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Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive July 1998 Major Makeover for Botswana's Chobe Game Lodge, July 5 1998 As part of its recently completed refurbishments, Chobe Game Lodge in north eastern Botswana has furnished all rooms with hand crafted, Rhodesian teak furniture and original African carvings and paintings. Other developments include the new Tshwene bar which, complete with full-sized Victorian pool table, overlooking the floodplains, and a new boma (outdoor eating area enclosed by reed walls) under large mahogany trees on the banks of the Chobe River. Like the rooms, the boma has been furnished in teak and leather. Chobe's sundowner cruise boat, Mosi o'Tunya, has also had an extensive makeover and plans are underway to add sunrise breakfast cruises. Chobe Game Lodge is the only permanent lodge in Botswana's renowned Chobe National Park and provides accommodation in 40 double en-suite rooms and four private luxury suites. New Airline for Zimbabwe, July 5 1998 Air Zambezi has been conceived as a "third-level" scheduled air carrier to serve game lodges and small towns not served by major trunk-route airlines. Air Zambezi's aim is to provide a feeder service to major hubs such as Harare and offer good connections with major carriers. Its core fleet will consist of 12-seat Cessna Grand Caravans. Kenya Vows to Recover from Collapse of Tourism, July 5 1998 Kenyan tourism authorities said last week that their industry had in 1997 suffered its worst year in history and they promised urgent action to revitalize it. "The time for rhetoric is long gone. We cannot accept anything short of a full recovery of the industry," Tourism Minister Henry Kosgey told a workshop in the Kenyan capital. "We have experienced the worst tourism decline in ... history," he said. The number of European tourists arriving at the coastal resort area around Mombasa has slumped to just 400 per week from between 4,000-5,000 the previous year. Charter flights to Mombasa from European cities have ceased compared to 14 flights a week only 18 months ago, Kenya Tourist Board Chairman Eliud Mahihu told Reuters. As a result, the number of people directly employed in tourism has dropped by 50,000 to 130,000 in the past 12 months. Kenya's tourism woes began in July last year when ethnic rioting on the coast sparked fears that tourists may be targeted in the chaos that followed. Then unseasonal rains -- blamed by weather officials on the El Nino phenomenon -- washed away roads and bridges leading to gameparks and reserves. Uncertainty over December's general elections did little to calm fears, and another outbreak of ethnic violence -- this time in the Rift Valley from January 11 -- effectively buried what had been a dead season. Tourism was Kenya's leading foreign exchange earner with annual receipts of around $400 million before the industry nosedived. Kenya's government initially shrugged off violence in tourist areas last year and blamed the media for exaggerating the problem. Now the government is boosting security. "Our challenge is to collectively strive to elevate Kenya's image in the tourism market places," Kosgey said. David Western Returns to Kenya's Top Wildlife Post, July 12 1998 Dr. David Western, recently fired, has been reinstated as director of the Kenya Wildlife Service. New Alliance between Northwest Airlines and Kenya Airways, July 12 1998 The United States Department of Transportation on Friday approved a code-sharing alliance between Northwest Airlines and Kenya Airways. "With this new alliance, passengers traveling between the US and Kenya can look forward to better and more convenient service," said US Secretary for Transportation, Rodney Slater. The code-sharing alliance will enable Northwest to place its code on flights operated by Kenya Airways between Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Nairobi and beyond. It is the second code-sharing arrangement between a US and an African airline. American Airlines and South African Airways have been operating code-sharing service between the US and South Africa since 1992. Tsavo Park Fire Extinguished, July 12 1998 Bush fires raging through Kenya's Tsavo East National Park for the last two weeks have finally been extinguished according to Kenyan park officials. More than 100 firemen, policemen and park rangers fought to put out the fires, which covered 30,000 square km (12,000 square miles), or a quarter of the park, said John Muhanga, assistant director for Tsavo region in southeast Kenya. A haze hung over some sections of the park on Wednesday and wildlife had deserted the scorched scrub. Tsavo East and Tsavo West support roughly one third of Kenya's elephant population, but those in the affected area had migrated to the north and west, Muhanga said. "There has not been a significant impact on the wildlife and as far as we know none were injured in the fires,'' he said. Bush fires are common in the savanna grasslands of this part of Kenya. Botswana Formulating Tourism Master Plan, July 12 1998 Botswana's government is formulating a tourism master plan to encourage tourism development moving the economy away from its traditional reliance on diamonds and beef. Experts estimate that the southern African tourism sector will grow by 7.3 percent a year until 2020. Botswana has set aside 17 percent of its territory for wildlife and tourism. There are nine national parks and game reserves, the majority of them in the north. Air Zimbabwe Wins Award for "Best Airline to Africa", July 12 1998 Air Zimbabwe has won an award for being the "Best Passenger Airline to Africa" conferred by the United Kingdom-based Institute of Transport Management. Nominees for the award were evaluated on such criteria as customer service, fares, standards of service, flight network and scheduling. According to an Air Zimbabwe spokesman "superior on-board service on the airline's executive class differentiates Air Zimbabwe from other airlines serving the region." In the face of competition Air Zimbabwe has joined into operations or partnerships with several airlines including Air Malawi, Delta Airlines, Qantas, Mozambique Airlines and Air Botswana," the spokesman said. Air Zimbabwe's fleet comprises three Boeing 737-200s, two Boeing 767-200s and two BAe 146s. Buses Barred from Using Tarred Roads in Kruger, July 12 1998 All large buses traveling in the Kruger National Park will as from July 1, 1998, drive on gravel roads as they are damaging the tarred roads, Kruger National Park Director David Mabunda said. Mabinda said that the decision was made after it was found that buses caused 33 times more damage to tarred roads than the average family car. Own correspondent. Kruger Park is an anomaly as many people believe this park to be the premier wildlife reserve in the world although many of the things African travelers want to avoid exist there - high volumes of tourists, large air conditioned tour buses, and speeding vehicles. Ultimate Africa does not encourage travelers to visit Kruger itself, but to visit adjoining private wildlife reserves that offer a far more tranquil experience. Major Tourism Development for Soweto, July 12 1998 The Soweto Heritage Trust, a partnership organization combining public and private enterprise aimed at promoting the preservation of Soweto's heritage, has embarked on a major development project that will see the launch of at least eight new tourism initiatives in the area. The first 3 initiatives - the development of tourist facilities around the existing Hector Peterson memorial; the Freedom Trail (a walking trail linking the homes of key apartheid freedom fighters) and the restoration and conversion of Nelson Mandela's former house into a museum, are expected to be complete by June 1999. Construction of additional tourist facilities has already commenced at the Hector Peterson memorial which commemorates the 1976 children's uprising. Future initiatives will include the development of the Freedom Square (where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955); Oppenheimer Park; Uncle Tom's Hall (once used for political and social gatherings); the Morris Isaacson School and Regina Mundi Church (once meeting places for protesters) and Vilakazi Street (a famous route along which protests took place). All developments have been funded by the private sector. Tanzania Tries to Contain Wildfires, July 19 1998 The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) will create buffer zones to contain wildfires which threaten the country's national parks during the dry season. Firebreaks will be created along park borders between national parks and villages. The exercise is conducted each year in the Mount Kilimanjaro, Tangarine, Mikumi and Arusha National Parks. Tanzania Tourism Threatened by Taxes, July 19 1998 Tanzania's tourism sector is threatened by heavy taxes and competition from neighbors, an industry group said last week. In a report by the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) Tanzania was noted as the most expensive tourist destination in East Africa and more expensive than Zimbabwe or South Africa. Top on the list of CTI concerns was the recent introduction of a 20% Value Added Tax (VAT) on services provided by Tanzanian tour operators, air charters, balloon services, boat hire and hunting companies. Kenyan President Takes Pay Cut, July 19 1998 Kenya's president, Daniel arap Moi, and his entire cabinet have slashed their monthly salaries in the wake of the ongoing economic difficulties facing the country. President Moi will have his salary slashed by 50 percent, while those of his ministers will be reduced by 30 percent, effective July. The reductions, to apply only to salaries and not allowances, will remain in force until the country's economy improves. US $66 Million for Zimbabwe's National Parks, July 19 1998 The Zimbabwean government and the World Bank have concluded negotiations for a US $66 million dollar rehabilitation project for the country's national parks, Mines, Environment and Tourism Minister Simon Moyo has said. Moyo said through long negotiations the World Bank has promised to give the government 1.2 billion Zimbabwean dollars. The project to be implemented over the next six years will begin in September, this year. Moyo said, ''the project involves the improvement of roads, electrification, staff capacity building, the provision of housing and construction of various visitor facilities like interpretive centers.'' He added the department of national parks would continue to be commercialized in order to be able to meet both social and national obligations. Zambia Introduces New Border Fee, July 19 1998 Zambia has introduced a US $10 "day tripper" permit for visitors not staying overnight in the country. This will affect tour operators providing day excursions such as white water rafting trips on the Zambezi below Victoria Falls. The permit has been introduced to encourage people to use hotels in Zambia South African President, Nelson Mandela Marries on 80th Birthday, July 19 1998 South African President Nelson Mandela married 52-year-old companion Graca Machel from Mozambique at a private ceremony this past Saturday - the same day he celebrated his 80th birthday. Deputy President Thabo Mbeki announced that Mandela and Machel, the widow of Mozambican President Samora Machel, were married in a civil ceremony at the president's private home in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton. Mandela, who is divorced from his former wife Winnie, and Machel went public with their relationship last year. Machel, described as one of the most influential people in Mozambique, is a lawyer and international campaigner for children's rights. The couple met in 1990 shortly after Mandela was released from prison. Criminals Hiding Inside South Africa's Kruger National Park, July 19 1998 Car thieves have discovered an ingenious new hiding place for chop shops and stolen car lots - they are nestling among the lions within remote pockets of the Kruger National Park. Criminals have joined the hordes of tourists who escape to South Africa's most popular game park for periods of blissful tranquillity; and are running at least seven chop shops in the rugged terrain. As many as ten cars are chopped up every day in the Park, according to Tracker Stolen Vehicle Recovery, a company which has photographs of the rogue workshops. New High-tech South Africa / Mozambique Border, July 26 1998 A new 24-hour, one-stop, drive through passport control border post between South Africa and Mozambique will open for business in May of the year 2000 as part of the 35 billion Rand Maputo Corridor highway. Booths will be similar to those found at toll gates and feature express lanes for passenger vehicles with computerized swipe-through passport control, as well as separate lanes for travelers wanting VAT refunds and with goods to declare. Pedestrians and passenger buses will also have their own lanes. This new facility will serve as a model for similar projects on South Africa's borders with Zimbabwe and Namibia. The new border post may be named in honor of President Mandela's marriage to Mozambique's Graca Machel. Frankfurt Zoological Society to Run Zambian Park, July 26 1998 The Zambian government had awarded a 10-year contract to Germany's Frankfurt Zoological Society to manage the North Luangwa National Park in northern Zambia. The German society has promised to make the park - one of 19 in Zambia - a tourism attraction and money spinner in the next 10 years and will focus on replenishing depleted wildlife stocks. Investment in Angola's Parks, July 26 1998 Shell Oil of Angola has officially donated US $400,000 to the Kissama Foundation. The money is to be spent on the acquisition and transportation of animals to the Quicama National Park in Angola. This follows on the heels of a US $1 million donation made by Sonangol, an oil company in Angola, towards the upgrading of the Park's infrastructure. Mr. Peter Osborne, Shell's Director General in Angola, described the proposed Noah's Ark project whereby hundreds of animals will be translocated to the Quicama National Park by sea and air as "a laudable initiative and one which Shell Angola supports completely". The Kissama Foundation consists of a group of Angolans and South Africans sharing a concern for the future of Angola's wildlife. Decades of war have devastated the country's wildlife and the objective of the Foundation is to rehabilitate the parks to their former glory. The people of Angola will also benefit from the accompanying growth in tourism and the creation of job opportunities. Zimbabwean Tax Reversed, July 26 1998 The 17.5% sales tax on all foreign payments made for Zimbabwean tourism services and airline tickets has been reversed. Services paid for through foreign credit cards, foreign drafts and foreign travelers' checks will no longer be liable to the 17.5% sales tax as long as the payment is for accommodation or other tourism related services, and international airline tickets, unlike domestic airline tickets, will not be subject to the tax. Kenya's Tourism Still Suffering, July 26 1998 Kenya's tourism sector is still suffering a year after ethnic and political violence around coastal resorts caused visitors to flee. Kenyan Tourism Minister Henry Kosgey said this month that Kenya's tourism industry had suffered its worst year since independence in 1963. Of the 22 luxury tourist hotels at the upmarket resort of Malindi, 17 are closed. In Mombasa and the neighboring resort of Diani, hotels report occupancy rates of just 15 percent. According to the Kenya Tourist Board Chairman Eliud Mahihu, a total of 50,000 people have lost their jobs in the industry as a result of the slump. The city of Mombasa has embarked on a promotional campaign and have put up a web site which may be viewed at http://www.africaonline.co.ke/mombasa A special report on tourism by local businessmen cited insecurity, dilapidated infrastructure, epidemics, uncertainty ahead of last year's elections and bad public relations as contributing factors to the industry's decline. The government has pledged action but nothing has been done, officials said. Kenyan Game Warden Charged With 10 Year Old Murder, July 26 1998 A former Kenyan game park warden was charged this past Tuesday with the murder of British tourist Julie Ward nearly ten years ago. Simon Ole Makallah appeared before Nairobi Chief Magistrates Court. Makallah was senior warden at the Masai Mara game reserve when 28-year-old Ward was murdered in September 1988. "On a known day between September 6 and 13 1988, at the Masai Mara National Reserve he murdered Julie with others who are not in court,'' lead prosecutor Patrick Obimo said. Kenyan authorities had at first attempted to cover up the murder, saying Ward's hacked and charred remains were evidence of an attack by wild animals. Julie Wards father John, a Suffolk hotelier, vehemently rejected this claim from the start, and says he has spent more than 500,000 pounds (US $800,000) in the past 10 years in his pursuit of his daughter's killers. Makallah, now assistant director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, was represented in court by four lawyers from his own Masai tribe. Poachers Killed in Botswana, July 26 1998 Two alleged poachers were shot dead last Sunday by an anti-poaching unit of the Botswana Defense Force. The incident took place in the Kwando area, 5km from Botswana's border with Namibia. The BDF patrol made contact with four alleged poachers who resisted arrest and opened fire on the soldiers. Two poachers escaped unhurt but the other two were shot dead. The soldiers seized an AK-47 rifle, a rifle with four rounds, an ax and a knife. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
