The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Farawo
ONE of the world’s most powerful men, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and his family jetted into the country last week for a private visit.
The Ceferin family became one of the many high-profile international celebrities that visited the country this festive season.
Hollywood stars Michael Douglas, wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and their children also recently visited the country.
Part of the Ceferin family’s travel itinerary included visits to Hwange National Park – home to the largest elephant herd in the country and one of the biggest national parks in the world and Matopos National Park, which has a diversity of game, including white rhinos, sable antelopes, impala, leopards and many others.
With 11 National Parks, most of which are home to the most sought after “Big Five” animals, it is an indisputable fact that Zimbabwe’s wildlife-based tourism is primed for a massive growth, buoyed by good wildlife management practices and sustainable conservation.
Among the high-profile visitors to the majestic Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park includes CITES secretary general Ms Ivonne Higuero and BBC HardTalk anchor Stephen Sacker, who all admitted that they had never seen such large herds of elephants.
Wildlife is without doubt a major draw card for our tourism in Zimbabwe and the region, although there is need to balance the ever growing population of the largest animal on earth and the eco-system.
In fact, the country is grappling with overpopulation of elephants and many other animal species in protected areas.
Wildlife experts agree that a wildlife economy is a powerful and central tool for economic growth.
According to research, Southern Africa’s wildlife economy is worth over US$3 billion, with a chance of growing 10-fold in the coming years and creating hundreds of thousands of the much-needed jobs, not to mention the infrastructural development.
At the maiden and historic United Nations-African Union Wildlife Economy Summit held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe last June, a well-travelled wildlife enthusiast, Mr Keith Vincent of Wilderness Safaris, praised Southern Africa for being the one of the few places on earth where wildlife population is increasing.
“In 1960, we had two million animals in Southern Africa, now we have 20 million. Southern Africa now has a two to three billion-dollar economy, which creates about 300 000 jobs. The question is why can’t we increase this economy to US$30 billion?” said Vincent.
President Mnangagwa presided over the summit, which was attended by several Heads of State within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA).
Thanks to the ZimParks’ transformation by its director-general, Mr Fulton Upenyu Mangwanya, Zimbabwe now prides herself as one of the few nations in the world with increasing wild population.
At more than 84 000 elephants, Zimbabwe has the second largest population of jumbos in the world. However, this has come with its own challenges. Human-wildlife conflicts claimed nearly 40 lives in 2019. Habitat loss has also become the biggest threat to the survival of elephants and other animals.
In 2014, the country lost 400 elephants. However, the figure was reduced to between 12 and 18 in 2018. ln 2019, approximately 18 elephants were poached.
The authority recorded about 720 incursions in 2016. ln 2019, the number fell to just over 300, which means protected areas are now no go areas for poachers.
Zimparks has an intensive ranger based monitoring system which enables management to analyse patrol efforts versus law enforcement records.
Needless to mention that all these developments are a result of the able and visionary leadership of Mr Mangwanya and his team.
His efforts are being recognised not only in Zimbabwe, but also in the United States of America, France and Germany.
Since taking over the reins at ZimParks in August 2017, Mr Mangwanya has received a number of awards. He is credited for strategising an effective anti-poaching system and management of the country’s wildlife heritage.
Under his leadership, ZimParks won the 2019 ZITF gold medal for best exhibition in the field of environmental and tourism as well as the Megafest award (Platinum medal) for the Outstanding Public Leader of the Year in 2018.
He was also recognized internationally when ZimParks was awarded the 2019 Green Era Sustainability Award in Germany.
Mr Mangwanya was also awarded at the Excellence in Quality and Management Forum held in Cannes, France, in October 2019.
In United States of America, Mr Mangwanya was acknowledged for being a successful leader who works in an innovative, knowledgeable and systematic manner.
Wrote Anna Gorobets, the Forum Coordinator, in a letter of invitation addressed to Mr Mangwanya last October: “We are pleased to invite you as the head of a top regional company that has implemented a successful quality management system, demonstrates high-level performance and effectiveness, vision and leadership, innovation, creativity, and has received high quality scores from consumers.”
ZimParks also won several awards at the 2018 ZITF and Harare Agricultural Show.
There is no doubt that there is renewed confidence in the wildlife management authority and the men and women who spend sleepless nights looking after the country’s most treasured asset – wildlife.
Over the last three years, the authority managed to procure 96 vehicles (26 were donated) and several drones. This has assisted in improving patrols and reactions to animal control.
Over the same period, the authority, under Mr Mangwanya, managed to clear a legacy debt of US$25 million.
According to the World Bank, wildlife based tourism has been expanding rapidly during the last decade due to increased demand and opportunities. However, the sector has also been affected adversely by poaching and lack of funding for wildlife protection.
The authority is seized with this.
To put an icing on the cake, Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube said although ZimParks is plagued by corporate governance issues, Mr Mangwanya has been working on it, with positive results already being realised.
“The efforts of the new management, at the helm since August 2017, and the board, has changed a lot of governance issues that were undermining activities and operations at Zimparks,” the Finance Minister said in his memorandum to Cabinet.
Tinashe Farawo is the Head of Communications at Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. He can be contacted on [email protected]
