ULTIMATE
AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive January 2000 Tourists Shot near Namibia-Angola Border, January 2 2000 Three French tourists were shot dead and two other tourists wounded on Monday in Namibia, close to the Angolan border, according to Namibian police. At least two of the dead were children. Two aid workers were injured in a separate attack in the same area. The shooting took place in the western part of the Caprivi strip, about 200km (125 miles) east of the town of Rundu. Diplomats in Windhoek were quoted as saying said two vehicles carrying tourists had driven into an ambush near a game reserve. The second vehicle, in which a French family was travelling, had borne the brunt of the gunfire. The incidents are the latest in a series of attacks on civilians which have been reported from the region recently, as Angola's war against Unita rebels has spilt into Namibia. Kenya Denies Computer Hitches at Airport, January 2 2000 Kenyan aviation officials have denied reports that the millennium bug caused a power failure on a backup unit at the country’s second largest airport. "It was only dating hitches. The calendar rolled to 1/1/1900 on a meteorological department report," said Mr. Samuel Langat of the Kenya Airports Authority. He said there was no power failure. But a confidential Y2K status report on Moi Airport, Mombasa, showed that not only did the calendar roll back on police screening machines to read 02/01/10, but the Uninterrupted Power Supply System went off immediately the year changed from 1999 to 2000. Kenyan Wildlife Guards Kill Elephant Poachers, January 2 2000 An anti-poaching patrol of the Kenya Wildlife Service killed four elephant poachers who defied orders to surrender near Garissa, northeast Kenya, last Saturday. They said the poachers had killed eight elephants in the Kora National Park but were challenged after burying the ivory, which they planned to recover later. The poachers, armed with three automatic rifles, exchanged fire with the game wardens before they were killed. Kenyan Bridge Collapse Delays Holiday Travelers, January 2 2000 Thousands of travelers were stranded for up to 36 hours when a bridge on the 500 km (300 mile) road from Nairobi to Mombasa was washed away by a flooded river last Friday. Large areas of Kenya have experienced heavy rains over the last two months -- in what is usually a dry weather period. Cape Town’s Chapman's Peak Drive to Close for Repairs, January 2 2000 The Southern Cape Municipality will close a section of the scenic Chapman's Peak drive on February or March 1, 2000 for a period of "not less than three months" in order for emergency repairs to be carried out on seven identified road sectors. The date of closure will be decided once the contract tender has been awarded in early January. However, it will still be possible for micro-buses to drive up to a viewpoint from both Noordhoek and Hout Bay Airline to Introduce in-flight Discos, January 2 2000 South African Airways (SAA) has announced that it will introduce a world first on its Boeing aircraft - dance floors for passengers travelling to various overseas destinations. SAA chief executive, Coleman Andrews, said the airline has plans to remove several seats on the lower deck of its planes to create a dancing floor for passengers. The announcement follows the airline's historic Millennium Fantasy Flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town last Friday night during which passengers were entertained with live music. Millennium Celebrants Die Climbing Kilimanjaro, January 2 2000 Two tourists died while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania during the millennium celebrations. Kilimanjaro National Park Chief Warden Lorivi-ole Moirana named the dead as Werner Hein, 55, from Germany, and Jennifer Steven, 54, from the USA. Hein died of a heart attack December 31 at the third cave point on the Rongai route while Steven died at the Uhuru peak at an altitude of 5,895 meter above sea level. The two were part of a group of 1,154 revelers from the US, Germany, Britain, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Brazil and South Africa who were destined to go up Africa's highest mountain to welcome the New Year. Air Zimbabwe Sues CNN, January 2 2000 Air Zimbabwe has instituted legal proceedings against Cable News Network (CNN) and the Chicago Tribune for carrying damaging reports about the airline. Air Zimbabwe’s American lawyers, the Suni firm of California, are finalizing their lawsuit against the two media houses, which in October incorrectly reported Air Zimbabwe's safety record. The Chicago Tribune writer carried a story in October in which it reported that an Air Zimbabwe pilot had used an axe to break down the cockpit door after he had been locked out during a flight. The story was untrue and had been circulating for years as an urban legend and ascribed to a number of airlines. The writer has since apologized to the airline. Also in October CNN aired a story which was part of a report on the crash of the Egypt Air plane saying Air Zimbabwe had a 12 out of 1,000 chance of being involved in a fatal accident. This made the airline the second most dangerous carrier in the world. The figures were based on Air Rhodesia aircraft that were shot down with heat-seeking missiles during the Rhodesian war in 1978 and 1979. Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980. Air Zimbabwe has never had a fatality. According to Mr. Mwenga of Air Zimbabwe "Air Zimbabwe officials in the United States and Canada indicated that there had been a loss of business as a result of the stories. The stories were outrageous, inaccurate and damaging." Two Elephant Poachers Shot Dead in Northeastern Kenya, January 9 2000 Kenyan Wildlife officials clashed with poachers in northeastern Kenya, killing two men in a fierce gun battle this past week, according to a Kenyan government official. Park rangers began chasing eight poachers last Thursday after receiving information an elephant had been killed 25 miles west of the town of Isiolo, said Joseph Cherop, a Kenyan Wildlife Service official. Six poachers escaped with two ivory tusks after exchanging gunfire with park rangers, one of the rangers said. Five suspected poachers were shot dead last week, Cherop said. Victoria Falls Rafting Prices Drop Again, January 9 2000 Shearwater has further reduced the price of rafting to US $75 for a full day. "We have been forced to make this reduction to bring our price in line with Zambian operators who are not subjected to the US $5 per person National Parks River Usage Fee," said Shearwater MD Allen Roberts. As a result, Shearwater had now been forced to absorb the US $5 River Usage Fee as this was the only effective means of competing with Zambia. "We are committed to offering our clients the best possible value for money and as such we feel obliged to match any price being offered. "We have been lobbying National Parks for years now, with a view to removing the River Usage Fee which effectively makes rafting in Zimbabwe more expensive that rafting in Zambia. As a consequence, recent times have seen the Zambian’s share of the market increase from around 20% to its current level of 35%," said Roberts. "We have been trying to explain to National Parks that when a Zimbabwe passenger is lost to Zambia, it is not just the outflow of forex that hurts this country, but also the knock-on effect in terms of job losses and loss of business to secondary industries. National Parks seem to be targeting the rafting industry specifically. Last year Shearwater alone paid Parks in excess of Z$4 million in license and river usage fees. They (Parks) are making it impossible for us to compete with our Zambian counterparts and it is Zimbabwe as a country which will ultimately lose out," said Roberts. Zimbabwe Express and South African Airways Join Forces, January 9 2000 A deal between Zimbabwe Express Airlines (ZEX) and South African Airways (SAA) has been confirmed. A joint venture agreement between the two carriers finds ZEX with 60% of ZEX equity with SAA taking up the balance. SAA is expected to provide working capital and aircraft. Security Warning in Namibia, January 9 2000 The United States embassy in Namibia has warned American citizens to leave northern areas of the country, because of concern that fighting in neighboring Angola will spill over the border. UNITA rebels from Angola have been blamed for an attack in northern Namibia earlier this week, in which three children from a French family on holiday were killed. One travel firm said the situation could cost it hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost tourist trade. Malawi Booming With Crocodiles, January 9 2000 Crocodiles are killing at least two people everyday in rural Malawi’s southern Shire River valley. People in the area no longer report every death to police or the district commissioner because these attacks are happening everyday. Before Malawi joined CITES it used to cull about 800 crocodiles annually but the treaty only allows the culling of only 200 crocodiles per year. Wildlife Minister George Ntafu told the house that his ministry suspected witchcraft was involved in the growing number of people killed by crocodiles in the area. Victoria Falls Balloon Rises, January 16 2000 Zimbabwe’s first helium balloon has risen above the resort of Victoria Falls. An opening special of US $20 for a 15-minute ride is on offer. Advance bookings are not being taken for the activity. Clients are advised to turn up and pay on site. The craft holds 30 guests at a time. The balloon’s operations are fully computerized rising to a height of 120 meters above ground level on a winch. The entire Falls, the river upstream, the whole of Victoria Falls town and the gorges below the waterfall are fully visible from the balloon in flight. Those who had already been up in the craft noted that the view, the silence and the sensation were incredible. South African Airways Retains Cape Town-US Flight, January 16 2000 South African Airways (SAA) has bowed to pressure from tourism authorities in the Western Cape and will offer a direct weekly service from Cape Town to the USA. In an about-turn on an earlier decision to operate no more direct flights from Cape Town to the USA, the national carrier announced Wednesday that the flight from Cape Town to Atlanta will in future land at Fort Lauderdale in Florida and not at Sal Island in the Cape Verde Island. "The decision to stop in Fort Lauderdale will give passengers travelling from Cape Town to Florida by far the shortest travel time available. "Fort Lauderdale, which is conveniently centered in the South Florida population basin that stretches from Miami in the south to Palm Beach in the north, offers superb facilities and ease of access to the entire South Florida area. "The Fort Lauderdale stop will also offer a quick, convenient connection to the popular destination of Orlando," said SAA spokesman Madelain Roscher. Over the past few days, SAA's new codeshare relationship with Delta Airlines was approved by the US Department of Transportation, and its plans to stop its Cape Town-Atlanta flights in Fort Lauderdale were approved by the US Federal Aviation Authority. SAA expects approval shortly for the Fort Lauderdale stops from the Ministry of Transport of South Africa, as well as authority to begin selling the Fort Lauderdale leg. Elephant Population Increases in Tanzania, January 16 2000 Tanzania's elephant population has increased over the past nine years rendering the Selous Game Reserve (SGR), the leading protected area with the largest number of elephants in the world. Based on research by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Ms Anne Lema of the institute of education in Tanzania, says until October last year the elephant population in the reserve stood at about 60,000 from 35,000 in 1990. Ms Lema says that an aerial survey taken in most parts of the country shows increasing population trends in the areas and even re-colonization of areas where they have been wiped out. Up until 1950s, elephants inhabited almost 90% of the Tanzania Mainland, and by the 1980s their range had shrunk to less than 50% of the country, mostly in the Southern part of the country. The increase in elephant population, according to TAWIRI is attributed to good management plans instituted by the government and the international community in the early, 1990s. Tourism Fastest Growing Industry in Tanzania, January 16 2000 Tourism has been Tanzania's fastest growing sector in the past three years. Tourism figures show that about 480,000 tourists visited Tanzania in the 1998/1999 financial year in Tanzania, up from 180,000 in the 1991/1992 financial year. In the last financial year (1998/1999) tourism accounted for 16.5 % of GDP. The United States Agency for International Organization (USAID) has provided equipment worth US $643,413 to help improve roads in Tanzanian’s Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks in the country. The assistance comes as part of the Partnership Options for Resources use Innovation (PORI) project, being implemented by the African Wildlife Foundation. Drifter’s Overland Tours Alters Southern Africa Tour, January 23 2000 Drifter’s Adventours has altered its Southern Africa Explorer tour due to violence in northern Namibia. The tour will now travel to Windhoek from Etosha and through Botswana therefore avoiding the Caprivi Strip. The itinerary change adds a new dimension to the tour with guests now able to see the Okavango Delta, as well as much of Botswana they would not otherwise have seen. Cape Town Fires Finally Under Control, January 23 2000 The huge runaway fires around Cape Town this past week which caused massive damage and resulted in parts of the city being declared disaster areas were brought under control Friday. The Joint Operations Center which was set up in the city to facilitate the disaster management process said hundreds of homes in informal settlements and upmarket suburbs had been destroyed and several of the country’s major wine farms had been extensively damaged. The flames also razed part of the naval base in Simon’s Town, where three houses and a hostel were gutted. Thousands of acres forests have been destroyed and much of the beautiful south Cape mountain ranges have been left scarred by the path of the flames. Miraculously, there were no deaths reported. The World through the Eyes of a Kruger Elephant, January 23 2000 The world will soon be able to view, well, the world, from the back of one of the Kruger Park elephants. Plans are afoot to mount a 7,3kg camera worth US $100,000 on the back of an elephant cow to shoot footage for the Discovery Channel and to provide live entertainment on the website http://animalplanet.com . Conservationists are excited about the fact that footage will be obtained without human interference. How long this state-of-the-art equipment will be able to withstand the elements and the elephants, however, remains an open question. As soon as the rains subside, a suitable elephant cow will be darted and the camera attached to her back. Cape Town Cablecar Bungee Jumps Resume, January 23 2000 Bungee jumping from one of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (TMAC) cablecars will likely resume in February following the success of the Scream Extreme Festival in October last year. The TMAC said that, following a test run of daily jumps last November, operators Face Adrenaline were keen to re-start jumps. Last year, the jumps took place between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM so as not to interfere with tour groups that arrived first thing in the morning. The 100 meter jump costs R550 (US $90) per person. The Scream Extreme festival will be held again this year from April 28-30, offering adrenaline junkies activities such as bungee jumping, wall speed climbing, downhill mountain bike racing, road running and an adventure race up Platteklip Gorge. In addition, the cableway will be closed on April 28 between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM to accommodate the All Africa Bungee Jumping Championships. Okavango Delta on UNESCO’S Biosphere Reserve List, January 23 2000 The paramount chief of the Batawana people of Ngamiland in Botswana, Kgosi Moremi Tawana, has said that the inclusion of the Okavango Delta on UNESCO’s world heritage list would guarantee the protection and preservation of the delta waters. Chief Tawana spoke last Friday as special guest attending a meeting on the inclusion of the Okavango Delta on the World Biosphere heritage list, organized by an environmental association, Preserve, in conjunction with UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere and the Humanity heritage departments. Representing some 95% of the surface water of Botswana, the delta’s future is threatened due to the rising domestic water needs, as well as those of neighboring countries of Namibia and Angola. According to the preserve association, the delta’s inclusion on the heritage list will create a biosphere reserve of more than 100,000 sq. km, the largest in the world. A tripartite agreement exists between the three states that calls for consultation on the use of the Okavango waters. For instance none of the three neighboring states can decide on a dam project that blocks off the Okavango river without the consent of the other states. Zimbabwe has Best Golf Course in Africa, January 23 2000 Zimbabwe's Leopard Rock Hotel has won the "Best Golf Course in the Africa / Middle East" category in the Hertz 2000 International Golf Travel Awards, pipping South Africa’s Palace of the Lost City and Fancourt Hotel and Country Club golf courses, as well as the Dubai Creek Golf Course and the Emirates Majlis in Dubai for the title. The announcement was made recently at the International Golf Travel Market (ITGM) in the Portuguese Algarve resort of Vilamoura, one of the golfing capitals of the world. All elected entries were chosen for their cutting edge design, condition, surrounding landscape and aspect, club house, playability for all levels, value for money, ease of booking tee-time, speed of play and quality of services for the travelling golfer. Leopard Rock MD Derek Paxton commented: "We are elated the Leopard Rock has been recognized as the finest golf course in Africa and obviously as one of the leading golf courses in the international arena. This is the second year we have been nominated for the Hertz International Golf Travel Awards and winning this category is a tremendous achievement." Makombe to be Fired from Zimbabwe National Parks, January 23 2000 Zimbabwe’s director of National Parks and Wildlife Management, Willas Makombe, has finally been fired. Public Service Commission (PSC), public relations executive Dennis Rwafa confirmed Makombe’s removal from the helm of the troubled National Parks. "I can confirm that Makombe was retired from the Public Service with effect from January 14, 2000" Rwafa said. Makombe, who is currently on leave, ignored directives to leave on two separate occasions since July last year, telling the PSC that he had been in the public service for over 40 years and could not just be fired without the government taking into consideration his contribution. Zimbabwe’s Batoka Dam Construction Awaits Approval, January 23 2000 The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) is still awaiting a decision by the Zambian and Zimbabwean governments on the construction of the US$2 billion Batoka dam on the Zambezi River. All necessary studies had been conducted and the authority was awaiting final approval from the two governments. The Batoka dam project has been on the drawing board as far back as 1990 but has met with resistance from environmentalists. The need for the dam arose out of forecasts indicating that Zambia would have an electricity deficiency by the year 2002. The dam is to straddle the Zambia-Zimbabwe border downstream from the Victoria Falls near Livingstone. SOL Aviation to Fly Harare – Vilanculos, January 23 2000 SOL Aviation have announced that, as of Friday, March 10, it is introducing a new service from Harare to Vilanculos: Tanzanian Villager Killed by Hungry Lion, January 23 2000 A villager in Tanzania’s Mkuranga district was devoured by a hungry lion last Monday. A Natural Resources and Tourism official in the area as said that the elderly woman, identified as Mwanahamisi Hamisi, was killed and eaten by the lion on the second day of the Eid el Fitr festival. Her remains were discovered by the villagers the next morning. The villagers, in collaboration with game officials in the district, organized a search-and-destroy mission for the lion which they managed to shoot and kill. In another recent incident a mentally sick villager in the same district was also killed by a lion. Air France to stop Nairobi Service, January 23 2000 Air France passengers returning to Nairobi from Europe after March 25 – when the airline withdraws its Nairobi service – will be flown back by Sabena and Swissair at no extra cost. This follows an agreement between the French carrier and the two airlines that will be in force up to the end of the year. Air France’s general manager for Eastern Africa, Mr Benoit Desouches, announced that the withdrawal was predicated on the airline’s decision to concentrate on long-haul non-stop flights which, he said, had proved more profitable . "We are convinced that the cost of pulling out is less than that of staying in the long run. The planes may be full but the revenues are low." Other airlines that have stopped flying to Nairobi in the past one year include Aeroflot, Lufthansa and Olympic. Congo War Leaves Orphaned Chimpanzees, January 23 2000 The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo has left many chimpanzees orphaned. Known as Bonobos, these primates are in actual fact close relatives of the chimpanzee and they are only found in the Congo where there numbers have decreased drastically. Claudine Andre, director and founder of the Bonobos Sanctuary of the Congo, is almost single-handedly fighting to save these creatures from extinction. Upgraded Check-in at Harare Airport, January 30 2000 British Airways has introduced the first remote baggage acceptance and passenger check-in facility in Zimbabwe. The service is available to First and Club Class World passengers as well as Executive Club gold and silver card holders, on flight BA 2052 between Harare and London's Gatwick Airport. This new facility is now operational at the Sheraton Harare Hotel and Towers, with procedures adhering strictly to aviation security regulations. Poaching On The Rise In Kenya, January 30 2000 As during previous run ups to the CITES convention, Kenya is once again claiming that poaching is on the increase and that the international trade in ivory must be stopped. Kenya's top wildlife official, Nehemiah Rotich, said last Friday that the decision to allow limited ivory sales had brought a sharp increase in elephant poaching in the country. "It is not just the number of dead elephants inside the parks that has revealed the resurgence of the trade. Seizures of illegal ivory has increased, while we have gathered evidence of a substantial rise in requests for ivory from abroad," he added. To curb the menace to the mammals, Rotich suggested that governments all over the world should as a matter of urgency reimpose a total ban on the ivory trade. He said at least 67 Kenyan elephants were shot dead for their tusks in 1999, up from an average of less than 15 in recent years. The increase was directly linked to the sales of ivory to far eastern markets from Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. "As a result of these one-off sales, we have a huge increase in poaching. A small legal trade will go along way to stimulate a lot of illegal ivory trade," Rotich said. Member nations of the Convection on International Trade in Endangered Species relaxed their ban on trade in ivory in1997 to allow one -off sales by Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana. The sales were made in April to Japanese traders who bought almost 60 tons. The three countries want to continue selling while South Africa is also seeking permission to sell 28 tons of tusks under its possession. The southern Africa nations say the sales raise money for wildlife conservation and there is no evidence they lead to an increase in poaching. British Airways Acquires 18% In Comair, January 30 2000 British Airways recently completed the purchase of an 18.3% shareholding in Comair, its franchise partner in Southern Africa. The 17 million pounds investment marks a further cementing of the successful relationship between the two airlines, which began in October 1996 when Comair became British Airways' first franchise outside Europe. The shareholding is expected to facilitate closer co-ordination of British Airways' and Comair's operations in the region. Roger Maynard, British Airways' Director of Investments and Joint Ventures, said Comair is an extremely well-managed airline with an excellent financial and service delivery record. "In addition, the investment demonstrates our confidence in, and commitment to South Africa," he said. Comair currently operates a fleet of 14 jet aircraft comprising eight Boeing 737-200s and six Boeing 727-230s. It employs 1,020 people. It operates between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, and between Cape Town and Durban. The airline also operates regional services to neighboring countries in Southern Africa: Namibia (Windhoek), Zimbabwe (Harare and Victoria Falls) and Zambia (Lusaka). It operates almost 400 flights a week. In July 1998, Comair became the first airline in South Africa to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. In its 53-year history, the airline has never incurred a loss. Okavango Floods at Peak and Rising, January 30 2000 Water levels in the Okavango Delta have already reached last years peak and are expected to continue rising for many more months! It is possible that water will push down the dry Savuti Channel this year. Air Botswana To Be Privatized By Next Year, January 30 2000 Air Botswana, which has been on a recovery path since 1997, is likely to be privatized by 2001, according to the corporation's commercial manager, John Williams. Air Botswana Renews Fleet, January 30 2000 Botswana’s national airline is taking delivery of three ATR 42-500s on lease, from French regional carrier Air Littoral. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
