life

Published

16 hours ago

October 17, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

In a heartwarming tale of survival and compassion, a young elephant calf named Murphy has been rescued by the Wild is Life and ZEN team in Panda Masuie, near Victoria Falls.

Murphy’s story is one of resilience and hope, after being found alone and struggling to survive at Murphy’s Pan.

The dedicated rangers at Wild is Life, led by Arwell Ncube, spotted Murphy on several occasions, noticing that he was being cared for by a group of three wild bulls.

However, when the bulls left to forage, Murphy was unable to keep up and was left vulnerable to predators and starvation.

The rescue team, made the brave decision to intervene, safely separating Murphy from the bulls and bringing him to the Wild is Life, IFAW bomas.

Upon arrival, Murphy was assessed to be around 12-14 months old, extremely underweight, and traumatized.

Thanks to the care and nurturing of Moyo, the matriarch of the orphaned elephants, Murphy has begun his journey to recovery.

Moyo’s maternal instincts have kicked in, and she has taken Murphy under her wing, providing him with the comfort and support he so desperately needs, the organization said on their Facebook page.

As Murphy continues to heal and grow, his story serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and the impact of human-wildlife conflict on vulnerable animals like him.

Follow Murphy’s journey and stay updated on his progress through Wild is Life and ZEN’s social media channels.”

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Lawyer sought to stop ‘illegal’ elephant culling

Published

1 week ago

October 10, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) is seeking a lawyer to challenge the government’s plan to cull around 200 elephants.

According to the organization’s Terms of Reference, “CNRG is seeking to engage a qualified and experienced lawyer to lead a legal case in response to the Zimbabwe government’s plans to cull around 200 elephants ostensibly to support hunger-stricken families.”

The organization is opposed to the culling, which they believe is illegal and would have devastating effects on the elephant population and the environment.

As stated in the Terms of Reference, the lawyer will be responsible for reviewing the government’s plan, analyzing its legality, and identifying potential legal grounds for challenging it.

The lawyer will also be responsible for preparing legal documents, including a lawsuit, and representing CNRG in court.

The organization is looking for a lawyer with expertise in environmental and wildlife law, human rights and constitutional law, and international law.

As CNRG states, “The consultant will be required to assess the legality of the decision, its implications on Zimbabwe’s elephant herd and the rights of future generations to Zimbabwe’s wildlife heritage, elephants in particular.”

The organization believes that the government’s plan is not only illegal but also unethical and would have long-term negative impacts on the environment, tourism and local communities.

The deadline for applications is not specified, but CNRG says that the position is available immediately.

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Zimbabweans accuse Chinese investors of degrading environment

Published

2 weeks ago

October 7, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY KITSEPILE NYATHI

Zimbabweans are calling out Chinese investors whom they accuse of degrading the environment where they have established businesses.

China has become Zimbabwe’s largest source of investment under the Emmerson Mnangagwa leadership.

Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency’s 2023 annual figures show that 369 licences were issued to Chinese investors last year, with a projected investment value of $3.93 billion.

The Chinese investors accounted for 40 percent of the projected value of new investment for the southern African country.

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $3.1 billion in 2023, a 29.9 increase from the previous year, according to China Customs statistics.

Chinese companies are active in various sectors such as energy and power, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, construction and services.

Beijing has also poured billions of dollars into Zimbabwe’s infrastructure where it has built airports, power stations, and dams and even donated a Parliament building.

But Zimbabwean authorities are accused of looking the other way as the investors disregard environmental laws, including conservation of forests and pollution of water bodies.

A report by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), a research and advocacy organisation, says conflicts between Chinese investors and local residents, especially in the mining areas, are getting out of hand.

The “Investments or Plunder: An Assessment of the Impacts of Chinese Investments in Zimbabwe’s Extractive Sector”report claims that Chinese mining ventures have led to widespread environmental degradation, disregard for cultural rights of host communities and violation of labour laws, often with impunity.

The report alleges Chinese investors are taking advantage of President Mnangagwa administration’s push to attract investment in the mining sector, which has seen relaxation of policies and less monitoring.

“These policies, which are heavily influenced by political considerations, have facilitated unchecked extractivism, often at the expense of environmental sustainability and the dignity of local communities,” says the report.

“There is substantial evidence indicating minimal regulation and oversight of mining operations as government institutions tasked with these responsibilities are often reluctant to intervene due to political implication.”

Zimbabwe’s mining sector contributes about 12 percent of the country’s GDP and 80 percent of exports.

Chinese companies have in recent years invested heavily in lithium mines and are also exploiting gold, diamonds, platinum, coal, chrome and nickel.

“Evidence on the ground shows a widening rift between Chinese nationals and their Zimbabwean employees and host communities,” the report said.

“Increasingly, ordinary Zimbabweans are accusing China of exhibiting colonial traits. Videos have emerged of Chinese nationals treating their Zimbabwean employees in a cruel, inhuman and degrading manner. Labour unions and civil society organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over human rights abuses in Chinese enterprises.”

In July, Zimbabwe deported two Chinese nationals after a viral video showed them assaulting two mine employees.

The two were tied to a bucket of the front-end loader before it was lifted with them hanging by their hands as punishment for allegedly stealing diesel.

CNRG said relations between Chinese nationals and locals in the coal mining town of Hwange had seen police set up a complaints desk specifically to handle issues involving business operations from the Asian country.

Some 13 coal mining companies from China that are operating in the area are accused of fuelling pollution and environmental degradation.

Residents have repeatedly petitioned Parliament to enact legislation that could curb the malpractices by the coal miners and staged multiple demonstrations to no avail.

“Whilst China has defended its growing influence in Zimbabwe as a testament to the longstanding historical ties between the two countries dating back to the liberation struggle, this narrative is in contrast to the growing public sentiments against Chinese investment in Zimbabwe,” the report added.

“Local communities have not been meaningfully consulted regarding Chinese-led projects and the entry of Chinese-owned companies has been met with significant community resistance. These conflicts are likely to persist until the rights of communities are respected and their meaningful participation in the governance of natural resources is assured.”

CNRG said the majority of the people it interviewed for the research believed that the relationship between Zimbabwe and China was “highly exploitative” and highly favoured Beijing’s economic interests.

Last year, Zimbabwean labour unions wrote to the government demanding that it investigate Chinese employers, whom they said had become notorious for torture, beatings, gender-based violence, low wages and a host of other labour transgressions.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions accused government officials of shielding abusive Chinese employers.

Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding said the accusations are often exaggerated.

“I would like to reiterate that the Chinese government consistently requires Chinese enterprises overseas to abide by the laws and policies of the host countries, including Zimbabwe,” he said.

“According to the Zimbabwean government’s assessment and our embassy’s observation, the majority of Chinse companies operating in Zimbabwe are law-abiding and conscientious corporate citizens welcomed by the government and local people. Indeed, there are very few Chinese investors having some problems in their operations, but they do not represent the whole picture of Chinese investment and should not be used to negate Chinese companies’ contribution to the development of Zimbabwe.”

SOURCE: THE EASTAFRICAN