The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
POACHING continues to present major headaches for stakeholders in the wildlife sector and finding a remedy to cure this disease is proving tough.
PJ Powers
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, conservationists, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders are constantly looking for solutions to combat the scourge.
Various art forms are sometimes used to bring awareness and to raise funds for conservation initiatives and last week the Harare Round Table presented Rhino Fest Three, a music fete meant to raise funds for The SOUL Trust’s K9s for Conservation project.
The festival was headlined by South African Afro-pop legend PJ Powers and rock powerhouse Ghapi, who were supported by several local artistes including Bud Cockcroft, Rob Macson, Gary Stanley and Public Nuisance among others.
In an interview, PJ Powers said she was thrilled to be part and parcel of such an initiative.
“I am here to perform at this festival because I am against poaching and I am committed to playing my part in the fight.
“The problem of rhino poaching for the illegal horn trade has become an international dilemma and something has to be done to combat this problem,” said PJ Powers.
During her performance she was full of energy and continued expressing her views about the wildlife situation in the country. The star pulled off an exceptional performance, belting out yesteryear and current hits, captivating the fans who were singing along and dancing to the music.
Although she was not using a live band, selecting backtracks on her own from an iPad that was propped up on centre stage, her set was solid and she would ask fans to request the songs they wanted her to sing.
Ghapi was also exceptional on stage, capturing the hearts of fans with a charged set. The band played their music and complemented the set with renditions of other popular musicians, which they fused with their rock sound generating excitement among the fans.
The local acts who also went on stage did not disappoint and managed to keep the party mood on a high until the show came to a close.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail Leisure, one of the festival organisers Bud Cockcroft shed more light on the festival and its history.
“Rhino Fest One was held way back in March 1988, when a music festival was staged at Postals Sports Club in Harare, featuring local bands and musicians who all performed free of charge.
“Around 1500 people attended and all funds raised were handed to The Zimbabwe National Conservation Trust, to assist the then Department of National Parks and Wildlife, for Operation Stronghold, which was also known as the Save the Rhino Campaign,” said Cockcroft.
“Rhino Fest Two was held a few months later, in October 1988, at Water Whirld Water Park in Harare and again, local bands and musicians performed free of charge, and around 5 000 people attended with all funds raised going to The Zimbabwe National Conservation Trust, who in turn used them to support the Save the Rhino Campaign.”
After the first two editions, the initiative took a sabbatical and returned this year with the aim of raising funds for a SOUL Trust’s K9s for Conservation project.
“I was approached by a group of conservationists at the end of last year to stage another music festival ‘Rhino Fest Three’, so I started on the project with a committee of fellow conservation minded people, under the stewardship of Harare Round Table.
“The SOUL Trust and their K9s for Conservation project, was identified as the beneficiary, so as to assist with their specialised tracker dog (anti-poaching) unit.
“The result was last Saturday’s Rhino Fest Three at Old Georgians Sports Club which was a big success with all funds being collected and administered by Round Table but exact amounts raised are not yet known.”
The SOUL Trust has been formed as the legal entity behind K9s for Conservation with the aim of establishing a specialised canine unit, with a base of operations in Zimbabwe. This canine unit will provide support to National Parks, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, conservancies, and trusts that deal with poaching issues.
These canine teams will be trained at a central location, and then deployed into a variety of areas to detect illegal wildlife goods, and provide support in the apprehension of poachers, and illegal wildlife and livestock vendors.
The project currently has four dogs imported from Holland, as well as six completed kennels.
