The Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association says environmental, economic, social and cultural rights should be enshrined in the new constitution to protect the environment and ensure communities benefit from natural resources found in their areas. More online at ZBCNews…
MASVINGO – Attorney-General Johannes Tomana has taken over a ranch in Masvingo in the midst of an apparent spree of acquisition of properties in the province by President Robert Mugabe’s senior officials. According to official records, Tomana has acquired Malangani Ranch in Masvingo.
[...] Fortune Charumbira, the president of the Council of Chiefs, has acquired Dyres Ranch in Mwenezi. Chivi North Zanu-PF Member of Parliament Tranos Huruva has taken over Kaywood Ranch while Chivi Central legislator Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana, also a member of Mugabe’s party, now owns Wanezi Block Ranch.
[...] “Ask Minister (Francis) Nhema who is responsible for (the Ministry of) Natural Resources. He is the one who gave them the offer letters and not me. I only played a facilitator’s role.” Nhema could not be reached for comment but he is on record as stating that black Zimbabweans should be given priority in wildlife management. More online at The Zimbabwe Times…
The High Court has dismissed with costs an application by safari operators seeking an order restraining the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority from demanding a payment of two percent levy on hunting trophies in designated tourist facilities.
Through the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, an umbrella body of safari operators from across the country, the safari operators had sued the ZTA accusing it of “grossly prejudicing” them by demanding a levy on hunting trophies when the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority charges a similar tariff. More online at The Herald…
Yet another government minister has been implicated in Zimbabwe’s poaching crisis, which is threatening to destroy conservation efforts. An un-named government minister is said to have ordered the illegal shooting of an elephant in Hwange National Park recently. The minister allegedly told the park’s staff to shoot the bull elephant and then instructed that the meat be sent to Harare.
This minister joins the ranks of other government officials already implicated in poaching cases, which have dramatically increased in the past year. Earlier this month ZANU PF stalwarts Emmerson Mnangagwa and Webster Shamu, both escaped prosecution in connection with the slaughter of endangered rhinos earlier this year, after the police docket against the two mysteriously disappeared. The paperwork vanished from the office of the Attorney General Johannes Tomana, and when the MDC tried to independently investigate, the police superintendent in charge of the case was swiftly transferred to a secluded, rural outpost. More online at SW Radio Africa News…
HARARE – An un-named government minister is said to have instructed the illegal shooting of an elephant in Hwange National Park. “It has also been alleged that a government minister instructed the Hwange National Parks staff to shoot an elephant,” chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force Johnny Rodrigues told The Zimbabwean. “The elephant, a big bull, was shot close to Makwa Pan in the game park and the meat was sent to Harare in accordance with the minister’s instructions.” More online at The Zimbabwean…
Harare — Organic farming has emerged as a sustainable alternative to enhance food security in Zimbabwe as efforts to revive agriculture gather pace.
Such alternative systems as organic farming help create sustainable systems that have minimal reliance on external inputs. Zimbabwe Organic Producers and Promoters Association chief executive Mrs Fortunate Nyakanda said in this regard, her organisation intended to promote the development of multiple strategies that will revive the country’s agricultural sector. More online at AllAfrica.com…
Risks spreading to other parts of Africa
21 July 2009, Rome – A killer disease is decimating fish stocks in the Zambezi River Valley, threatening the food security and livelihoods of rural populations in an area shared by seven countries, FAO warned today.
An alert issued by FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) said the disease, known as Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome, or EUS, is caused by the fungus Aphanomyces invadans, which forms ugly lesions on fish and has a high rate of mortality. It is one of the most serious aquatic diseases affecting finfish. More online at ReliefWeb…
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Disease killing fish in Zambezi River risks spreading to other parts of Africa, UN warns
21 July 2009 – A deadly disease devastating fish stocks in Africa’s Zambezi River basin and threatening the livelihoods and access to food of millions of rural people could soon reach other parts of the continent, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned today.
The most affected country is Zambia, covering two-thirds of the basin’s almost 1.4 million square kilometres, with over 2,000 villages and some 7,000 people now at risk of hunger as fish is a major source of income in many rural districts and the cheapest source of protein, said FAO. More online at UN News Centre…
In the first three months of this year’s hunting season, Mbire Rural District Council (RDC) has earned $106 000, while a number of wards in the district have also earned a total of $80 000, Zimbabwean Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister, Francis Nhema, said.
According to a New Vision report, Nhema said he was pleased that Mbire RDC and its two safari operators Ingwe and Swainsons were channelling the money to council and communities through direct payments to ward level bank accounts every month. The report quotes him as saying that his Ministry would continue to monitor compliance by local authorities to the obligations and conditions for the granting of appropriate authority to ensure transparency and accountability in the wildlife industry. Full report online via Legalbrief Today…
Zimbabwe is currently home to the world’s fourth largest population of critically endangered Black Rhino. Although rhino killings in Zimbabwe have more than doubled in the past year, poachers continue to walk away without punishment for their crimes.
In a recent IRF press release, rhino conservation experts called upon international agencies and the Zimbabwe government to take immediate action against poaching of endangered species and to crack down on trade in wildlife products.
Tackling the situation in Zimbabwe is especially challenging because the rhino poaching in this area is planned and carried out by organized gangs. The attacks have become increasingly brazen – not only are rhinos being slaughtered, but the criminals have begun firing at the people protecting them. More online at Eco Worldly…
Zimbabwe’s wildlife conservation reputation has taken a knock in the past few years and there are fears the recent surge in the poaching of the black rhino will lead to the animal’s extinction in the country.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species [CITES] says there has been an increase in the poaching of the rhino for its horn wherever the animal is found, but the situation is particularly bad in Zimbabwe. VOA asked Raoul du Toit of the Lowveld Rhino Trust, a rhino conservation organization what is driving the poachers. More online at VOA News…
Harare — Villagers in Chief Neshangwe’s area in Chikomba are living in fear of losing their livestock to marauding hyenas in the area.
The hyenas are reportedly attacking mostly cattle, goats and donkeys at night. The villagers are appealing to the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to help them control the predatory animals. A villager, Mr Alleck Tapera, said they were now afraid that if the hyenas are not dealt with, they might end up attacking children. More online at AllAfrica.com…
Three hundred cyclists from 13 countries around the world are set to descend on Zimbabwe for a week long tour De tuli – Mapungubwe, an expedition to be hosted by the greater Mapungubwe trans-frontier conservation area from the 3rd to the 8th of next month.
The expedition is organised under the support of, “children in the wilderness- a rural children’s environmental and life skills programme for vulnerable children”. More online at ZBC News…
Harare — The Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Commu-nity Development and Allied Timber Holdings have launched a firewood project that will see the company providing wood to groups for sale to urban communities.
The project, which is supported by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management, will begin with 45 pilot centres in the country’s major cities and is expected to cover all towns and growth points in Zimbabwe. More online at AllAfrica.com…
Despite various economic benefits that come with utilising the country’s gold, there is need to raise the level of awareness of various stakeholders on the environmental impact of gold panning in the country, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Murisi Zwizwai has said.
Speaking in an interview with the Herald Business Deputy Minister Zwizwai said there was an urgent need to bring all stakeholders in the mining business together to deal with the negative effects of mining on the environment. More online at The Herald…
The Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) has partnered a local investor group to fully develop the vast resource of the 300 000-hectare Nuanetsi Ranch in Masvingo. The investor is set to inject a staggering US$1 billion into various projects meant to economically empower Zimbabweans and also create jobs, exports and downstream economic activity. More online at The Sunday Mail…
Animal & Human Health for the Environment And Development (AHEAD) – Job Announcement
POSITION TITLE: Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) AHEAD Coordinator
DURATION OF POSITION: Full-time position; approximately 5-years contingent on ongoing donor support
POSITION OBJECTIVE:
The Wildlife Conservation Society, a U.S. based international nongovernmental organization, seeks candidates for the position of Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) TFCA AHEAD Coordinator, to be based in the region. (Note that the position is to coordinate regional AHEAD activities, not to coordinate the KAZA TFCA.) The Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) spans five countries (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe), covers approximately 400,000 km² and encompasses, among other land uses, 70 conservation areas that include national parks, game reserves, community conservancies and game management areas. This position is posted as available, contingent upon availability of funding.
The KAZA TFCA AHEAD Coordinator, to be based in the region, will be responsible for coordinating regional AHEAD activities in the KAZA TFCA by helping to create an enabling environment for cross-sectoral dialogue and problem-solving. The position is at the WCS Associate Director level. The successful applicant will be expected to work closely with, for example, the KAZA Secretariat and the KAZA TFCA Conservation Working Group charged with addressing animal health issues.
POSITION’S PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Research and analyze key constraints to conservation and development success at the wildlife/livestock/human interface across KAZA, and develop potential solutions to obstacles with relevant stakeholders
2. Work closely with the KAZA Secretariat and, for example, the KAZA TFCA Conservation Working Group charged with addressing animal health issues
3. Assemble and motivate multidisciplinary teams to develop approaches to key challenges identified
4. Design and oversee consultancies to fill key information gaps
5. Convene a wide array of stakeholders (e.g.- governmental, nongovernmental, academic, multi-lateral, community-based, donors, etc.) in productive fora even when issues involved are potentially controversial
6. Interact with donors and contribute to fundraising
REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, ETC.
1. Minimum 10 years of relevant field and policy experience at the wildlife/livestock/human interface
2. Veterinary, ecology or other relevant graduate degree and/or Masters or PhD in resource economics highly desirable
3. Strong research and analytical skills; ability to develop solutions involving various stakeholders
4. Understanding of policies and economics related to regional and international trade in livestock- and wildlife-derived products
5. Evidence of self-motivation and creativity
6. Ability to work well in multi-cultural situations, in the field and in office settings, and to assemble and motivate multidisciplinary teams
7. Excellent networking and facilitative capabilities; ability to convene a wide array of stakeholders in productive fora
8. Sound knowledge of animal health/disease management issues, as well as local/national/regional political and socioeconomic dimensions of actual and perceived conflicts at the livestock/wildlife interface
9. Familiarity with public health/zoonotic issues of potential relevance
10. Fluency in written and spoken English: excellent written and oral communications skills
11. Familiarity with languages (e.g.- Portuguese, Setswana) and cultures of the Kavango-Zambezi region desirable
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates who meet the above qualifications should apply by sending (email applications only) their curriculum vitae, letter of interest, and three contactable references to the Wildlife Conservation Society:
Steve Osofsky, DVM, sosofsky@wcs.org, with a copy to Pam Watim, pwatim@wcs.org.
Salary and benefits will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. WCS is an equal opportunity employer.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. WCS is not responsible for internet-related submission failures.
For more information on the Wildlife Conservation Society and the AHEAD Program visit: http://www.wcs-ahead.org/ and http://www.wcs.org.
AHEAD recognizes the importance of animal and human health to both conservation and development interests. Around the world, domestic and wild animals are coming into ever-more-intimate contact, and without adequate scientific knowledge and planning, the consequences can be detrimental on one or both sides of the proverbial fence. But armed with the tools that the health sciences provide, conservation and development objectives have a much greater chance of being realized – particularly at the critical wildlife/livestock interface, where conservation and agricultural interests meet head-on. AHEAD conservation and development efforts focus on several themes of critical importance to the future of animal agriculture, human health, and wildlife health (including zoonoses, competition over grazing and water resources, disease mitigation, local and global food security, and other potential sources of conflict related to land-use decision-making in the face of resource limitations). Historically, neither governments, nongovernmental organizations, the aid community, nor academia have holistically addressed the landscape-level nexus represented by the triangle of wildlife health, domestic animal health, and human health and livelihoods as underpinned by environmental stewardship.
Please share this job announcement with potentially interested colleagues.
With sincere thanks,
Steve
Steve Osofsky, DVM
Wildlife Conservation Society
Director, Wildlife Health Policy
WCS AHEAD Coordinator
sosofsky@wcs.org
ph/fax: 1-703-716-1029
www.wcs-ahead.org
By Bookey Peek
Following on from the highly acclaimed All the Way Home, here is a brand new volume of unforgettable adventures from Richard and Bookey Peek’s wildlife sanctuary amongst Zimbabwe’s ancient Matobo Hills. In Wild Honey, you will find comedy and tragedy in equal measure, as the Peeks share their lives with an assortment of wild animals, from a family of warthogs to the legendary honey badger – reputed to be ‘the meanest animal in the world.’
In these troubled times, Stone Hills has become more than a sanctuary. It is an island rocked by the turbulence that surrounds it, as thousands of farms all over Zimbabwe are being invaded, often violently, under Government’s disastrous land policy. How much longer can they hold on?
‘Wild Honey is irresistible, in turn heart-rending, funny and revealing, and will strike a chord with all who love Africa, its people and its wildlife.’ – JONATHAN SCOTT
‘Bookey Peek writes lyrically, funnily, passionately, rudely, spellbindingly. And what a story she has to tell.’ – MATTHEW PARRIS, THE TIMES
HARARE – Police dockets implicating Zanu (PF) stalwarts, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Webster Shamu, in the poaching of rhinos have vanished from Attorney General Johannes Tomana’s office. When the MDC investigated, the police superintendent in charge of the case was immediately transferred to a rural outpost in Chiweshe. Mnangagwa and Shamu were connected to the poaching of rhinos in Zimbabwe’s national parks after the arrest of a Chinese national early this year. The man was found with six rhino horns at a police roadblock along the Hwange-Bulawayo Road. He then implicated a businessman in Kwekwe who said that Mnangagwa and Shamu were spearheading the operation. More online at The Zimbabwean…
Mbire Rural District Council has earned US$106 000 while a number of wards in the district have also earned a total of US$80 000 for the first three months of this year’s hunting season, Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema has said. More online at AllAfrica.com…
The Zimbabwean government has warned that all houses and commercial buildings constructed in wetlands in Chitungwiza will be demolished and owners allocated proper stands on the six farms given to the municipality … He (Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo) said he was aware of some individuals who were building schools in wetlands in contravention of environmental bylaws … Government encourages the protection of wetlands because they are a major source of water in times of drought and other raw materials. They purify water and protect the environment from floods. Negative management of natural ecosystems like wetlands further exacerbates calamities such as floods. The majority of houses affected by floods are built on wetlands. More online at The Zimbabwe Telegraph…
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