ULTIMATE
AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive July 1997 Tanzania Buys Ten Rhino Calves from South Africa, July 6 1997 Faced with a fast dwindling black rhino population, Tanzania is set to open its first sanctuary for the animals with the help of South Africa. The country's rhino population has plummeted from close to 4 000 in 1984 to 32 last year. Now, help is on the way to boost the population with the acquisition of ten rhino calves which will be purchased from South Africa in August at a cost of $450,000. The sanctuary is being built at Mkomazi Wildlife Park in northern Tanzania with funding from the George Adamson Wildlife Conservation Trust. The late Mr Adamson was a renowned conservationist who was murdered at his bush dwelling in 1989. George and his wife, Joy, were responsible for the rehabilitation of Elsa and her cubs, lioness of the Hollywood wildlife classic film, Born Free. The South African Air Force has reportedly agreed to transport the animals. Work on the setting up of the sanctuary has been going on for four years but lack of funding delayed its establishment. Both the European Union and the Belgian Government are assisting while the World Wildlife Fund plans to monitor the black rhino population. Rhino horn is popular in South-East Asia where it is used as an aphrodisiac. In 1994, South Africa gave Kenya twenty white rhinos. Several calves have since been born boosting the white rhino population to more than 70. Of the 2 408 black rhinos in Africa, South Africa retains almost half of them with the remainder shared between Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana. In 1980, the continent's rhino population had reached close to 15 000. Story courtesy of the Pretoria News. Zambian Immigration Raises Visa Fee for British Nationals, July 6 1997 The Zambian department of Immigration has marginally raised visa fees for British nationals traveling to Zambia up to £35 (35 British Pounds). Immigration Public Relations Officer, Royn Miyanda, says the slight adjustment was as a result of there being difficulties in the accumulation of change since £1 coins are not acceptable to Zambian banks. Previously visa fees for British nationals were pegged at £33. Travelers to Zambia collecting their visa from the High Commission in London will continue to pay £33. Kenya Continues to Fall Apart, July 13 1997 HEADLINE 1: Kenya's President Regime Stumbles Kenya's President Daniel Arap Moi's 20-year unbroken hold on power in Kenya is under siege, and probably in its terminal phase, following waves of public protests to reform the Constitution. The key demand is that elections, due to be held before January, should be free and fair. HEADLINE 2: Two Kenyan Universities Shut over Riots Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta universities were yesterday closed indefinitely after students' unrest following the deaths of their colleagues in last Monday's violent confrontations between police and pro-reform crusaders. HEADLINE 3: Calm Returns After Kenya Violence Kenyan cities and towns were calm yesterday, a day after at least nine people were killed in the country's most violent clashes between protesters and police in seven years. Editorial from Kenyan journalist: Anyone looking at Kenya from the outside would be excused for imagining we were in a state of war. Increasingly, even for those living here, the Government's daily refrain that we are a peaceful country sounds hollow. If anyone wanted confirmation, last week provided more than ample evidence of that. The capital city's central business district and many key towns were virtually closed down. Shops, commercial enterprises, schools and offices were shut as many employees stayed away. It was an unofficial holiday. Police and para-military units were out in frightening numbers and the confrontations between them and the public were generally tragic. At the end of the day, there 10 people dead and scores injured, including MPs hurt in an utterly unjustified attack inside Nairobi's All Saints Cathedral. The national flag was burnt. Property was destroyed and there were reports of looting in some parts of Nairobi. In a nutshell, life in some of the towns where political rallies had been scheduled to take place was pointedly tense. While it may not be accurate to say that some parts of the country are ungovernable, what we witnessed yesterday was evidence of a country hurtling in that direction. Highest Ever Bungee Jump, July 13 1997 The Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump at 216 metres is the world's highest commercial bungee jump! Near Tsitsikamma in South Africa's Cape region this new jump is nearly twice as high as the 111 metre Victoria Falls bungee jump in Zimbabwe. The new jump, once opened in late 1997, will be operated by Kiwi Extreme. Riverboarding the Zambezi, July 13 1997 The Zambezi River at Victoria Falls holds a special place in the evocative history of the African continent and is well known for providing some of the most challenging white-water experiences in the world. Safari Par Excellence now offers riverboarding on the rapids beneath the Falls. Riverboarding was 'born' in New Zealand back in 1989 when Hawaiin, Jon Imhof, became the first person to body board the Kawaru River. Now Jon has teamed up with Safari Par Excellence to offer what is arguably the most intense white water adventure in the world. Trips are roughly four hours in length and skilled guides teach everything from the basics to the very latest techniques in wave catching and "squirting" (flying underwater). Groups are limited to 9 persons. Virgin Atlantic may Bid for South African Airways, July 13 1997 Virgin Atlantic Airline may interested in bidding for majority stake in any future privatization of South African Airways. "We recently pulled out of the bidding for Sun Air. We'll be looking towards an alternative source of investment in South Africa, which will probably mean SAA as when the privatization comes up", said David James, Virgin's General Manager for Southern Africa. Kenya's Wildlife Declining, July 20 1997 Kenya's wildlife populations outside of protected areas has reduced by 50 per cent since 1977, according to the head of the Kenya Wildlife Service Species Department, Dr. James Waithaka. "Despite our efforts to conserve the bio-diversity for future generations," he said, "it is still difficult to do so because the majority of the animals we would like to protect are found outside of the parks." Dr. Waithaka spoke during the launch of the biodiversity department at the Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters. in Nairobi. Dr. Waithaka said that human population explosion had led to unplanned development and rapid urbanization, which, he said, had further reduced the chances of wildlife survival. "Feeding and watering zones for wildlife have been taken over by human beings." said Dr. Waithaka. He cited the Aberdares as an example of an ecosystem that was being destroyed by human activities like farming. False Bilharzia Threat Scares Away Malawian Tourists, July 20 1997 Malawi has lost at least half of its tourist market due to a bilharzia scare which officials blame on "bad and exaggerated press reports not portraying the reality on the ground." Malawi's premiere holiday resort on the lake has recorded an 80 percent drop in patrons from the international market with another 50 percent cut out on the regional market dominated by South Africa and Zimbabwe in the last six months. Health officials claim there is no bilharzia in Lake Malawi. Its beaches do not have reeds to anchor the parasites. Tourism officials agree. "The problem is that when the foreign press started running stories on bilharzia, it took the government too long to respond," according to Greeven Khupe, manager of Nkopola Lodge. "Consequently, people tended to believe the stories and the whole country is losing out." Rainbow Tourism to Lease Zimbabwe National Parks Lodges, July 25, 1997 The Rainbow Tourism Group and the Zimbabwe Department of National Parks are negotiating a lease and management agreement for the hotel group to lease, initially on an experimental basis, lodges at Hwange National Park's Main Camp, Sinamatela and Robins Camp, formerly operated by the department. It is understood the proposal involves the setting up of a new company under Rainbow Tourism Group that will manage on an experimental basis the National Parks sites. The success of the program will determine the handing over of other National Parks lodges which could also be put under management of the group and other business people in the tourism industry. It is understood the Rainbow Group proposal entails Rainbow Tourism holding 60% of the shareholding, with 40% being set aside for indigenous concerns. According to deputy-minister of Mines, Environment and Tourism, Edward Chindori-Chininga, government had decided to help Parks concentrate on its core business, the conservation of the country's natural resources. "In this regard, we have considered that the operations of lodges is not a core business for the department and have decided to access it to the private sector," Chindori-Chininga said. "However, bearing in mind that the indigenous population has tried and many times failed to break into the tourism sector because of historical reasons, we saw it fit to have Rainbow Tourism Group come in as a technical partner in the new development." Rainbow Tourism will lease and manage the lodges, and will also be responsible for renovations and equipping of movable assets. "However, to enable the majority of Zimbabweans to afford these lodges, care is being taken that the lodges are not priced beyond the reach of the common man." The ministry wants the project to commence with the three Parks lodge sites in Hwange — Main Camp, Sinamatela and Robins Camp. Other tourism amenities such as the restaurant, retail shop and service station will be leased out by the Rainbow Group. Dangerous Wildlife Hinders Illegal Immigration, July 27 1997 A Zimbabwean attempting to illegally enter South Africa by swimming across the Limpopo River on the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa, was killed by crocodiles as his friends watched helplessly. The man was about to get to the opposite bank when a huge crocodile appeared from the water and attacked him. The man held on to a rock and as he screamed for help, more crocodiles appeared and tore him into pieces. His two colleagues who also intended to jump the border fled back to a nearby town where they made a report to the police. Hundreds of Zimbabweans attempt each year to illegally jump the border into South Africa in search of employment. In an unrelated story, two illegal Mozambican immigrants were eaten by lions in the Kruger National Park last week Inspector Samson Shabalala said all that was left of an unidentified man and woman was a small bone which was found about 30km from Pafuri, in the northernmost part of the park, on Wednesday. Shabalala said the two were in a group of four illegal immigrants. One escaped by climbing a tree and the other's whereabouts are unknown. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
