ZIMBABWE - Destruction of wildlife, the environment and sensitive eco-systems

The Peace Parks cont...

It soon became apparent that Nhema had been very wrong. In alarm, a senior National Parks officer wrote the following in a letter to his headquarters shortly after the takeover, 'The Agritex Officer stated that his teams pegged some 520 plots but the area had capacity to take 750 settlers… Cattle are being grazed daily inside the park. The numbers are never less than 500 in the park per day. The cattle fence has been put down allowing free movement of cattle in and around the park.' (The photo below is what now remains of Gonarezhou's northern boundary fence).

Not only does the invasion threaten the Trans-Frontier agreement, the removal of fencing, and crossing of cattle into buffalo land, is in complete violation of European Union livestock management regulations. Mike Clark, Regional Chairman of the Masvingo Commercial Farmers Union, points out, 'This cattle movement into buffalo territory comes at a time where we have no foot and mouth vaccine due to the forex shortage. We are therefore sitting on a foot and mouth time bomb, not to mention food riots - all in the name of politics, which does not feed people.'

On a personal visit to investigate the situation this November, I found cattle grazing in the park and substantial destruction of natural habitat in the northern section of the park to the west of the Chihunja mountain range. The area was once mopane woodland and prime elephant country.

Amongst the huts and villages being constructed, we met a group of people on their way to a meeting. They told us there were 750 people settling here from the Sangwe Communal area. They were hoping to set up a CAMPFIRE system as well as grow cotton in the area. (A farmer has since pointed out to me that cotton is an aggressive feeder and if not fertilised the soil will become barren within 5 years). Altogether there are 10 villages each person having 5 hectares.

Further on we picked up a war veteran who proudly gave me his white plastic card with his photo and the words 'Liberation War Hero' printed over the front. We asked him when they going to plant? Weren't the rains coming soon? 'We're waiting to be told' he replied. Told by whom, I asked? 'Governor Hungwe' was his answer.