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Zimbabwe’s lobby to lift ivory trade ban stutters

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe is struggling to convince African countries to support its lobby for the lifting of a global ban on ivory trade with only a few endorsing the campaign.

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The Hwange National Park, the country’s largest game reserve hosted the African Elephants Conference between May 23 to 26, where Zimbabwe hoped to influence a common position for the continent on ivory trade ahead of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) conference of the parties (Cop19) to be held in Panama later this year.

Only five of the 19 countries invited to the Hwange conference endorsed the declaration calling for the resumption of ivory trade while South Africa, a potentially influential ally for Zimbabwe, abstained.

Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Botswana and Namibia endorsed the declaration where the countries agreed to push CITES to give them the greenlight to sell their ivory stockpiles.

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“We commit to working collectively to…make a clarion call for CITES not to interfere with domestic trade, the sovereignty of states and their rights to sustainable use of wildlife,” reads part of the conference’s resolutions.

“(To) advocate for decisions to be made based on elephants’ numbers in each country or region to curb the prevailing practice where decisions are made by non-affected nations; lobby through diplomatic channels to ensure that the current gaps in communication on topic wildlife issues are closed”

The five countries said they would convince the world to “rreflect and introspect on the founding ideas of CITES to shared commitment to dialogue, equity, inclusiveness and transparency.”

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“We urge all African states to join to forge a “new and better deal for elephant conservation, tourism and rural communities in key African Range States “by endorsing and committing to the declaration,” the resolutions read.

First lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who was the guest of honour at the conference, expressed frustration over lack of support from African countries.

“I strongly encourage Africa to speak with one voice for the good of its people,” Mnangagwa said.

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“We are masters of our own destiny.

“As Africans, we must fully manage and benefit from our God given natural resources without undue interference.”

Zimbabwe says it wants to dispose of its ivory stockpiles worth US$600 million to fund conservation efforts and fight human-wildlife conflict, which is being worsened by the overpopulation of elephants.

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The country’s population of 100 000 elephants is the second highest in Africa after Botswana.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director-general Fulton Mangwanya told VicFallsLive that there were Asian countries that were ready to buy the ivory stockpiles if CITES lifts the ban, but countries such as Japan say they have excess stocks.

Japan alongside the European Union and Sweden attended the Hwange conference, but made it clear that their only interest was in conservation efforts and not the lifting of the CITES ban.

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National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

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According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

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Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

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

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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.

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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.

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ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

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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.

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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.

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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.

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