Tourism and Environment

Zimbabwe says its elephants becoming a danger to themselves

Published

3 years ago

November 11, 2021

BY TICHAONA CHIFAMBA

Zimbabwe’s elephants are slowly becoming a danger unto themselves as they continue to destroy their own habitat as well as that of other wild animals, a wildlife official has said.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said the situation was becoming untenable in areas such as Hwange in western Zimbabwe where huge swathes of vegetation were being lost to the growing elephant population.

Zimbabwe’s elephant population is estimated to be more than 100 000, more than double its ecological carrying capacity of about 45 000, according to conservationists.

It boasts of about a quarter of the continent’s elephant population and the second-highest in the world after Botswana.

This is due to the country’s robust conservation measures which have protected the critically endangered species.

But such measures are now literally coming back to haunt the authorities as the habitats can no longer sustain the growing numbers.

“The elephants are slowly becoming a danger unto themselves. They are destroying their habitat and that of other animals. Go to Hwange National Park and you will think that someone has been deliberately razing down the trees,” he told Xinhua.

Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said in May 2021 that the government was considering culling the elephants to save the habitat.

However, some international conservationists have frowned upon the idea.

Farawo said these conservationists should leave their offices abroad and come to Zimbabwe to see what is prevailing on the ground.

To sustain its conservation efforts, Zimbabwe also wants to raise funds through the sale of ivory, but the conservationists fear that this will open floodgates for poaching.

“We’re battling an ever-increasing population of animals. They can come and see for themselves how our people are coping. We must be allowed to benefit from our resources. These are the issues we have to deal with,” he said.

The country last culled elephants in 1988 and continues to have stockpiles of ivory which it cannot sell because of restrictions from the Convention on International Trade in Endangers Species (CITES).

President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2019 implored CITES to allow it to sell its $600-million worth ivory stockpile, but the plea fell on deaf ears, prompting the country to consider pulling out of the convention.

Another option to deal with over-population would be to translocate some of the elephants from densely populated parks to those which can sustain higher populations.

However, the exercise is costly and given that there are other conflicting social needs in society, funding for such an exercise would be difficult to find, Farawo said.

“The last time we carried out such a translocation of 100 elephants it cost us about half a million US dollars,” he said.

Apart from the destruction of habitat, elephants are also leading in incidences of human and wildlife conflict.

Farawo said almost 60 people had died from such conflicts since the beginning of 2021, with elephants and crocodiles accounting for more than 90 percent of the cases.

He warned that the situation could get worst at this time of the year because the elephants would move out of their natural habitat in search of water and food.

“We are at the peak of the dry season and elephants stray into nearby communities. Interaction with them in such cases can be fatal,” he said. –Xinhua

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Prof. Gandiwa appointed new ZimParks director general

Published

2 days ago

January 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has announced the appointment of Professor Edson Gandiwa as its new Director General, effective immediately.

According to a statement released by ZimParks, Prof. Gandiwa brings over 20 years of experience in wildlife conservation and higher education to the role. Previously, he served as Director of Scientific Services at ZimParks from 2021 to 2025.

Prof. Gandiwa’s impressive academic credentials include a PhD in Wildlife Conservation and Management from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands, as well as a Master’s degree in Tropical Resource Ecology from the University of Zimbabwe.

A renowned expert in his field, Prof. Gandiwa has authored over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications and currently chairs the African Elephant Fund Steering Committee under the United Nations Environment Programme.

His appointment follows the departure of Dr. Fulton Mangwanya, who has taken up a new role as Director General in the President’s department.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo welcomed Prof. Gandiwa’s appointment, saying his expertise would be invaluable in driving the organization’s conservation efforts forward.

Hwange

Hwange residents petition parliament over coal mining health risks

Published

1 month ago

December 11, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Greater Whange Residents Trust has presented a petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, drawing attention to the health risks associated with coal mining in Hwange.

The trust, which advocates for the welfare and interests of people in Hwange, highlights the need for urgent action to protect residents from the harmful effects of coal dust pollution.

According to the trust, the Pneumonoconiosis Act (Chapter 15:08), which was enacted to protect workers in dusty occupations, does not provide adequate protection for ordinary residents who are also affected by coal dust pollution.

The trust argues that the Act is “exclusionary” and was not designed to benefit ordinary residents, who are not eligible for regular medical checks to determine the impact of coal dust on their health.

Below is the full petition that was submitted to Parliament:

DRAW the attention of the House to the following:

1. The Constitution mandates the Parliament of Zimbabwe to make laws, carry out executive oversight and discharge a representative role, as well as protect the Constitution and democratic governance in Zimbabwe.

2. Section 117(2) of the Constitution, inter alia, mandates Parliament to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of Zimbabwe.

3. Section 8 of the Constitution sets out the objectives to guide all institutions and agencies of the State in the formulation and implementation of policies that will lead to the establishment, enhancement and promotion of a sustainable, just, free and democratic society in which people enjoy prosperous, happy and fulfilling lives.

4. Greater Whange Residents Trust is a Hwange-basedTrust which advocates for the welfare and interests of people in Hwange.

5. The town of Hwange is home to over 50 000 residents. These include men, women and children that are not employed as miners.

6. Coal mining is a key industry in that town and impacts on both the residents and the environment of Hwange town and beyond. Hwange is also surrounded by land which falls under the National Parks.

7. The Pneumonoconiosis Act (Chapter 15:08) came into operation on 1 August 1971. The Act remains in force. The long title of the Act gives as its objects the following: An Act to provide for the control and administration of persons employed in dusty occupations; and to provide for matters incidental to or connected with the foregoing. (emphasis added).

8. The Act was designed to respond to health issues affecting those employed in dusty occupations. Naturally,it is ill-equipped to respond to issues of stakeholders beyond this categorisation as stated by the lawmaker.

9. Mining in Hwange consists of both open cast and underground mining operations. Coal mining creates dust and dusty conditions that affect not just those employed by the coal mines. It affects communities that live on and around the mines.

10. Section 56 of the Constitution provides that all persons are equal before the law and have a right to equal protection and benefit of the law.

11. Your petitioners submit that ordinary residents of Hwange that are not employed in the coal mines are not benefiting from the provisions of the Act as currently framed. For instance, those directly employed in coal mines are eligible for regular medical checks under the Act to determine the impact of coal dust on their health, particularly the heart and kidneys. Ordinary residents are not beneficiaries of such tests. The Act was not designed for their benefit. It was exclusionary from the start.

12. Residents that are not employees of coal mines are therefore susceptible to health risks associated with coal mining, without the protection of the law. With the increase in coal and related mining activities, the number of persons that are not subject to the protection of the law thanks to the crafting of the Act has also increased. It is desirable that the Act be reviewed to embrace the protection of all persons that stay or live in environments that are subjected to coal mining dust. It may also be worthwhile for Parliament to consider how the Act could enjoin coal miners to contribute towards the reduction of coal dust, to enhance the health of residents.

13. Your petitioners are aware that section 73 of the Constitution guarantees their right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, and to have their environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations. In this regard, the State must ensure the progressive realisation of this right by residents of Hwange.

WHEREFORE your petitioners humbly pray as follows:

That the Parliament of Zimbabwe to exercises its constitutional mandate to

1. Inquire into the nature and extent of the threat posed to residents due to the dust pollution;

2. Review the fairness of the Pneumonoconiosis Act [Chapter 15:08] to non-employees of the coal mining industry that reside in coal mining areas; and

3. Make recommendations on the review of the Act given the current situation in coal mining areas.

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Zimparks defends elephant culling: ‘Conservationists are greedy and misinformed’

Published

1 month ago

December 2, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

In a recent interview with VicFallsLive reporter Nokuthaba Dlamini, Tinashe Farawo of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) addressed the controversy surrounding elephant culling in Zimbabwe.

Farawo responded to criticism from conservationists on social media, who have condemned Zimparks for their handling of problem elephants in communities.

The debate sparked after an incident in Victoria Falls two months ago, where an elephant was killed in the suburbs, and others were killed in Hwange town.

Farawo defended Zimparks’ actions, stating that communities are under distress due to elephants causing unwarranted curfews, disrupting daily life, and even resulting in fatalities.

He criticized conservationists for slamming the idea of shooting to kill problem elephants, accusing them of being “greedy lots” who are more interested in fundraising than providing solutions.

Below are excerpts from the interview, where Farawo shares his perspective on the matter:

We don’t deal with activists, this is activism they are not conservationists, they are just activists

What we do, let me give you an example we have a hunting quota of 500 elephants every year, and this hunting quota has been in place since 1991, we have never exhausted that quota

We have a management quota that is in place there are many things that we can do. Do they know the definition of culling for example?

When we react to distress calls when communities tell us that there are elephants and lions there and we respond and when we respond we do an assessment and when human life is under threat we are left with no option, but to eliminate

In respect of the two incidences one which happened here in Victoria Falls and the other incident which happened in Hwange, you can actually see that the elephants were in the streets in communities and when we go there, we do an assessment.

Communities in Hwange last month were put on an unwanted curfew by the elephants. For two weeks, no one was going to school, no one was leaving his or her homestead

We receive those distress calls and we go there to restore order and the options that we have is either we scare the animals away, but if human life is under threat, we are left with no option.

We are no apologetic, that’s our job, our laws provide for that.

But because they don’t that and they don’t know the definition of culling and because they are activists and if they were conservationists they would understand what l am saying.

They are just raising their own money in the name our elephants, for their benefits.

They are just greedy and they have never given us options or alternatives to say what is it can we can do with the crisis.

We have a lot of biodiversity projects around our parks, do they say anything about it.

Communities lose their lives l, we have never heard them, even a condolence message.