EU threatens Zim over conservancy fight

Posted by on Monday, August 27, 2012 in Zim Environment, Zimbabwe politics | 18 comments

Save Valley Conservancy at sunset

By Alex Bell
27 August 2012

Zimbabwe has been threatened with potential withdrawal of support from Europe, over the worsening fight for control of the Save Valley Conservancy.

European diplomats, along with Conservancy officials, have called on Zimbabwe’s Cabinet to intervene in the fight, after ZANU PF aligned officials in Masvingo invaded the area last week. Diplomats have also warned that Zimbabwe faces losing European support for next year’s United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation congress, set to be hosted in Victoria Falls.

“We are all very concerned,” one diplomat told the German press group, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, adding: “We are considering appropriate reactions. It’s a very serious situation.”

Another diplomat was also quoted as saying that Zimbabwe “depends entirely on international support for the congress,” and “it cannot go ahead without us.” The diplomats said the idea of withdrawing support for Zimbabwe will be discussed in Berlin this week, during a meeting of German officials.

The Vice-Chairman of the Save Valley Conservancy, Wilfried Pabst, is a German citizen who has warned of the devastating consequences of the takeover of conservancy land. The exercise has been described as the biggest planned seizure of property by ZANU PF since the campaign targeting commercial farms. Pabst has also explained that there is no legislation providing for the state seizure of conservancies, which Parliament has also warned are meant to be protected.

Masvingo Governor Titus Maluleke, Chiredzi South MP Aaron Baloyi and a gang of thugs, stormed into a technical meeting between the Conservancy chiefs and National Parks that was taking place on the Conservancy grounds last Wednesday. The group is understood to have bullied its way in and insisted it was taking over control of Save Valley. MP Baloyi has placed himself as the new Chairman to replace Basil Nyabadza, who is also the Chairman of the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA).

The Masvingo Governor and Baloyi have since last year been spearheading a ZANU PF led campaign of ‘indigenisation’ in the province, dubbed the ‘Masvingo Initiative’, with the intention of grabbing land. Also included in this group is Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Stan Mudenge, and former MP and war vet Shuvai Mahofa.

Maluleke, Mudenge and Mahofa are now also among a group of ZANU PF officials recently granted hunting licences in the Conservancy by National Parks chief Vitalis Chadenga. Conservationists have warned that this could have a devastating effect on the wildlife and hunting sector. The authorities have also cancelled the operations of current hunting and safari groups.

Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema has said that land owners in the conservancy should “play ball” and work with the new beneficiaries of land leases in the area. Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi has however raised concerns about the beneficiaries and said that the issuance of the hunting licences should be “revisited”.

To contact this journalist email [email protected] or follow on Twitter @albell88

  • Anonymous

    Haaaaaaaa! Shuvai Mahofa is not a war vet, don`t be fooled around. I really know everything from A to Z about her. She never went to war but cooking food for the fighters and sleeping with every commander who passed through her home left by the late Mahofa.This woman is dangerous though so old, thats why God punished her by taking her sons in accidents like her son Taffie. These ZANU(PF) criminals like Maluleke,Mudenge Baloyi and this harlot Shuvai are after surbotaging our province Masvingo. Why are they after Environment and Natural Resources. They are roaming all over Masvingo trying to disturb everything. Sure such hooligans must be dealt with when we come to power. Chinjaaaa ! Maitirooooo ! Hezvoko ! Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

  • david taylor

    The scorch and burn policy of ZANU-PF continues. If ZANU-PF had a policy of creating jobs (and stopped creating and fighting an imaginary war against the west), there would be no need to ‘strip’ the country’s assets. It has taken probably half a century to build up these conservancies, and all it takes is a couple of hours for a bunch of idiots to destroy them. A few of the idiots get richer, and the country as a whole gets poorer.

  • Anonymous

    While Zanu maybe to blame, how I hate the EU’s big brother approach by threatening to withdraw this and that whenever they can’t get it there way. Africa should stop any aid from Europe because the aid is one of the instruments which is always used to try and control us.

    • Common Sense

      Then you’d blame them of applying sanctions

      • Chimbwido Warvet

        What economic aid can be given to Zimbabwe by Greece, Spain and Portugal to name just a few who are members of the European Union? Let us talk sense here guys as most countries in the Union are in economic doldrums. In other words, they are battling to feed their own people and can not be of any assistance to Zimbabwe at the moment. Maybe in ten years time, they will be economically viable to offer assistance to developing countries, but obviously not now, you sausage.

        • Anonymous

          first i am a strong euro-skeptic. I hate the whole rotten idea. However, Europe is overall the richest region in the world. sure there are. Appreciate zvinhu zvamunoitirwa nevamwe….even though 32 years later we would have hoped we would have stopped our dependence on aid. I can think of so many water projects, hospitals, education that are heavily aided and have only been kept afloat by European countries. Of course, let us blame them for all our problems because we are saints…the 32 year old man who complains to his mum that she didnt love me enough. And why the hell are your looking forward to help in 10 years time. you see this is what I dont understand about you people. Where is the Zimbo spirit? You kill, steal and destroy. That is all you know.

          • Chimbwido Warvet

            Not that they do not want to assist but they simply can not afford at the moment. They are in serious economic difficulty and can consider to help Africans while their people can ill-afford to put food on the table. This is a basic economic fact Vamoyo. Charity begins at home, sir.
            Of course, they have assisted the country in many ways but they simply do not have the capacity at the present moment.Not that I want the EU to help the sub-region in the next ten years. I repeat, not at all. By implication, I meant the EU will probably recover economically in the next ten years.African countries should strive to be self-sufficient and not to go the western world with a cap in hand all the time.

          • TrueAfrica

            WARVET – IS A SELL OUT – LIVING ABOARD IN ENGLAND!!

          • Chimbwido Warvet

            What a mother f…er who calls a man who tells the truth ‘a sell out living abroad in England’. Who said I live in England, you sausage? And if I did what could have been done about it TrueAfrica?

        • T

          WARVET – IS A SELL OUT – LIVING ABOARD IN ENGLAND!!

          If you love Mugabe so much, why are you living overseas??

    • super mondo

      what about the abuse of aid,or was that too hard too think about.

    • Anonymous

      I support your statement on self-reliance. We should wean ourselves off aid but that comes at the price of having a free and educated society living in an environment where business could thrive in spite of social and political credence. But ‘the cronies’ cannot have that. however, in this case they are right, Save is a beautiful space a national treasure that is not only precious to us but the world at large. If anything, I think you should join in to fight off a potential destruction of that great natural resource.

      • super mondo

        one of the many reasons aid is given to countries is on humanitarian grounds.if anu was to give the people what they have stolen.things would be un aided.simple for those who went to primary school..roy benet for president..

  • Chimbwido Warvet

    Hapana nyaya apa nekuti iyo European Union rangovawo zizi risina nya nga. What economic sanctions can be threatened by a union whose economy is fucked up. It is just talk shop which is not backed by reality. Unemployment is at its all time high while business concerns are closing down in many countries of the union. It is just like a toothless bull dog that bites nothing.

    • TrueAfrica

      Warvet, you of all people should never mention words like “unemployment”, “business closing down” and “economy is fucked up” – because over the past 32years – thats all ZANU PF has given us!

      Instead, what we should be talking here about is the “wild animals”

      And how a governor and an member of parliament think themselves best qualified to manage a conversation… maybe the people have been voting them into the wrong jobs..

      • Chimbwido Warvet

        But unemployment, business concerns closing down and an economy in that is in doldrums are all economic ills you now find in the European Union. I am just being truthful and my comments are not meant to be an insult for the region that I love so dearly. I like the European Union because it is the region that gives me and my family bread and butter.

        • TrueAfrica

          Warvet – you loving it in England ~ tells us everything about you!

  • TrueAfrica

    I support the right man/woman in the right job…

    How does a basic MP and Governor – become best qualified to run a animal conservation….

    What type of country is ZANU PF planning on leaving the unborn children of Zimbabwe