TOURISM and Hospitality Industry minister, Walter Mzembi said he had been vindicated in calling for caution on the Save Valley Conservancy as some of the invaders had been rejected by the electorate during Zanu PF’s primary elections.
REPORT BY NDAMU SANDU
Last year, Zanu PF heavyweights such as the late Higher and Tertiary Education minister, Stan Mudenge and Masvingo provincial governor, Titus Maluleke among others invaded the conservancy.
Others included former legislators, Roni Ndava (Chiredzi North), Ailess Baloyi (Chiredzi South), Abraham Sithole (Chiredzi East) and War veterans’ leader, Joseph Chinotimba.
They were later given 25-year leases by the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
“The Save Valley saga claimed four [potential] MPs in Chiredzi — governor Maluleke, Ronnie Ndava, Baloyi and Sithole — who were championing it but were rejected by the people. It seems there must have been something people found,” Mzembi said.
“The sum total of it is that this wildlife-based reform programme as originally conceived, that is, the empowerment of individuals, is extremely unpopular. The people are in favour of a broad-based empowerment model and that’s how they have spoken through our primary election.”
Mzembi’s remarks are likely to set him on a collision course with Zanu PF colleagues who had been pushing to take over the conservancy, a wildlife conservation leader in Zimbabwe.
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In February, Maluleke told President Robert Mugabe he wondered why the conservancy was spared from the indigenisation crusade.
“We are skeptical why Save Valley alone is defiant to indigenisation. Our concern is why Save alone among all the four conservancies in the country,” Maluleke told Mugabe at the belated annual Chiefs Council in Masvingo.
Maluleke’s number was barred from incoming calls yesterday.
Last year’s invasion of the conservancy by Zanu PF bigwigs and securocrats, after getting 25-year leases and hunting quotas from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, was widely condemned and viewed as another platform by the connected few to amass wealth. The new owners were accused of poaching animals.
The matter spilled into Cabinet with Mugabe booting out the new owners and putting in place a cabinet committee to resolve the issue.
Mzembi told tourism stakeholders last week the Save Valley saga would not have happened had environment and tourism been one ministry.
Stakeholders had asked Mzembi whether it was possible to lobby for the amalgamation of the ministries of Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Environment and Natural Resources Management to avoid the chaos that took place in the conservancy.
Mzembi said the allocation of ministries was the prerogative of the President but the industry can lobby if they wanted the two ministries to be amalgamated. Before the consummation of the inclusive government, tourism and environment was under one ministry.
Mzembi said his interventions in the Save Valley saga had inspired him to do an academic research for his doctorate under the title An Exploratory Study of Regional Conservation Governance Dynamics in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
‘Save conservancy, primaries distinct issues’
Ailess Baloyi told The Standard yesterday Zanu PF primaries and the developments at Save Valley Conservancy were two distinct issues and he was still at the conservancy in line with a court ruling that said they were the rightful owners of the place.
“There is nothing in connection with that. We never took that issue [Save Valley conservancy] to the people,” he said.
Baloyi said his defeat in the primaries could be “a result of money flowing around” but pledged to support Zanu PF in the forthcoming polls.
