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Top Matabeleland North ranger’s crusade to curb wildlife crimes

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A senior Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) officer is going beyond the call of duty to educate communities about wildlife crimes to curb cases of poaching.

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Amos Gwema, a principal wildlife investigation and security officer, said he was pushed to do the awareness campaigns after a realisation that criminal syndicates tend to take advantage of poor villagers by luring them into poaching in return for a small fee.

Gwema said communities living around the Hwange National Park – the largest game reserve in Zimbabwe – were vulnerable to manipulation by the poaching syndicates.

In 2013, eight villagers from Hwange and Tsholotsho districts were jailed in connection with the deaths of tens of elephants at the Hwange National Park, which were poisoned with cyanide.

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Several villagers in Matabeleland North have also been arraigned before the courts in Hwange and Victoria Falls after they were found in possession of ivory.

Gwema said he decided to carry out the awareness activities two years ago after winning a major award.

“In 2020 after I won the Tusk Ranger of the Year award I pledged to do awareness campaigns to inform the public about the dangers of committing wildlife crimes,” he said.

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“I had realised that some community members were being taken advantage of by urban dwellers, who promise them hefty rewards for elephant ivory and pangolins.

“The community members are not being told about the dangers of committing wildlife crimes, hence the aim of my awareness campaigns is to inform the community members about the other side so that they will make informed choices.”

In Zimbabwe, possession of ivory or  a pangolin attracts a minimum mandatory sentence of nine years and Gwema said villagers in areas such as Binga, Hwange and Tsholotsho are often lured into poaching by syndicates from neighbouring Zambia or from urban areas.

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According to court records, 14 people were arrested in the three districts after they were caught with ivory between January and June this year.

Among them were four villagers from Binga and Hwange who were arrested alongside a Zambian national after they were found with four elephant tusks, which they were trying to sell on the streets of Kamativi.

The suspects included villagers aged 67 and 65.

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“There is a danger of being shot dead and also the young ones can lose personal savings through legal fees and in the end still go to jail,” Gwema said.

“So this is what pushed me to do wildlife awareness campaigns to inform the public that crime does not pay at all, but you will lose out and go to jail.

The top ranger has become famous in the communities for his slogan “If you see something say something and do something.”

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Gwema said this was meant to encourage people to report wildlife crimes as soon as they see them being committed in their areas.

He moves around schools in Matabeleland North province teaching children about the importance of wildlife conservation.

“So far I have donated 250 books in Hwange, Binga, Tsholotsho, Lupane and I am waiting for a delivery of other books from the Pan African Conservation Education (PACE) which we donate for free,” Gwema added.

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In some areas the awareness campaigns are so successful such that villagers end up volunteering information about poachers operating in their areas, he said.

“They also inform the authorities about the presence of those who sell game meat in the community,” Gwema added.

“This have resulted in the arrest of poachers outside the protected areas whereby ivory, firearms, cyanide, snares were recovered.

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“This has also resulted in poaching cases going down, especially around the Hwange National Park and I believe that communities are our first line of defence for effective wildlife conservation.”

His goal is spread the campaigns across the country and into the region, but he is constrained by limited funding.

He said the media could be used more effectively to educate people about wildlife crimes and the penalties.

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“When someone is convicted for a wildlife crime I propose that (authorities) issue a media statement in vernacular languages so that the message could be understood by all,” Gwema added.

“That will greatly help our people to desist from committing wildlife crimes and thus helps conserve our wildlife.”

His efforts have not gone unnoticed as he was early this year given the Lifetime Award in Conservation by Bhejane Trust and other conservations groups in Victoria Falls.

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In 2019, he won the Rhino Conservation Award, which was a special recognition for his contribution to endangered species conservation.

Some of his achievements in the past 10 years include smoking out poachers that had stashed ivory at a guest house.

He also orchestrated the arrest of a teacher, who was trading ivory for cooking oil.

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Gwema was behind the arrest of 150 people that had committed wildlife crimes, which led to successful convictions.

He works closely with Bhejane Trust, Save the Africa Rhino Foundation, Shangano Arts, PACE, Tusk UK and Zimparks director-general Fulton Mankwanya who offer him guidance in conservation.

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National

Zimbabwe on track for 6% growth as economy recovers from drought

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BY REUTERS

Zimbabwe is on track to achieve a forecasted 6% economic growth in 2025 helped by good agricultural output and strong commodity prices, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Thursday.

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The Southern African country’s economy has shown signs of recovery in the first half of the year following a severe drought and currency turbulence in 2024 that pushed GDP growth down to 2%.

“Given the positive economic developments during the period January to June, we are confident that the projected economic growth of 6% alluded to in the 2025 National Budget is achievable,” Ncube told parliament in a mid-year budget review.

“All sectors of the economy are expected to record positive growth in 2025, mainly on account of a favourable agriculture season, improved electricity generation, stable exchange rate and inflation rate,” he said.

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He did not give an update on the budget deficit, which was seen at 0.4% of gross domestic product in 2025 during the budget forecast last November.

Zimbabwe’s fiscal position remains under strain from grain imports, drought relief spending and the public sector wage bill. While the government has collected more revenue than in the same period last year, analysts say containing the deficit may prove difficult without new fiscal measures.

The local currency, the ZiG, launched in April 2024 to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, has largely remained stable against the U.S. dollar but is still overshadowed by widespread use of the dollar in everyday transactions.

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Ncube reiterated the government’s commitment to the gold-backed unit and said the currency had benefited from tight monetary and fiscal policies.

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Malaria cases surge in Zimbabwe

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe is experiencing a dramatic surge in malaria cases, with 111 998 cases and 310 deaths reported as of epidemiological week 23 in 2025.

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This is a significant increase from the same period in 2024, which saw 29 031 cases and 49 deaths.

According to Dr Memory Mapfumo, an epidemiologist at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), “This surge is no coincidence. Prolonged rains have fueled mosquito breeding, while activities like gold panning, fishing, and artisanal mining are exposing more individuals to risk, especially during peak mosquito activity hours.”

The situation is worsened by the low use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), leaving communities exposed and placing further strain on already stretched health systems. Across Zimbabwe, 115 out of 1 705 health facilities have been affected, highlighting the widespread impact of the disease on healthcare infrastructure.

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Mashonaland Central Province has accounted for 32% of all malaria cases, while Manicaland reported 25% of the malaria-related deaths. The interconnectedness of the countries in the region has also contributed to the spread of the disease.

Zimbabwe’s malaria outbreak is part of a broader regional trend. Other countries in southern Africa, including Botswana, eSwatini, and Namibia, are also experiencing significant increases in malaria cases.

In Botswana, 2 223 cases and 11 deaths have been reported, with Okavango being the hardest hit. eSwatini has recorded 187 cases, with children under 15 and farmers being particularly affected. Namibia has seen over 89 959 cases and 146 deaths, with the majority of cases being local transmissions.

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The Africa CDC emphasizes the need for continued vigilance and investment in malaria control. Governments must enhance their efforts to improve the use of ITNs, strengthen community engagement, and address environmental and social factors driving the outbreaks.

Dr Merawi Aragaw, head of Africa CDC’s Surveillance and Disease Intelligence, notes that “as climate change accelerates, we are witnessing shifts in temperature and rainfall that are expanding the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, introducing vectors into previously unaffected regions.”

According to Dr Aragaw, “sustained vector control measures – including environmental management, strengthening surveillance, drug and diagnostic resistance monitoring, and fostering cross-border collaboration – will be critical in mitigating the growing threat of vector-borne diseases, especially malaria.”

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The regional surge underscores a broader global trend, with malaria cases worldwide climbing to 263 million in 2023, up from 252 million the previous year, and Africa accounting for 95% of all malaria-related deaths.

Despite these alarming figures, there have been significant successes: Cabo Verde was certified malaria-free in 2023, and Egypt is poised to achieve the same in 2024. Yet for many countries in southern Africa, the road to elimination remains steep, with outbreaks threatening to reverse years of progress.

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Government unveils plan to curb road accidents

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, has outlined a series of measures to combat the rising tide of road traffic accidents in the country.

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Zimbabwe has been witnessing a worrying surge in road traffic accidents, with the latest incident claiming 17 lives last week, along Seke road.

Yesterday, Muswere addressed the cabinet, outlining measures to curb road traffic accidents. Below is his statement, word for word:

“So capacitation of the vehicle inspection is ongoing and the sourcing of the vehicle inspection department. Compliance to legislation is also one of the parameters that we are utilising.Standardisation in terms of driving schools, the training of drivers, speed limits as a governance to traffic monitoring, the utilisation of traffic management, the utilisation of cameras for number plate recognition and facial recognition in order to curb over speeding and traffic offences. The capacitation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in order to apprehend and also deal with traffic offences. Legislation amendments that are taking place in order to ensure that our roads are safe. As the minister (Felix Mhona) has also highlighted that the Civil Protection Unit is being capacitated in order to deal with the challenges that we might not have been able to deal with as part of an architecture under the hall of government approach.”

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Background statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police reveal a concerning trend. During the first six months of 2025, the country recorded 28 159 road traffic accidents, up from 25 968 in the same period last year. Fatal crashes also increased by 11% from 784 to 870, while road deaths rose by 4.9% from 1 037 to 1 088. The majority of accidents occur in known danger zones, often due to commuter congestion and erratic driving by public transport operators.

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