The Sunday Mail
Tendai Rupapa
Senior Reporter
FIRST LADY Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has been appointed Wildlife Ambassador in Africa for an international organisation — WildAid Foundation, in a development expected to enhance the country’s conservation efforts and stimulate the economy.
Wildlife Ambassador First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is welcomed by WildAid and Imire Game Park staff soon after her appointment to the position taking with her inmates convicted of wildlife crimes to enable them to appreciate the importance of safeguarding wildlife.
Dr Mnangagwa said with her new role, she will amplify awareness among other African First Ladies during their roundtable meetings.
WildAid founder and president Mr Peter Knights said he was delighted the First Lady had accepted the post.
“We are very excited and honoured today that the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has agreed to become our ambassador for wildlife, environment and forestry. Not just here in Zimbabwe but across Africa, in fact, the rest of the world to promote wildlife and tourism here in Zimbabwe and to put Zimbabwe on the map internationally as a great destination for people to come and enjoy wildlife and stimulate the economy at the same time. We see the First Lady has been an amazing champion for tourism, wildlife and the environment here in Zimbabwe and we are hoping that she takes that role beyond Zimbabwean borders. So, we will be doing a series of events and activities with her,” he said.
In her acceptance speech, the mother of the nation said she would approach the task hands-on.
“I am so happy about this, it’s an honour to Zimbabwe,” she said with a broad smile.
“The spatial extent of areas under wildlife management is over 27 percent of Zimbabwe, straddling across gazetted protected areas under the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, which constitutes 13 percent and the rest falling under gazetted forestry areas, private properties, conservancies, communal and Campfire areas. Further, Zimbabwe is involved in six trans-frontier conservation areas and is part of several international and regional conventions related to biodiversity conservation,” she said.
Wildlife Ambassador First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa feeds an elephant at Imire Game Park during her visit with inmates convicted of wildlife crimes.
Mrs Sharon Musakwa, the head of management services for Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, said she was delighted by the First Lady’s recent appointment. “We are very grateful for the appointment of Amai as ambassador for wildlife globally. This is going to mean a lot in terms of conservation, especially in our communities, not only in Zimbabwe but also in Africa as a whole. She has been working as wildlife ambassador for Zimbabwe and we have seen a lot of positive things coming. She has been advocating protection of communities in relation to human-wildlife conflict management. She has done a lot to try and ensure that conservation is uplifted in our country. So, this is going to enhance the conservation efforts that she has been putting in Zimbabwe,” she said.
And the First Lady hit the ground running with a visit to Imire Game Park, where she held an awareness workshop on wildlife conservation with other wildlife stakeholders and inmates convicted of wildlife crimes.
Wildlife Ambassador First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa and Imire Game Park Founder Mrs Judy Travers feeds an elephant during her visit with inmates convicted of wildlife crimes to enable them to appreciate the importance of safeguarding wildlife. Pictures: John Manzongo
The aim is to rehabilitate them and make them appreciate the importance of wildlife.
She said there was need to address human wildlife-conflict through awareness programmes to the demographics situated in borderline communities and game parks.
She spelt out the need for citizens situated at such peripheries to learn the habits of animals that dwell near their areas.
Such initiatives, Dr Mnangagwa said, were welcome in preserving endangered species in the animal kingdom. “Imire has provided a safe haven for endangered wildlife conservation for nearly 70 years, protecting wild animals, re-wilding many species, including cheetah, it is a place for wildlife research, innovative game capture and advanced anti-poaching solutions,” she said.
The First Lady said Zimbabwe was proud of its place in Africa’s rich biodiversity, with animals of global significance such as the elephant, rhinoceros, lion and cheetah.
“Since my appointment as the country’s Wildlife Ambassador accorded to me by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, my office has been working tirelessly to engage potential stakeholders on issues where humans and wildlife intersect. There is need to address human-wildlife conflict through awareness programmes to the demographics situated in borderline communities and game parks. These citizens situated at such peripheries need to learn the habits of the animals that dwell near their areas.
“Poaching and illegal wildlife trade remain a major threat to Zimbabwe’s economic development and national heritage. We are here today to welcome the Zimbabwe prison and correctional services as we learn more about the front-lines in conservation action. This initiative is important for us as a collective community, to move forward to a place of collaboration and teamwork for the economic growth of our country. I would also like to encourage the inmates gathered here today to take the lessons learnt here and be ambassadors for conservation,” she said.
WildAid works on conservation awareness programmes around the world, and the First Lady said Zimbabwe was grateful for the support they provide in Africa, and here in Zimbabwe, because “poaching steals from us all”.
“Today, we bring together many facets of the environment that I am so passionate about. I hereby open the programme with prisons, WildAid and Imire. This is a great opportunity for me and Zimbabwe to be recognised to lead in the WildAid globally. To my children, being in prison is not a punishment but rehabilitation. You are going to be my wildlife ambassadors. I have traversed the country and I know where the wildlife is. I will be travelling with you so that you appreciate our wildlife,” she said.
Cheetahs which form part of the wildlife at Imire Game Park stare at Wildlife Ambassador First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, inmates convicted of wildlife crimes and Imire staff during their tour of the game park.
After the awareness campaign, the First Lady, inmates and all stakeholders went for a game drive, where rangers also took the inmates and guests through their routines and did a drill on how they track poachers and how they protect wildlife.
Imire Game Ranger and his dog demonstrate to First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa and inmates convicted of wildlife crimes how they track and bring down poachers in the game park.
The First Lady fed a 42-year-old elephant, and the animals they saw included cheetahs, antelopes, warthogs, giraffes, rhinos, impala and wildebeest, among many others.
Mr Knights said they were on a mission to reduce poaching.
“WildAid is an international organisation that works on protecting wildlife around the world. Here in Africa we have been working on trying to reduce poaching, amplifying public awareness, promoting tourism and trying to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
“We have been working with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services and communities to educate them on the present system about wildlife crime and the penalties for wildlife crime. We also educate them on why we need to protect our wildlife for the economy of the country. Today, we have inmates who came to hear what the First Lady had to say and to go out and appreciate wildlife. The First lady joined us today, which is incredible and we are happy to work with her,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Mr Railey Trevors, representing Imire Game Park, praised the First Lady for her efforts in conservation.
“Amai, this, for me, is groundbreaking. This is what conservation is all about. This is hands-on frontline work involving international organisations, local organisations and authorities, collaborating to come up with what I feel is the first of its kind action to rehabilitate inmates and give them the chance and education they need to make the right decision. And this, for me, is empowering, it’s meaningful. I hope this is not the first. I hope there are many of these to come, with your support and your blessing I feel we can move mountains here. To the inmates, we all make wrong decisions in life but we all have the opportunity to correct our mistakes,” he said.
One of the inmates, Godknows Chivaka, was thankful to the First Lady for giving them a chance to learn about wildlife conservation.
“I am happy to be here with Amai, who is teaching us the importance of wildlife conservation. I thought animals were enemies but through the teachings from the First Lady and other stakeholders, I have learnt that animals are important for us and the next generation. If we deplete them through poaching, what will the next generation learn? We learnt that being in prison is not a punishment but rehabilitation. I now understand that we should not poach animals, but protect them for generations to come,” he said.
Deputy Minister for Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Tino Machakaire thanked Amai Mnangagwa for her great works in the country, especially in tourism and wildlife conservation.
Mr Luckmore Safuli, the communications officer for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), showered Dr Mnangagwa with praises for her work.
“As IFAW, we are extremely excited about the work being done by the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa in promoting peaceful co-existence of wildlife and people. Wildlife conservation requires teamwork, commitment and collaboration.
“We need to join hands and work together to raise awareness on sustainable conservation. In order to win the fight against poaching and to reduce human footprint on nature, we have to take the conservation agenda to critical institutions such as prisons, parliament and tertiary institutions. As a global not-for-profit organisation working to promote biodiversity conservation, wildlife rescue and community engagement, we would like to reiterate our commitment to working closely with the First Lady,” he said.
