ULTIMATE
AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive June 1997 Zimbabwe's President Heads Organization of African Unity, June 2 1997 Zimbabwe's president Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the new chairman of the Organization of African Unity - the OAU. Mugabe took over the leadership of the continental body during the thirty - third summit of the organization which opened in Harare today. In his inaugural speech Mugabe emphasized the need for African countries to pursue peace for it's citizens. Kenya Falls Apart, June 2 1997 Life in the city of Nairobi has slowly returned to normal after two days of riots and looting. 133 people were arrested over the weekend in connection with the violence that rocked city. A government statement issued last night says that the those arrested will face charges ranging from looting, arson, shop-breaking, and creating disturbance. In an unrelated story armed bandits killed one person and wounded dozens of others when they attacked travelers on the busy highway linking Nairobi with Mombasa. The gangsters sprayed about 50 buses, lorries and other vehicles with bullets before robbing the passengers of all their belongings on Friday and Saturday. Maasai Mara Rehabilitation Project is Complete, June 2 1997 According to the Kenya Wildlife Service the rehabilitation of the Maasai Mara National Reserve has been completed. The project, financed by the European Economic Community included the upgrading of a 45 kilometer road in the reserve, construction of a campsite at Sand River, and the establishment of a research station. Also included in the rehabilitation program was the construction of the Siana primary school. Flamingoes Return To Kenya's Lake Nakuru, June 2 1997 Some 100,000 flamingoes have returned to their Lake Nakuru sanctuary, in the Kenyan section of the rift valley, which they had deserted in 1996 when it started drying up. The areas park's warden, Daniel Kilonzo, said a large number of the flamingoes had migrated to the neighboring rift valley lakes of Bogoria and Elementaita. The birds returned to the sanctuary by the end of March and numbers had increased sharply since the onset of the heavy rains now pounding the whole country. Almost the entire flamingo population, which at best swells to 1.5 million when the water level is high and their food, blue green algae is abundant, had fled in 1996 when the lake receded leaving only strips of water. Other wildlife species at Lake Nakuru National Park including a rhino breeding herd introduced a decade ago, hundreds of buffaloes, water bucks, warthogs and giraffe are now gaining weight as the bush recovers from drought. Elephant Birth Control Project Backfires, June 8 1997 South Africa's Kruger National Park has scrapped a birth control project for female elephants because it has backfired. The elephants now have a heightened sex appeal. A group of elephant cows implanted over a six month period with estrogen hormones, intended to prevent conception, had instead been left permanently on heat! Trans-Frontier Parks for Southern Africa, June 8 1997 The Southern African Development Community has initiated a proposal for the establishment of seven trans-frontier conservation areas in the southern African region. Essentially, TFCAs are relatively large tracts of land that straddle frontiers between two or more countries and cover large-scale natural systems encompassing one or more protected areas. Countries involved in the parks will agree on entry fees, accommodation rates and will share the costs and revenue. Kruger National Park will, in the future, be linked to the Banhine-Zinave and Gonarezhou reserves which will open up former elephant migration routes. Top 5 Destinations in South Africa, June 15 1997 According to recent tourism statistics 4 of South Africa's top 5 attractions are located in the western Cape region. These include (in descending order of popularity) the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the Cape Point, Table Mountain (the cable car is closed for renovations until October 1, 1997) and the Wine Route. Kruger National Park was rated #5. Forward Thinking Wildlife Conservation in Namibia, June 15 1997 A far-reaching system of community wildlife management, similar to Zimbabwe's internationally acclaimed CAMPFIRE program, is empowering villagers in remote northern Namibia to conserve wildlife. The people of northern Namibia are banding together to fight poaching after the passage of legislation that allows communities to manage wildlife for their own benefit. Witchcraft and Sorcery Still Strong in Africa, June 15 1997 An unlicensed pilot, Steven Shongo, of Zambia's Lumanu village (popularly known as 'Squeeze' in Chief Mumba's area), confessed that together with seven others they crashed-landed in a maize field in an aircraft used by witches and wizards. He admitted that he was a witch who ate human flesh. This came in the wake of a ban from Chief Mumba that the suspected witches and wizards should leave the area by August this year. U.S. Congressman Hails Downlisting Of Elephant, June 22 1997 United States Republican Congressman Richard Pombo said Thursday he supported the decision by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to downlist the African elephant which allows limited trade in ivory and other elephant products. The Cites conference of the parties has endorsed an important first step toward recognition of sustainable utilization in management of the African elephant population, he said. International scrutiny will now be cast on Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. If they continue to carry out wildlife management in a responsible manner, then the new Cites policy will be a victory for both the people and wildlife, said Pombo who serves on the House of Representatives Committee on Resources, which has jurisdiction over CITES. There are an estimated 600,000 elephants in Africa and Southern Africa has a 300,000-kilogramme stockpile of ivory. This accounts for at least half of all of Africa's stocks that could generate 30 million U.S. dollars. The three states will only resume trading after 18 months with experimental quotas of not exceeding 25.3 tons for Botswana, 13.8 tons for Namibia and 20 tonnes for Zimbabwe. Japan has been identified as the sole trading partner for all the three Southern African countries. Tears, Joy Greet Elephant Downlisting, June 22 1997 Ululation and sadness punctuated the announcement Thursday that Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe had won the right to trade in ivory. The three countries successfully lobbied to have the African elephant downlisted from appendix I to appendix ll, which allows for trade in elephant products. Many delegates at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), officials of non-governmental organizations and even journalists broke into wild ululation, singing and clapping of hands. As soon as the announcement was made, Zimbabwe's vice chairman for the Communal Area Management Programme for Indigenous Resources, Jerry Gotora, led a large section of celebrators in singing Ishe Komborera Africa (God Bless Africa), the current South African national anthem. IT has also been the national anthem of several east and southern African countries, including Zimbabwe. Namibia's minister of environment and tourism, Gert Hanekom, told a press conference: I am going back home this afternoon a very happy man. This is the only possible way that our people can benefit from wildlife, accept wildlife and conserve wildlife. His Zimbabwean counterpart, Chen Chimutengwende, said: We are very happy that we have won. Our right to use our resources for the benefit of our people. By downlisting the elephants, Cites has demonstrated that it is not an organization that punishes those that successfully manage their resources, Botswana's minister of commerce and industry, George Kgoroba, said. South Africa's environment and tourism deputy minister, Peter Mokaba, whose country chairs Sadc, told a news conference that the victory was a great day for the region. He commended the organization for rallying behind the three countries despite stiff opposition from the United States and other animal rights groups. For the developed countries of the North, their embracing of sustainable utilisation of natural resources gives assurance that natural resources will be conserved for future generations while being sustainably utilised by the present generation, Mokaba said. With a total of 150,000 elephants, the three countries have 300,000 kilogrammes of ivory stockpiles worth 30 million U.S. dollars. Elephant States Win Battle On Trade, June 22 1997 Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe on Thursday won their hard-fought battle to lift the eight-year ban on ivory trade on condition that no exports are made before 18 months of downlisting elephants. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted in favour of the modified proposals to delete elephants from the endangered list as presented by the three countries. The results of the secret ballot votes for Botswana were 74 in favour, 21 against and 24 abstentions, while 74 parties voted in favour of Namibia's proposals, with 22 voting against and 24 abstaining. Zimbabwe received the highest positive vote of 77, while 23 were against the proposal and 20 abstained. According to the conditions set by the working group, the standing committee would have a mechanism to halt ivory trade if poaching and illegal trade escalated. The U.S., which together with influential conservation groups has firmly opposed reopening ivory trade, conceded defeat by pledging to work with elephant range states in Africa to ensure that populations were not endangered. We voted against these proposals because we are concerned about the effects, a U.S. delegate said. However, we respect the decision which was taken today and we are prepared to work with the panel of experts and the standing committee in the elephant range states so that there is minimum risk to the elephant populations. Kenyan Expert says Elephant Downlisting was Inevitable, June 22 1997 According to Dr. David Western, the director of the Kenya Wildlife Services, the decision to resume limited trade in ivory was inevitable. Dr western said the three elephant rich nations would have opted out of CITES, if their proposal had not been approved. The KWS director said this would have put the African elephant in a precarious position, since they would have traded outside the convention, without any measures to control illegal trade. Zambian Government Honours Conservationist, June 22 1997 The Zambian government has honoured veteran wildlife conservationist, Norman Carr, by naming a road after him in the South Luangwa National Park. passing through a section he loved most in South Luangwa Game sanctuary. The 'Norman Carr Drive' runs from Mfuwe Lodge to Chibembe Pontoon through Kakuli, Mchenja, Lion Camp and Big Lagoon tourist settlements. Top politicians were at hand to offer prayers and praises. The tribute to Norman Carr is in recognition of his efforts in conserving wildlife in Zambia generally and in South Luangwa in particular. He died in South Africa last April after an illness. Speaking at a thanks-giving service for the late Mr Carr in Mfuwe, Eastern Province deputy minister, Cikakula Banda, disclosed that apart from honouring the late hero, government will also erect a plaque depicting Mr Carr and the chief with whom he had collaborated in the conservation of wildlife in the area. The plaque will be erected at Chichele Hot Springs in the Nsefu sector of South Luangwa National Park. Mr Banda observed that many people looked upon Mr Carr not only as a leader in the field of wildlife conservation and walking safaris both in Zambia and abroad but also as a partner in the development of the tourism industry and his achievements as pioneer conservatior in Zambia's wildlife would never be forgotten. Former Zambian president, Kenneth Kaunda, shed tears of sorrow as he recalled his personal relationship with the late conservationist declaring that Mr Carr, whom he considered a friend, had stood for something very special. "Norman Carr was a giant and his history will be remembered by the whole world," he said. Air Zimbabwe Returns to London South Terminal, June 29 1997 Air Zimbabwe, which has appointed Gatwick International as its handling agent, returns to the London airport's south terminal on July 5, in a move expected to improve the airline's passenger services. Air Zimbabwe has been using the north terminal for the past five years, and the relocation allows passengers to avoid using airport buses as they will now have access to a sky bridge. The south terminal is also where the Air Zimbabwe Gatwick office is located, which means that in cases where assistance is required, the airline staff are readily available. "We are delighted that we are able to relocate back to our original terminal. The move back to south terminal means that our passengers are able to enjoy a more convenient and efficient service", according to the airline. Bus Between Vic Falls and Hwange More Viable, June 29 1997 Zimbabwe Express Airlines are introducing a scheduled bus service between Victoria Falls and Hwange airports as it's not financially viable for them to fly this sector at current airfares. Research done by Zimbabwe Express shows that a bus trip is regarded as "quite interesting" by tourists and that most local and international tour operators support the idea. They also believe that since most passengers check in 45 minutes before flight time and still take time at the other end to get off the plane and collect their baggage, the elapsed time by bus is much the same with a lot less hassle. The bus trip will take approx. 1 hour 50 minutes from departure to arrival. The bus will be controlled by Zimbabwe Express Airlines and be painted in their colours. The bus has air-con, a large baggage trailer, public address and music system, driver video camera, monitoring of baggage trailer, and seatbelts. The scheduled bus service will be introduced from 1 July 1997 and will depart daily from Victoria Falls and Hwange. It will also connect to Hwange from their Saturday and Sunday Harare/Victoria Falls and from Hwange to their Victoria Falls/Johannesburg and Victoria Falls/Harare flights. Return to Weekly Update Archive |
