1 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting will be held at Khayelitshe House on Sunday 23rd November at 10 for
10.30am. Please see directions in item 3 of this newsletter. We hope to see you there. As always, we
will welcome nominations to the committee and enjoy the opportunity to exchange ideas with our
members. Make a date in your diary!
It is important that we discuss the requirements of the PVO Bill and how we approach the matter. This
may require an adaptation of our constitution so it is important that a quality discussion is held on this
matter.

2 – YEAR UNDER REVIEW AND AHEAD
Another year is rushing to its conclusion. Spring this year seems to have been especially bountiful. The
good rains last season, after three dry years, no doubt played a part and the vegetation responded with
a bounty of flowers and foliage. The hills are still pretty wet with surface water in the vleis and even
some streams. Then our rains started perhaps a bit earlier, and dams that were drying out are suddenly
spilling.
Next year marks the centenary of the declaration of the Rhodes Matopos National Park, making this
Park the oldest in the country, on a par with Rhodes Inyanga NP and two years younger than Hwange
NP. It’s origin of course goes back to the 1902 will of C J Rhodes who left his Worlds View and
Hazelside farms to the people of Bulawayo. These farms, the former a National Monument, are the core
of the existing Park. A game sanctuary was initially established, along with an arboretum. This
arrangement continued for the next 24 years. I guess it took the establishment of self-Government in
1923 for the formal declaration of a Park to take place. The original Park was much larger than that
which we enjoy today, incorporating what we now call Khumalo and Gulathi Communal lands, and
yes, this Park included people! It was many years later that a decision was taken to reduce the size of
the Park and resettle the inhabitants into the aforementioned areas.
With the Matobo National Park plan about to be unveiled, 2026 could yet be an important milestone in
the history of our special hills.

2

3 – NEXT EVENT
Date Sunday 23 November 2025
Venue Khayelitshe House, Matopos
Meet 08:15am, Cresta Churchill
Travel All vehicles
We will travel out via the Matopos / Kezi Road, and be hosted at African Bush Camps guest villa
Khayelitshe House, on the border of the Matopos National Park. The turnoff, which is on the left, is just
between the ZimTours Hermits Peak gate and Big Cave Camp gate. Last road before Big Cave Camp.
Please note that there are detours on the Kezi Rd after the Cyrene Mission Rd turnoff. For a preview,
play the You-Tube video, via the link below:

We will have an update on tourism in the area, as well as undertake a number of walks. This area has
magnificent trees and interesting rock formations.
4 – REPORT BACK – ZHILO WETLAND
The field trip on Sunday 14 September was again not as well attended as it could have been, with only
14 members. However, that did not stop those who participated from enjoying the beauty of the eastern
Matopos. Whilst most brachystegia had turned green there were still a few remarkable colours to be
enjoyed. The drive is always a little longer, but once within the hills you don’t notice the distance. But
we arrived in time for morning tea before walking across the wetland, and following the stream south.
Beautiful clear water flowing from the end of the vlei – life generating!
After lunch we followed the old Zhilo track south, admiring the beautiful brachystegia forest. A short
cut home did however end up in an all fours scramble up a steep dwala! But we all made it back.

5 – EMA ISSUES WARNING ON INVASIVE SPECIES.
With acknowledgement to E Vhera, Herald

THE Environmental Management Authority (EMA) has advised the nation to be wary of Invasive Alien
Species (IAS), which can cause significant decline in crop, fish production and biodiversity loss.
IAS are non-native organisms that, when introduced to a new habitat, can out-compete indigenous
species for resources, disrupt ecological balances and exert negative impacts on the environment,
economy and human health.
The invasive species are plants, animals, pathogens and other organisms that are non-native to an
ecosystem. These species can also be aquatic or terrestrial.
In a recent notice, EMA said the environmental consequences of IAS in the country were profound.
“Many IAS reduce crop yields by competing for nutrients and water with the spread of these, leading
to increased reliance on pesticides and herbicides, posing health risks to farmers and consumers alike,”
said EMA.
The authority said managing the spread of IAS and mitigating their impacts placed a heavy burden on
agriculture and conservation efforts, diverting resources from other critical areas.
According to convention on biological diversity, invasive species often thrive in their new environment
as they are free from their natural predators.
Invasive species can spread rapidly, inflicting long-lasting damage on native ecosystems. The
Environmental Management Act (CAP 20:27) defines IAS as exotic plants which have become
naturalised and threaten the existence of indigenous species by penetrating and replacing indigenous
vegetation.
EMA revealed that a number of IAS came into the country as ornamental plants from other countries
and once introduced, some of these escaped their enclosure or cultivation and become established as
viable populations.
Accidental introduction can also be from contaminated freight or movement of contaminated wood.
The most common IAS in Zimbabwe are lantana camara, water hyacinth and opuntia fulgida.

4

“Other plant species, including the Vernonathura polyanthes commonly known as Bee bush or
Mupesepes which have invaded the Eastern Highlands and other animal species are undergoing the due
process of being declared as such through relevant legislation amendments,” said EMA.
EMA said effective management practices and key strategies being employed in Zimbabwe to combat
spread of IAS included monitoring and research, public awareness campaign, integrated management
approaches and international collaborations.
Plant Quarantine Services Institute (PQSI) is spearheading the control of the country’s borders and
airports from the threat of IAS by monitoring and inspecting plant materials to ensure compliance with
regulations as well as conducting risk assessments to identify potential bio-security risks.
PQSI head, Mrs Louisa Makumbe said they were educating stakeholders on bio-security best practices
and enforce regulations to act against smuggling and non-compliance.
“As humans, we are attracted to plants as we travel around the globe. Traders tend to get attracted to
fruits, plants and flowers but if they do not import them safely, they bring pests and diseases. As Plant
Quarantine Services Institute we are in conflict with people who want to bring in something that they
love but are unaware of the risks that it brings into the country without proper inspection and
documentation,” she said.
Editor – The MCS has in the past assisted ZNPWMA with the successful eradication of azolla fern from
Maleme dam, but the fight against exotics such as lantana, eucalyptus, wattles, bottle brush, cactus and
sisal continues. Sadly, government authorities are long on talk but slow on action.
6 – ZIMPARKS FLAGS MINING ACTIVITIES IN PARKS
With acknowledgment to Newsday, 7 May 2025
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has voiced concern over a
growing number of entities seeking to conduct mining operations within national parks across the
country.
The authority warned that the trend posed a threat to Zimbabwe’s conservation efforts and the country’s
vital tourism sector.
ZimParks corporate secretary Nyasha Mutyambizi revealed this when she appeared before the
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Tourism and Hospitality Industry on Monday this week.
“There is a prevailing belief that the richest mining deposits are located within park areas, leading to
immense pressure, particularly in the Matopos region for coal,” she said.
Mutyambizi also highlighted the widespread interest in exploiting resources within protected areas.
“Everybody wants to come and mine in the parks. This again is putting a lot of pressure because our
international tourist market is now questioning how conservation and mining can coexist.
“They are asking why they should visit Zimbabwe if our laws fail to protect wildlife. Many individuals
are deeply passionate about animals and believe that the government and ZimParks should be able to
halt the mining activities,” she said.
Mutyambizi said the interest from mining entities remained high despite government initiatives and
legislation aimed at curbing mining in national parks.
“So, we are experiencing significant pressure, and despite government’s implementation of Cabinet
resolutions, we are continually surprised to see applications progressing through our counterparts at the
Ministry of Mines,” she said.
Mutyambizi further revealed that ZimParks has received numerous complaints and petitions from
various concerned parties regarding the detrimental impact of mining on their conservation endeavours.
“In our view, it is unclear why these applications continue to be considered. We have received countless
complaints and petitions from around the globe, including embassies, yet it appears we do not
adequately value conservation,” she said.
“We understand that by safeguarding our animals and natural areas, we possess the potential to generate
greater revenue. Conservation, unlike mining, does not destroy the environment, allowing future
generations to continue enjoying these areas.”
ZimParks recently flagged a proposed coal mining project in the Hwange National Park saying it posed
a threat to the country’s endangered black rhino population.
The authority further called on the Mines and Mining Development ministry to cancel the mining
project saying it will increase the risk of extinction of the rhino and diminish prospects for population
recovery.
Chinese firm Sunny Yi Feng has applied to prospect for coal in an area comprising more than 16 000
hectares less than eight kilometres from the rhinos’ protected zone, the Government Gazette

5

7 – UNPARALLELED SNAKE ANTIVENOM MADE FROM MAN WHO WAS
BITTEN 200 TIMES
With acknowledgment to James Gallagher
A black mamba is arguably the world’s deadliest snake.
The blood of a US man who deliberately injected himself with snake venom for nearly two decades has
led to an “unparalleled” antivenom, say scientists.
Antibodies found in Tim Friede’s blood have been shown to protect against fatal doses from a wide
range of species in animal tests.
Current therapies have to match the specific species of venomous snake anyone has been bitten by.
But Mr Friede’s 18-year mission could be a significant step in finding a universal antivenom against all
snakebites – which kill up to 140,000 people a year and leave three times as many needing amputations
or facing permanent disability.
In total, Mr Friede has endured more than 200 bites and more than 700 injections of venom he prepared
from some of the world’s deadliest snakes, including multiple species of mambas, cobras, taipans and
kraits.
He initially wanted to build up his immunity to protect himself when handling snakes, documenting his
exploits on YouTube.
But the former truck mechanic said that he had “completely screwed up” early on when two cobra bites
in quick succession left him in a coma.
“I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to lose a finger. I didn’t want to miss work,” he told the BBC.
Mr Friede’s motivation was to develop better therapies for the rest of the world, explaining: “It just
became a lifestyle and I just kept pushing and pushing and pushing as hard as I could push – for the
people who are 8,000 miles away from me who die from snakebite”.
‘I’d love to get my hands on some of your blood’
Antivenom is currently made by injecting small doses of snake venom into animals, such as horses.
Their immune system fights the venom by producing antibodies and these are harvested to be used as a
therapy.
But venom and antivenom have to be closely matched because the toxins in a venomous bite vary from
one species to another.
There is even wide variety within the same species – antivenom made from snakes in India is less
effective against the same species in Sri Lanka.
A team of researchers began searching for a type of immune defence called broadly neutralising
antibodies. Instead of targeting the part of a toxin that makes it unique, they target the parts that are
common to entire classes of toxin.
That’s when Dr Jacob Glanville, chief executive of biotech company Centivax, came across Tim Friede.
“Immediately I was like ‘if anybody in the world has developed these broadly neutralising antibodies,
it’s going to be him’ and so I reached out,” he said.
“The first call, I was like ‘this might be awkward, but I’d love to get my hands on some of your blood’.”
Mr Friede agreed and the work was given ethical approval because the study would only take blood,
rather than giving him more venom.
The research focused on elapids – one of the two families of venomous snakes – such as coral snakes,
mambas, cobras, taipans and kraits.
Elapids primarily use neurotoxins in their venom, which paralyses their victim and is fatal when it stops
the muscles needed to breathe.
Researchers picked 19 elapids identified by the World Health Organization as being among the deadliest
snakes on the planet. They then began scouring Mr Friede’s blood for protective defences.
Their work, detailed in the journal Cell, identified two broadly neutralising antibodies that could target
two classes of neurotoxin. They added in a drug that targets a third to make their antivenom cocktail.
In experiments on mice, the cocktail meant the animals survived fatal doses from 13 of the 19 species
of venomous snake. They had partial protection against the remaining six.
This is “unparalleled” breadth of protection, according to Dr Glanville, who said it “likely covers a
whole bunch of elapids for which there is no current antivenom”.
The team is trying to refine the antibodies further and see if adding a fourth component could lead to
total protection against elapid snake venom.
The other class of snake – the vipers – rely more on haemotoxins, which attack the blood, rather than
neurotoxins. In total there are around a dozen broad classes of toxin in snake venom, which also includes
cytotoxins that directly kill cells.

6

“I think in the next 10 or 15 years we’ll have something effective against each one of those toxin
classes,” said Prof Peter Kwong, one of the researchers at Columbia University.
And the hunt continues inside Mr Friede’s blood samples.
“Tim’s antibodies are really quite extraordinary – he taught his immune system to get this very, very
broad recognition,” said Prof Kwong.
The ultimate hope is to have either a single antivenom that can do everything, or one injection for
elapids and one for vipers.
Prof Nick Casewell, who is the head of the centre for snakebite research and interventions at the
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said the breadth of protection reported was “certainly novel”
and provided “a strong piece of evidence” that this was a feasible approach.
“There is no doubt that this work moves the field forwards in an exciting direction.”
But he cautioned there was “much work to do” and that the antivenom still needed extensive testing
before it could be used in people.
But for Mr Friede, reaching this stage “makes me feel good”.
“I’m doing something good for humanity and that was very important to me. I’m proud of it. It’s pretty
cool.”
8 – VELD FIRES DESTROY OVER 70,000 HA OF LAND
Herald, Wednesday August 20,
At least 70 000 hectares of land have been destroyed by veld fires since the beginning of the fire
restriction season on July 31, one of which yesterday swept through an open parking space near the
National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) Harare complex, torching more than 20 tyres. The NRZ fire,
which witnesses said began as a grass blae, quickly spread to a pile of tyres dumped near a bushy area,
sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky and visible from several kilometres away.
9 – ZIMPARKS WARNS OF ACACIA TREE WIPEOUT IN HWANGE NP
With acknowledgement to Marlven Chinembiri
Fears are mounting that the iconic Acacia erioloba tree may soon face extinction in Hwange National
Park, as the remaining trees have been severely depleted by elephants. An ecological crisis is looming,
with acacia trees serving as a critical food source for the park’s elephant population.
Hwange, which was designed to accommodate around 15,000 elephants, is now home to over 45,000,
triple its intended capacity. The overpopulation is placing immense pressure on the park’s ecosystem
and biodiversity.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo has
raised the alarm over the worsening situation. Said Farawo, “We have continued to say that our national
park is overpopulated. This is creating problems with elephants almost eating up all the acacia trees. If
you look around, there are no new trees shooting up, and the consequence could be even bigger soon.”
Environmentalists have warned that without natural regeneration, Hwange National Park’s ecological

balance could collapse, resulting in widespread food shortages for wildlife and a sharp rise in human-
wildlife conflict. As food becomes scarce within protected areas, elephants are increasingly straying

into nearby human settlements, where they damage crops, destroy infrastructure, and sometimes cause
fatal encounters.
Just last month, ZimParks was forced to cull three elephants after a herd entered villages in Bulilima
District, Matabeleland South Province, destroying drying crops and threatening local livelihoods.
The elephants, shot by ZimParks rangers on Thursday, 26 June 2025, in Madlambudzi Ward, were
identified as the leaders of the herd and had become repeat offenders in the area.
10 – RAINFALL
We have enjoyed a relatively good start to the year. Year to date rainfall (to 10 November):
Western Matopos 50 mm
Central Matopos 26 mm
Eastern Matopos 71 mm.

7
11 – FARMERS KEEN ON TITLE DEEDS
Herald, Friday May 2
Over 5 000 farmers have shown interest in acquiring title deeds which are part of the government’s
initiative to provide security of tenure to Land Reform Programme beneficiaries. Currently, more than
100 title deeds are being processed, indicating a positive shift in land ownership security
Editor – How the wheel turns. Certainly, the only sure way to conserve our environment is through
private land ownership – but what would that mean in an area like the Matopos? Though this scheme
is not targeted at existing Communal Lands, it is the logical extension. Traditional leadership, political
parties and even many individuals may well resist such progress as it all undermines their authority
and power. Interesting debates ahead – but not expecting any quick progress.
12 – CONSERVATIONISTS SEEK POLITICAL SUPPORT TO PROMOTE
BIODIVERSITY
With acknowledgement to Newsday, 22 May, 2025
There are growing calls for Southern African Development Community (SADC) member States to
reaffirm their commitment to protecting the region’s rich natural heritage, including over 300 000
elephants that roam across the shared landscapes.
This emerged at the ongoing 25th edition of the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA)
Conference and Heads of State Summit which opened in Harare on Monday.
The event seeks to secure stronger political and financial commitments to elevate TFCAs’ role in
promoting biodiversity conservation, regional integration and sustainable development.
It also seeks to address urgent threats to the region’s biodiversity, including climate change, habitat loss
and the significant conservation funding gap.
World Wide Fund for Nature country director Itai Chibaya underscored the successes of TFCAs in
promoting regional integration, conservation and community livelihoods.
“TFCAs are no longer just conservation zones, they are corridors of connectivity, bridges between
nations, cultures, ecosystems and economies,” he said.
“They represent regional integration in action, not only in conference halls, but in the savannahs and
forests where real people live, herd, farm and thrive.”
Chibaya said TFCAs had seen the growth of elephant populations in the KAZA area as well as reduction
in cases of illegal logging in the Ruvuma region in Tanzanzia, among other positive developments.
However, TFCAs now face new challenges such as climate change, infrastructure development and
funding uncertainty.
“We must confront the hard truths. Climate change is drying rivers, shifting wildlife movements and
compounding human-wildlife conflicts,” Chibaya said.
“Expanding infrastructure and land use change continue to fragment critical corridors.”
“These are not reasons to retreat. They are reasons to act with urgency, ambition and innovation.”
Chibaya also emphasised that TFCAs could be used as “engines of peace, prosperity and planetary
health” while also aligning with the continent’s visions, including African Union’s Agenda 2063 and
the Global Biodiversity Framework.
13 – ANOTHER HARARE WETLAND INVADED
NewsDay, Friday October 10
Residents of Monavale and Meyrick Park in Harare have expressed outrage over the ongoing grading
and imminent construction work on the Monavale wetland, a protected site under the Ramsar
Convention. The environmentally disastrous development comes barely two months after the country
renewed its commitment to protect ecologically sensitive spaces within its borders at the 15th
Conference of the Parties (COP15) on wetlands held in Victoria Falls. In a joint statement, Conservation
Society of Monavale (COSMO), Sherwood Golf Club & Community Hub, and Concerned Residents of
Monavale & Meyrick Park said the developments were being carried out illegally, without valid permits
from City of Harare and Environmental Management Agency (EMA). “EMA responded swiftly (when
residents reported) and issued the developer, one Mr Tiripano, reportedly of TripTrans, with a fine for
violating section 97(2) of the Environmental Management Act.

8

14 – NOT A CHINESE PROBLEM BUT WEAK GOVERNANCE
New Zimbabwe. Monday October 6. 2025
Ex-Minister Blames Corrupt Local Officials for Zimbabwe’s Mining Related Environmental
Destruction.
Harare – Former Energy Minister Fortune Chasi has called on Zimbabweans to stop blaming Chinese
for environmental degradation, arguing that local corruption and weak governance are at the heart of
the country’s mining-related ecological damage.
Chasi was responding to growing outrage over the ongoing destruction of Christmas Pass Mountain in
Mutare, where the Chinese reportedly working in collusion with political elites are accused of tearing
apart the landmark for mineral extraction.
There have been various videos on social media showing the destruction going on in the Christmas Pass
Mountain with locals accusing the Chinese of damaging the scenic environment.
This comes at a time when mountains, monuments and escarpments are being destroyed countrywide
by Chinese companies in the mining sector with examples being Boterekwa in Shurugwi, Muvaradonha
Wilderness in Muzarabani and now Christmas Pass.
Responding to one of the debates on X, Chasi said while Chinese investors are often vilified for
destructive mining practices, the real problem lies with local officials who enable such activities for
personal gain.
“For years, we have blamed the Chinese for destroying our environment through mining, but the truth
is harder to face, the real culprits are locals.
“Local officials sign the licences, local elites pocket the ‘facilitation fees’. Local silence allows rivers to
turn into sludge. The Chinese did not corrupt our system, they found it already for sale,” Chasi wrote.
The former energy minister argued that environmental destruction in Zimbabwe reflects a broader
governance crisis rather than foreign exploitation alone.
“This isn’t a ‘Chinese problem.’ It is a governance problem. If rules can be bought, someone’s selling,”
he added.
“Every destroyed riverbed tells a local story, a signature, a bribe, a blind eye. Foreign miners only
exploit the vacuum we created.
“Blaming outsiders has become a fashionable, convenient self-deception. Environmental destruction
thrives because enforcement is selective and oversight compromised,” Chasi wrote.
“The reform we need is not about nationality; it is about integrity.
Until our institutions stop trading ecological integrity for quick cash, nothing will change. The Chinese
did not destroy our mountains and rivers. Our signatures did,” he added.
15 – THE POLITICS OF CONSERVATION; PATRONAGE AND THE DEATH OF
MERIT
With acknowledgement to Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Trying to make sense of it all – So watching the media the conservation sector has been consumed with
conferences and meetings… yet this continues:
The Politics of Conservation: Patronage and the Death of Merit
I recently read a piece by Seako Masibi, itself inspired by Wiseman Mbali, and its searing commentary
on police corruption, and it struck me with uncomfortable clarity that the same moral collapse it
described runs through our conservation sector too. It moved me to write this, not as critique for its own
sake, but as reflection from someone who has watched and felt the erosion of purpose in a field that
purports to act in the public interest, and in whose trenches, I have spent the last 25 years.
In the constant maelstrom of conservation conferences, awards seasons within the sector, attended by
the same actors seeking validation from the same attendees, the appointment of self-seeking talking
heads to governance structures, I am struck by how much of what passes for conservation today is
marketing veneered as mission. The narratives are preselected, the applause predictable by the
preselected, and the outcomes self-congratulatory.
International gatherings/conferences, editorials and opinion pieces are heavy with jargon and light on
courage, and have become rituals of self-validation, preaching to the same faces while keeping the
entitled together. They sustain the illusion of progress, while insulating the comfortable from the
consequences of their inaction.
It is from that realisation, and from Masibi’s courage in naming corruption for what it is, that this
reflection on the politics of conservation was born. Because the decay he describes in policing mirrors
that in the conservation sector: a culture where patronage replaces professionalism, and where the public

9

trust in our governance of our ecological commons is quietly traded for access, pliability, loyalty, and
appearance.
Even for the most committed conservationist, there comes a time in their career where one inwardly
admits defeat, not because they have failed, but because the system rewards failure. That quiet despair
of an honest conservationist, the one who has spent decades in the field, captures that exact moment
when ecological integrity meets institutional patronage, and science meets the stupidity of politics and
entitlement.
We have in this country some excellent ecologists, naturalists, environmentalists, and field biologists;
men and women who have given their lives to the natural patterns and processes. Men and women who
fade into the cracks of the ecological slide and decay, and forced to watch as careerists, boards, agencies,
and opportunists have created and are captured by cliques who know more about influence and status
than ecology.
What we see in the conservation sector is not stewardship. It is theatre, a performance of virtue funded
by donors and taxpayers alike. This is the crisis of conservation in South Africa, not a lack of knowledge,
not a lack of commitment, but the deliberate exclusion of competence from the flow of influence and
funds.
Patronage has become the new ecology. It separates the loyal from the qualified. It replaces scientists
and committed conservationists with spokespersons, conservation with branding, and courage with
compliance. Recent, though unsurprising, example is the CEOs of well sponsored and marketed NGOs
serving on the boards of major funding and governance bodies from which they are beneficiaries,
shaping allocation decisions to advance their own agenda despite clear conflicts of interest. This kind
of insular and self-serving behaviour excludes others, undermines genuine progress, and ultimately
stifles conservation and has caused the business-as-usual decay of national conservation efforts. A
patronage merry-go-round.
In such an environment, conservation no longer inspires. It humiliates. Because the young ranger or
field biologist sees the truth: that the one who risks his life and wellbeing protecting wildlife remains
on contract, if at all, while the one who sits on the right committee signs off the budget. When young
people see that influence, not impact, determines success, they lose faith in conservation as a calling.
They do not leave because they lack passion, but because the system has made mediocrity and status
quo profitable. How do you tell a young ecologist from the wrong side of privilege to stay ethical, when
the permit goes to the one with the right surname or connection? How do you tell a student in the Karoo
to study predator ecology, when the party that gets the funding does so because it flatters power and
appeasement, not science?
That is the collapse we refuse to measure, the quiet collapse of integrity. It’s not merely the corruption
of money, but of meaning, of a mission that once demanded courage.
The Forgotten Law of the Land
At the heart of this collapse lies a forgotten truth: In law, South Africa’s wild animals and ecological
assets are res nullius; belonging to no one, and so they exist only under the guardianship of the state as
trustee for the people and its will.
That principle, the public trust doctrine, is the moral spine of conservation, or should be. It means that
the leopard, the river, the fynbos, and the coastline are not commodities or campaign props. They are
held in trust for the collective, governed for the benefit of present and future generations. But when
governance fails or is handed to the entitled, res nullius becomes res corrupta, i.e. property without
protection, ripe for capture. Without accountable trusteeship, the wild belongs not to the people, but to
the few who have mastered the art of controlling access, to permits, to the manufactured commodity, to
data, to land, to donor funds, and access to the those who make the allocation.
And so, a nefarious underworld of conservation patronage has emerged; quiet, well-dressed, fluent and
articulate in the “language” of sustainability, big time, but operating by the same logic as organised
crime.
Here, access to a res nullius asset — a river concession, a predator study area, a conservation
partnership, even a provincial reserve, and linked funds to conduct conservation, becomes a token of
favour. The “right” connection unlocks opportunity; the right allegiance secures funding; the right
silence guarantees longevity.
This system feeds a shadow economy of entitlement, a belief that proximity to power confers ownership
over what legally belongs to none. Public trust is consumed by private networks. Science is replaced by
influence, and integrity by the quiet choreography of cabals managing who eats from the ecological
table.

10

The Cult of Circular Authority
Within this underworld, a familiar pattern repeats. The same names orbit every major board, donor
programme, and policy advisory council and or voice for conservation. They introduce each other at
conferences, review each other’s publications, appear on the same panels, and review each other’s
funding proposals. They write forewords for one another’s reports and exchange awards at events
sponsored by the very funds they allocate.
What emerges is a closed loop of validation, a self-referential system that confuses exposure with
expertise, and repetition with legitimacy. This conference-circuit elite reproduces itself endlessly, its
authority derived not from fieldwork or results but from visibility and alignment. It is an ecosystem of
echoes, each voice amplifying the next until the illusion of consensus drowns out dissent and creates an
illusion of partnerships.
For the outsider, it looks like collaboration. In truth, it is containment, a structure designed to keep
uncomfortable science, independent thought, and public accountability safely outside the tent. Thus, a
small fraternity governs access to the res nullius commons, deciding who may access, own, study, fund,
film, or speak for the wild.
Their service is not to the public trust but to the perpetuation of their own entitlement.
Conservation doesn’t fail because the leopards vanish or the rivers dry. It fails because minds and morals
erode first, because the cabals that rule our sector have turned it into a marketplace of favours. That
entitlement is what decays the ecology, as it does with all aspects of life.
South Africa’s tragedy is not that it lacks conservationists or expertise. It’s that it lacks conscience in
conservation leadership. We have world-class biodiversity, world-class expertise, but governance that
treats it like a personal asset. We export ecological assets and import public relations. We train
ecologists who emigrate, while we appoint loyalists to “manage ecosystems” they have never set foot
in.
Patronage has turned conservation service into personal service. Institutions are no longer centres of
ecological excellence; they are shelters for the connected. That is why our reserves bleed corruption,
our NGOs blur into vanity projects, and our scientists are silenced or complicit. Because every board
seat, every permit, every fund allocation is political, not professional.
And every honest professional who dares to question the system is marginalised, defunded, discredited,
or destroyed. The look of defeat of ethical conservationists is not personal. It is national. They carry on
their shoulders the disappointment of every South African who believes that the land and its creatures
deserve better. Until we replace allegiance with accountability, until we restore merit over marketing,
until we put ecological truth above institutional loyalty, we will keep watching the collapse, not only of
ecosystems, but of ethics.
The revolution conservation needs today is not bureaucratic. It is moral. It is time to decolonise not just
our slogans but our structures. It is time to value data over drama, fieldwork over photo-ops, and
integrity over influence. Because when mediocrity governs conservation, extinction becomes
permanent.
So let the message be clear: We will no longer clap for corruption wrapped in conservation marketing.
We must no longer celebrate the loudest campaign; we must demand the most competent science. We
must no longer believe that truth has no place in governance. Because the future of South Africa’s
wildlife depends not on patronage, but on the restoration of merit, integrity, and the sanctity of the
public trust.
16 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY
23 November AGM at Khayelitshe House, Matopos
28–30 November 2025 Matobo Classic
25–29 March 2026 Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge
11 April 2026 Matopos 33 Miler (pending sponsorship)
21–23 August 2026 Matopos Heritage Trail Run

11

17 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK
Subscriptions
Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025 are now due. Please ensure that your
subs are up to date. There has been no increase in rates.
US$ 20 Individual/Family
US$ 5 Pensioner/Student
US$100 Corporate
If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com
Gift Subscriptions
If you are looking for a suitable gift for conservation-minded friends and family, please consider a gift
subscription to the MCS. You will need to complete the on-line membership application form via the
link below

MCS On-Line Membership Application Form

And email matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com to make arrangements to pay the subscriptions for
that member.
MCS Branded Apparel
The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo,
available at US$20 each. They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. We also have stocks of
hats and caps at $15 each and shopping bags at $5 each. Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp
+263 71 240 2341 for further details
Website – www.matobo.org
Visit our website and make use of the RESOURCES tab for maps and information.
Please email queries to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com
Facebook
Don’t forget to join our Facebook page, with over 1400 followers now.
The Natural History of the Matobo Hills
This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$20. The price has been
reduced from US$30.
Umvukela – The 1896 Anti-Colonial Rebellion in Matabeleland by IJ Cross
This limited-edition book has just been re=printed by the Matobo Conservation Society, after the first
print was sold out in a few months. This book records an important part of the Matopos History.
Available at $50 each. as stocks last. Contact the Secretary.

2 – NEXT EVENT
Date Sunday 21 September 2025
Venue Zhilo Wetland, Matopos
Meet 08:00am, Ascot Car Park (slightly earlier start to beat the heat)
Travel Trucks or vehicles with a higher clearance to tackle the Zhilo pass.
We will travel out via the Gwanda Road, and then turn off to go via the Dianna’s Pool Rd. We’ll be
travelling deeper into the hills along the Lumane Rd, possibly stopping off to visit the tree ferns in the
Lumane Valley, then onto Zhilo wetland – aka “The Fairway”. Subject to time and energy we may
visit one of the many cave sites in the area. We hope to catch the last of the spring flush of the
brachystegia forests in that area.
3 – REPORT BACK ON FIELD TRIP TO GULATI COMMUNAL LANDS
Participation at our field trip on Sunday 18th May was a disappointing 14 persons. Disappointing
because the trip through Gulati CL was beautiful and so many folk missed it. Disappointing because
the views from our destination were spectacular, and the ones who missed this trip were unable to
enjoy it. Disappointing because the walk was a delight and members would have so enjoyed it. And
most disappointing because of the constructive debate that was held regarding conservation in the
Gulati Communal Lands and not everyone gets this chance to engage. A debate that was critical as
most of the Matobo Hills fall under Communal Land, and not National Parks with many worthwhile
observations. The day started with a meander through Gulati CL, arriving at the home of Dot Bekker.
Tea was enjoyed admiring the spectacular view over the National Park, past Sham and into the
Mtsheleli Valley. Introductions were made and Dot started the conversation with the support of
Raphelos, one of the Gulati communal leaders. Members then joined in.
In due course we were taken by Rafelos on a walk, culminating in a clear flowing, cool stream, in the
Wisha valley past Dwalambomvhu before returning for our picnic lunch.

4 – LOPHPODELLA THOMASI

Fresh water anemone were first recorded in Africa in the 1890s, and are globally a rare occurrence. In
1904 the first anemone in Zimbabwe was found in Harare by a Mr R.H. Thomas – and largely
forgotten about until Mr Barny O’Hara noticed something unusual in the dam at The Farmhouse in
June this year. A sample was sent to Mrs Cathy Sharp for identification and Lophopodella thomasi
was confirmed. It is such a small creature that it is incredible that this was rediscovered. Once again,
the Matopos surprises us all! Well done to Barny for being so observant!

5 – PARLIAMENT CHAMPIONS WETLAND CONSERVATION
With acknowledgement to Newsday, 5 June 2025

PARLIAMENT has launched the “Voices of Zimbabwe on Wetlands” campaign, putting community
experiences and perspectives at the forefront of wetland management nationwide.
This initiative, supported by DanChurchAid and Conservation Conversations, aims to empower local
voices and promote sustainable wetland conservation practices.
Community representatives shared their stories and insights with over 20 parliamentarians during the
launch of the campaign, highlighting the importance of recognising local indigenous knowledge in
wetland management.
Sam Matema, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate,
Tourism and Hospitality Industry, emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to protect
wetlands.
“We need a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to managing Zimbabwe’s wetlands,
where everyone has a role to play,” Matema said.

4

He said focus on community engagement and participation was crucial in addressing the challenges
facing Zimbabwe’s wetlands, including land invasion and climate change.
By amplifying local voices and promoting sustainable practices, the “Voices of Zimbabwe on
Wetlands” campaign can help to ensure the long-term conservation of these vital ecosystems, he said.
Conservationists said the community-led approach had the potential to make a significant impact on
wetland conservation and management in Zimbabwe.
6 – RHINO CONSERVATION TAKES CENTRE STAGE
NewsDay, Friday May 2
A wildlife leadership programme focused on rhino conservation is set for launch in May, aiming to
equip local conservationists with the skills and mentorship needed to protect these endangered
species. The programme, titled “Rising Wildlife Leaders: Careers”, will provide individualised
training, peer learning opportunities and professional guidance to bolster the leadership of
conservationists over the next three years. The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the Wildlife
Conservation Network (WCN) have partnered to support six individuals from Indonesia, Kenya,
Namibia and Zimbabwe, who are working to safeguard Javan, Black, White and Sumatran rhinos.
7 – POACHING ALARM
Herald, Saturday May 17
Iconic black rhino Gomo slain at Imire Conservancy: In a devastating blow to wildlife
conservation, Gomo, a 22 year-old black rhino and beloved symbol of hope at Imire Rhino & Wildlife
Conservancy, has been killed by poachers in yet another brutal act of wildlife crime. The rhino's horn
was hacked off, feeding the illegal trade driven by international demand. The killing has sparked
outrage and grief across the conservation community, reigniting calls for urgent and coordinated
action to combat poaching. Gomo. who was born and raised at Imire, had become a beacon of
resilience and a testament to the success of long-term conservation efforts.
NewsDay, Saturday May 17
Jumbo carcass with missing tusks discovered near Vic Falls: Rangers from the Victoria Falls Anti-
Poaching Unit (VFAPU) have discovered the carcass of an adult male elephant with its tusks missing,
raising concerns of a potential poaching incident. The carcass, which appeared to be several days old
and showed signs of scavenging, was located on a property near Victoria Falls. “Upon investigation,
the carcass of an adult male elephant was discovered, several days old, with clear signs of scavenging.
However, most notably was the absence of the tusks,” a statement from VFAPU reads. The discovery
was made following alerts from researchers at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, who monitor collared
wildlife in the area, including lions and vultures.
8 – WHITE RHINOS RETURN TO GONAREZHOU AFTER 100 YEARS
With acknowledgement to Newsday; 9 June 2025.

THE thundering footsteps of white rhinos once again echo across Gonarezhou National Park, marking
the species’ return to the area after more than 100 years. The five southern white rhinos, all sourced
from the privately run Malilangwe Trust, were relocated to Gonarezhou between April and May this
year as part of an effort to re-establish a viable white rhino population in the region.

5

According to a statement from the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust, the goal was to restore an element
of biodiversity long lost to the ecosystem. The Trust said the reintroduction was aimed at establishing
a new, viable meta-population of white rhino and creating a future for white rhinos in Zimbabwe’s
second largest national park.
White rhinos, once native to the Gonarezhou region, are believed to have disappeared from the park in
the early 1900s, with isolated sightings continuing into the 1990s. Although there were isolated
records of individual white rhinos in Gonarezhou up to 1992, the last viable population of white rhino
in Gonarezhou likely dates back to the early 1900s, before the species was completely extirpated from
Zimbabwe.
Reintroduction of white rhinos to Zimbabwe began in the second half of the 20th century from
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. However, unlike the black rhino, no known attempt was made to re-
establish a viable population of white rhino in Gonarezhou until now, making this reintroduction all
the more significant.
The relocation follows the 2021 reintroduction of black rhinos to the park and builds on infrastructure
developed for that project. Planning for the white rhino reintroduction began in 2023, with feasibility
studies conducted to assess habitat suitability, security requirements and long-term monitoring
protocols.
The five rhinos were selected based on social compatibility, age and sex. After immobilisation and
transport, the animals were held temporarily in fenced acclimatisation pens before their release to
secure zones within the park. The Gonarezhou Conservation Trust, a joint venture between the
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, worked
in partnership with veterinarians, ecologists and logistical teams from the Malilangwe Trust.
The trust announced that the return of white rhinos to Gonarezhou is a historic milestone and the start
of a new phase for both the species and the park. “The return of white rhinos to Gonarezhou is a
historic milestone, but it is only the beginning. Their release back to this wilderness marks the start of
the next phase of the journey for them and Gonarezhou,” the trust said. “Ensuring their protection and
long-term survival will remain a key focus through ongoing intensive monitoring and security,
collaboration with partners and the public.”
To safeguard the animals, Gonarezhou has increased security measures, including ranger patrols,
aerial surveillance and real-time tracking technology. Southern white rhinos are classified as near
threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with an estimated global population
of around 13 000. The species faces ongoing threats from poaching and habitat loss, particularly in
southern Africa. The park, Zimbabwe’s second largest, spans over 5 000 square kilometres and
borders Mozambique and South Africa.
9 – KING MZILIKAZI COMMEMORATIONS TO RUN FOR 2 DAYS
Southern Eye, Thursday May 8
The annual King Mzilikazi commemorations will run for two days this year, marking a new
development in the event’s history. Mthwakazi ka Mzilikazi Cultural Association (MMCA)
Mhlahlandlela steering committee secretary Lungisani Ndiweni said the commemorations would be
held on September 5 and 6. “The event will take place on September 5 and 6, 2025, at King Mzilikazi
Memorial Site (KoMhlahlandlela), 22km outside Bulawayo along Old Gwanda Road,” Ndiweni said.
10 – NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM WETLANDS PROJECT
On a chilly Saturday morning on 19 June, in the shade of our beloved Natural History Museum, we
gathered to officially open the Natural History Museum Wetlands project. This will be developed into
a living display, with a billboard describing Wetlands. The site is between the Natural History
Museum and Leopold Takawira Ave, in a place that has naturally occurring clays. In time an
educational walkway will lead visitors along a route where they can (hopefully) see a dynamic
wetland environment. This is very much the brainchild of Cathy Sharp, who also developed the
Museum’s Mike Garden Butterfly Garden.
After speeches and formalities, the billboard was opened by your Chairman, Gavin Stephens and
Paddy Pacey, who is developing a similar project at Mukuvusi Woodlands in Harare. Thereafter teas
were served.

Paddy Pacey and Gavin Stephens cut the
ribbon

Matopo Mission Primary School Conservation Club

11 – ZIMBABWE HOSTS COP15 AS LEADERS EYE VICTORIA FALLS
WETLANDS PACT
With acknowledgement to APAnews Harare
The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on
Wetlands kicked off in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls resort town on Wednesday, drawing delegates from
172 countries. Running from 23–31 July, COP15 is themed “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common
Future” and is expected to culminate in the adoption of the Victoria Falls Declaration – a landmark
commitment to scale up wetland restoration and establish a Global Wetland Restoration Fund.
Speaking ahead of the meeting on Tuesday night, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Climate and
Wildlife Evelyn Ndlovu underscored the urgency of action. “Wetland conservation is not just an
environmental concern, it is a climate imperative, a hydrological necessity and a development
obligation,” Ndlovu said. She said key initiatives to be launched at COP15 include the Global
Wetland Watch platform for real-time monitoring and the African Wetland Observatory Network to
support grassroots solutions, as well as the integration of wetlands into national climate and
biodiversity frameworks, including Wetland City Accreditation Convention on Wetlands Secretary
General Musonda Mumba described the moment as historic, marking the second time that the meeting
has been hosted on African soil. “This is not just a meeting of governments; it’s a platform for
science, diplomacy, and community to come together around a common goal: protecting wetlands for
our common future,” she said. The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 in Iran, is the world’s only
international treaty focused exclusively on wetlands. It promotes the wise use of wetlands and has
designated over 2,500 Ramsar sites globally. Zimbabwe ratified the convention in 2012 and currently
hosts seven Ramsar sites, including Lake Chivero, Mana Pools and Monavale Vlei. According to the
Convention Secretariat, the world has lost over 411 million hectares of natural wetlands since 1970,
with a financing gap of up to $550 billion threatening restoration efforts. President Emmerson
Mnangagwa is expected to formally open the summit later this week. Delegates will also tour the
Kasibo Wetland in Hwange, showcasing Zimbabwe’s nature-based restoration efforts.
12 – LONGCHENG PLAZA’S LEGACY HAUNTS ZIMBABWE AHEAD OF
CONVENTION ON WETLANDS
Nehanda Radio
The continued operation of Longcheng Plaza, a large shopping mall built on a wetland in Harare,
stands as a prominent symbol of Zimbabwe’s ongoing struggle to enforce its environmental protection
laws, Nehanda Radio can report. As Zimbabwe prepares to host the COP15 Ramsar Convention
meeting in Victoria Falls from July 23 to 31, 2025, the international spotlight will likely be on the
nation’s commitment to wetland conservation. ‘Ramsar COP15’ is shorthand for ‘the 15th meeting of
the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands’.
Members of Parliament this week debated an urgent motion to impose a moratorium on further
wetland allocations, citing long standing concerns about unchecked development. Completed in late
2013 on a gazetted wetland along the Harare-Bulawayo highway, Longcheng Plaza became a

7

controversial development from its inception. Despite its location on what is legally considered a
protected ecosystem, and opposition from environmental groups, the commercial complex proceeded
with construction. In a 2018 report, Steady Kangata, then environmental education and publicity
manager at the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), confirmed the mall lacked proper
environmental certification, deeming its development illegal.
But the Chinese developers faced no penalties at the time, a situation that has appeared to persist in
Zimbabwe. While the mall’s management asserted in 2018 that "all due processes" were observed,
environmentalists continued to point to it as a prime example of lax enforcement.
This historical context highlights a critical issue brought before Parliament this week by Harare East
legislator Kiven Mutimbanyoka. During a motion calling for a nationwide moratorium on wetland
allocations, he specifically cited Longcheng Plaza as "one of the most gruelling examples of wetlands
destruction in Harare." He argued that the failure to halt its development set "a dangerous precedent,
demonstrating that even legally protected wetlands could be sacrificed for commercial gain."
Mutimbanyoka’s motion cited Zimbabwe’s constitutional and international obligations to protect
wetlands, which are rapidly being converted into residential and commercial properties.
The motion highlighted that less than 5% of Harare’s 47 gazetted wetlands, including Ramsar sites
like Lake Chivero, Cleveland Dam, and Monavale Vlei, remain intact.
Since 2017, the lake has not spilled, leading to dangerously concentrated pollutants and exorbitant
water treatment costs. Harare’s 47 gazetted wetlands, including three Ramsar sites, Lake Chivero,
Cleveland Dam and Monavale Vlei, less than 5% remain intact," Mutimbanyoka stated.
"What is most egregious is that the very institutions mandated to safeguard these ecosystems are the
primary agents of their ruin.
"Urban municipalities rather than upholding their custodial role, have facilitated wetland degradation
through their present disregard for environmental policies. This paradox undermines a profound
governance crisis.
"Authorities tasked with regulating land use are instead enabling its reckless exploitation. Their
abdication of responsibilities is a fundamental driver of this environmental catastrophe, demanding
urgent rectification. "The devastation of wetlands extends far beyond environmental degradation. It
has escalated into a full-blown public health crisis and economic disaster. "Naturally, our wetlands are
in a state of alarming decline. 21% are severely degraded, 61% moderately degraded, and only 18%
remain in stable condition."
The proposed resolutions include an immediate moratorium on land allocation in wetlands by several
key Ministries, an Inter-Ministerial Commission of Inquiry to investigate past allocations and
recommend remedial action and the declaration of all wetlands as ecosystem-sensitive areas to
prevent future disturbance.
The dire consequences of wetland destruction, as articulated by Mutimbanyoka, include chronic water
shortages due to failing groundwater recharge systems, increased urban flooding (over 50 incidents in
2023 alone), and a public health crisis evidenced by over 10,000 cases of cholera and typhoid in 2022.
He further stated that Lake Chivero, Harare’s primary water source, has seen a 30% decline in water
levels over the past decade, with pollution exacerbating the crisis.
Julia Pierini, coordinator of the Harare Wetlands Trust, stated in 2018 that the "will to protect the
environment" was largely absent. More recent reports, including a 2022 Auditor-General’s report,
corroborate that EMA often fails to enforce its own orders, with local authorities, who hold
demolition powers, sometimes complicit in illegal developments.
Concerns about the integrity of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) also persist.
In 2018, Ronnie Chirimuta suggested that EMA should conduct EIAs independently, a call echoed by
other environmental advocates who argue that the process is often exploited to facilitate development
on wetlands.
While Zimbabwe has enacted a 2022 National Wetlands Policy and the Environmental Management
Act, a recent dialogue in June 2025 indicated that current laws are "not fully protecting wetlands" and
called for urgent legal reforms.
13 – LET’S SAFEGUARD WETLANDS, ZIM TAKES OVER AS RAMSAR CHAIR
With acknowledgement to The Herald, 25 July, 2025
ZIMBABWE yesterday officially assumed the Presidency of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of
the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15), taking over from the
People’s Republic of China, with President Mnangagwa urging the world to act boldly and decisively
to safeguard wetlands and address drivers of wetlands loss.

8

The handover was witnessed by President Mnangagwa at the official opening of COP15 in Victoria
Falls in a momentous ceremony marked by symbolism and global solidarity.
The event was graced by high-ranking dignitaries, including the Vice President of Malawi, Dr
Michael Bizwick Usi and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Russel Mmiso Dlamini.
Also present were representatives from the United Nations, conservation bodies and indigenous
communities, underscoring the global significance of wetland preservation.
Outgoing COP president, Mr Xia Jun of China, formally handed over the Ramsar Convention flag to
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Evelyn Ndlovu, symbolising the transfer
of leadership for the next three years.
President Mnangagwa hailed the occasion as a pivotal moment for Zimbabwe and the global
community. “Today, we thus, gather as representatives of our nations and as stewards of a shared
heritage and future. We are one-united people and citizens of our planet Earth, with a sacred duty to
protect that which has been entrusted to us by Almighty God, for both present and future generations.
“It is in this spirit, therefore, that the theme of this Conference, ‘Protecting Wetlands for Our
Common Future,’ is timely, in its emphasis on the role of wetlands in ecological health, biodiversity
conservation, and climate resilience,” he said.
The President underscored the importance of wetlands to economies. “Wetlands, which include
swamps, marshes, fens, bogs, estuaries, mangroves, and peatlands, are crucial habitats for about 40
percent of the earth’s species. They provide livelihoods for more than a billion people. To neglect
wetlands would be to abandon a critical portion of our existence,” he said.
He further outlined the multifaceted benefits of wetlands, including water purification, flood control,
and carbon storage, which align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“All these benefits complement efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,
particularly in addressing poverty (Goal 1) and hunger (Goal 2); water supply challenges (Goal 6);
promoting sustainable human settlements (Goal 11); Climate Action (Goal 13) and Partnerships (Goal
17),” he said.
Despite their importance, President Mnangagwa warned that wetlands face unprecedented threats.
“Wetlands are among the most threatened habitats on Earth. They face challenges such as habitat loss
and degradation due to urbanisation and development, agricultural expansion, and climate change,
leading to shifts in wetland distribution, and altered hydrological cycles, among others,” he said.
He called for urgent, collaborative action to reverse the decline, stressing the need for innovative
restoration techniques, robust policy frameworks, and community involvement.
“Now is the time for us to change our mind-sets and start implementing multi-faceted and
collaborative approaches towards protecting our wetlands,” he said.
The President outlined Zimbabwe’s strides in wetland conservation since ratifying the Ramsar
Convention on 3 May 2013.
A key outcome of COP15 is the anticipated endorsement of the Victoria Falls Declaration, a landmark
framework aimed at galvanising global efforts for wetland conservation.
President Mnangagwa elaborated on its significance:
“At the centre of this Declaration is the acknowledgement of the critical ecological, social, and
economic importance of wetlands, and their global significance for sustainable livelihoods.
“The Declaration also serves as a guide and reminder for us to conserve, restore, and sustainably
manage wetlands. Equally, we should remain seized with the enormous challenges facing wetland
conservation, especially in the context of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity
loss, and pollution.”
He reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to championing resource mobilisation and international
collaboration. “

Outgoing Ramsar President Mr Xia Jun of China hands over the flag, signifying the transfer of the
chairpersonship to incoming president Dr Evelyne Ndlovu, who is Zimbabwe’s Environment, Climate
and Wildlife Minister.
“My Government commits to champion resource mobilisation for sustainable wetland management,
rehabilitation, and collaboration. This includes building strong linkages among partners such as other
multilateral environmental agencies, countries, institutions, the private sector, and stakeholders
“The scale of wetland loss and its associated threats demands immediate and cooperative action from
all stakeholders. Time has come to secure the guaranteed preservation of wetlands as a foundation for
a sustainable, equitable, and resilient future,” he said.
He urged delegates to move beyond rhetoric and embrace implementation.
“While the formulation of policies and adoption of resolutions are essential, their effective
implementation is even more critical, along with our readiness to invest in wetland protection.
Therefore, let this COP15 be recognised for taking concrete steps from discussion to implementation,”
he said.
The President expressed gratitude to the outgoing COP President, China, and the Ramsar Secretariat
for their support. “I appreciate the sterling work done by the outgoing COP President, the Government
of the People’s Republic of China. The guidance and support you provided to us in preparation for our
Presidency are highly appreciated,” he said.
With the declaration of COP15 officially open, Zimbabwe now stands at the helm of global wetland
conservation efforts, poised to lead with innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment.
As the world watches, the Victoria Falls Declaration is set to be a cornerstone in the fight to preserve
these vital ecosystems for generations to come.
14 – NATIONS PLEDGE TO PRESERVE WETLANDS
With acknowledgement to Rutendo Nyeve in Vic Falls
More than 170 countries have reaffirmed commitment to the conservation and sustainable use of
wetlands at the ongoing 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the Ramsar Convention in Victoria
Falls.
The high-level summit, hosted by Zimbabwe, has brought together global leaders, environmental
experts and policymakers to strengthen international cooperation in protecting wetlands, critical
ecosystems that sustain biodiversity, support livelihoods and combat climate change.
Eswatini Prime Minister, Russell Dlamini, commended Zimbabwe for its leadership in wetlands
conservation, describing its efforts as a benchmark for the region.
Representing His Majesty King Mswati III, Prime Minister Dlamini praised Zimbabwe’s role in
hosting COP15, following the successful Transfrontier Conservation Areas Summit.
“The Kingdom of Eswatini fully supports efforts to promote the conservation and wise use of
wetlands. Zimbabwe and Eswatini stand as examples of what can be achieved through commitment
and regional synergy,” he said.
Prime Minister Dlamini outlined Eswatini’s own progress in wetlands preservation, including the
adoption of a national wetlands policy and a wetlands strategy and action plan.
He highlighted the cultural significance of wetlands, citing the annual Reed Dance (Umhlanga)
Festival, which depends on healthy wetlands for reeds used in the ceremony.

10

“We have witnessed tangible benefits from wetlands restoration, including the revival of near-extinct
plant species, recharged water sources, and economic empowerment through handicrafts, weaving,
and sustainable agriculture,” he said.
However, he warned of growing threats from urbanisation, which has led to wetlands being drained
and converted into residential and commercial spaces.
“We must explore innovative construction methods to preserve these critical ecosystems,” he said.
Malawi’s Vice President, Michael Usi, delivered his solidarity statement calling for the urgent need
for accelerated action in wetlands protection.
“This important global gathering in the breathtaking setting of Victoria Falls reminds us that for over
50 years, the Ramsar Convention has provided the essential global framework for the conservation
and wise use of wetlands.”
15 – AS WETLANDS COP15 OPENS IN ZIMBABWE, ITS TIME TO RETHINK
HOW WE VALUE WETLANDS
There is more to Victoria Falls than meets the eye. As the world’s largest waterfall, it marks the edge
of a broader wetland system—one that supports water security, biodiversity, and livelihoods across
southern Africa. As Zimbabwe hosts the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to
the Convention on Wetlands (COP15), this location invites a closer look at the role wetlands play in
sustaining life, and the decisions now needed to ensure they continue to do so.
COP15 arrives at a moment when wetlands—essential for climate resilience, food production, water
supply, and biodiversity—are being lost and degraded at a rate that outpaces our responses. According
to the Convention’s recently released flagship publication, the Global Wetland Outlook 2025, global
wetland extent has declined by 22% since 1970, with losses continuing at an average rate of 0.52%
per year. Degradation is accelerating: one in four remaining wetlands is now in poor ecological
condition, with that proportion rising.
Despite these figures, wetlands still provide some of the most valuable and cost-effective solutions to
the world’s most pressing challenges. They support water security for billions of people, absorb
carbon more efficiently than most other ecosystems, and deliver an estimated $7.98 to $39.01 trillion
in annual ecosystem services. Yet these contributions remain undervalued in decision-making and
underfunded in public and private investment.
Zimbabwe knows better than many others just how important wetlands are. Wetlands provide water to
more than two-thirds of the population, allowing for agriculture and tourism while buffering against
floods and droughts. In response to growing pressures, the Government has implemented stronger
legal protections, advanced local restoration initiatives, and deepened public engagement on wetland
issues. The recent recognition of Victoria Falls as a Wetland City reflects both local commitment and
the kind of urban ecological leadership that can be replicated elsewhere.
But national ambition, however strong, cannot substitute for global coordination. Wetlands are shared
systems. They cross borders and connect sectors. Protecting them requires cooperation, consistent
investment, and a shift in how they are understood: as strategic infrastructure that protects the stability
of our economies, health systems, and food supply.
The Global Wetland Outlook 2025, sets out the scale of action needed: at least 123 million hectares
must be restored to account for past loss, and 428 million hectares of remaining wetlands must be
conserved. Doing so will require a major increase in global financing—somewhere between $275 and
$550 billion per year, yet current investments fall far below that range. In fact, biodiversity
conservation across all ecosystems receives just 0.25% of global GDP.
Zimbabwe’s hosting of COP15 is both timely and significant. It brings global attention to a region
where wetlands are still deeply embedded in the landscape and culture, but also increasingly
vulnerable. The conference presents a unique opportunity to prioritise wetlands in the biodiversity and
climate agendas, and to align technical, political, and financial systems behind that goal.
Africa, home to approximately 40% of the world’s remaining wetlands, is well positioned to lead
this shift. Many of the continent’s wetlands remain ecologically functional, and traditional knowledge
of sustainable management practices endures. But external pressures—driven by extractive industries,
land-use change, and climate stress—are growing rapidly. Without targeted support, we risk losing
these ecosystems for good.
COP15 can help turn that tide. The Convention provides a platform for negotiation, as well as
strategies, data, policies, and innovations. It is also a place to elevate voices that are often
underrepresented; local communities, indigenous groups, cities, and young people, who are already
shaping the future of wetland stewardship on the ground.

11

This meeting in Victoria Falls will not solve every problem. But it can set a new trajectory. Decisions
made here have the potential to ripple outward, shaping how wetlands are valued and governed across
continents.
Rivers rarely follow straight lines, and neither does meaningful change. But when enough tributaries
converge, that momentum can become difficult to ignore. It’s a life lesson that wetlands have taught
us, and perhaps now the world is finally ready to listen.
16 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY
22 September 2025 World Rhino Day
28 – 30 November 2025 Matobo Classic
17 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK
Subscriptions
Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025 are now due. Please ensure that your
subs are up to date. There has been no increase in rates.
US$ 20 Individual/Family
US$ 5 Pensioner/Student
US$100 Corporate
If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com
MCS Branded Apparel
The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo,
available at US$20 each. They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. We also have new stocks
of hats and caps at $15 each and shopping bags are also available at $5 each. Additional branded
apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request. Please contact the
Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details
Website – www.matobo.org
Visit our website and make use of the RESOURCES tab for maps and information.
Please email to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com
Facebook
Don’t forget to join our Facebook page, with nearly 1000 members now.
The Natural History of the Matobo Hills
This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$30.
Umvukela – The 1896 Anti-Colonial Rebellion in Matabeleland by IJ Cross
This limited-edition book has just been published by the Matobo Conservation Society as it records an
important part of the Matopos History. Available at $50 each as stocks last. Contact the Secretary.
18 – IN MEMORIUM
Alan Elliot. Alan passed away on 1st August 2025. He enjoyed an interesting career, as he was the
first to develop wilderness camps that evolved into Touch The Wild. His favourite camp was that of
Matobo Hills Lodge, so much so that, when he sold Touch The Wild, he kept Matobo Hills Lodge for
himself! Alan had a deep knowledge of the bush, and will be missed by family and friends alike. We
send our sympathy to the Elliot family at this sad time.
Gordon MacDonald. We were saddened to learn of the passing of Gordon on 5th August 2025.
Gordon & Heather joined the MCS in November 2001, and, although less active recently, have
remained loyal members of the Society for over 23 years. Gordon was a long-serving teacher at
Falcon College where he encouraged environmental awareness and helped establish Quiet Waters. He
was passionate about the wilderness, taking every chance to get out into the wilds. He will be missed
by Falcon, WEZ and the MCS. We extend our condolences to Heather and family.

After a late start, the rains this year have generally been well above average, as will be seen below.

The revival of the hills has been transformative. The rivers are all flowing well, the dams have filled and are still spilling, and the wetlands have filled up. Whilst we all shared pictures of Maleme Dam spilling, it was probably in Gulati Communal Land that the impact could be best seen. The wetlands had dried out to hard baked valleys, and even the wells were extremely low. By the end of February, it was impossible to cross from valley to the next without sinking into fresh clear water.

In the Game Park, the dry Whovi River had filled again, whilst both Mpopoma and Chitampa dams filled.

Any activity within the hills was accompanied by the sound of running water, be it a gushing waterfall, a spilling dam or a gurgling brook.

The vegetation responded in like form. It is always amazing to see how the dry bush responds to good rains, as trees continually burst into fresh foliage and the veld thickens to an impenetrable tropical forest.

The rains continued into late April, probably an omen for a cold winter, which means that the vleis should retain their water well beyond the first rains next season.

2– RAINFALL

The first rains fell in late October, isolated and light, and the brief wet spells were interspersed with long and very hot periods, right through December. Another year of drought loomed on the horizon. Finally meaningful rain started to fall towards the end of December,  probably too late to improve crop fields in the rural areas, but hopefully will continue so as to refill the wetlands, streams, rivers and dams and so secure water for the year ahead. Rainfall measures in mm at 30 April:

Eastern Hills 868.5 Central Hills 710 Western Hills 803

Maleme 765.4 Toghwana 578.7 Whitewaters 735.3

Hazelside 742.3 Tshabalala 518.6 Bulawayo (Burnside) 787

3 – NEXT EVENT

We will travel out to Gulati Communal Land via the Fort Usher Road, and be hosted by Mrs Dot Becker at her home near Thabas Mbomvu. We will have an update on land management and plans for the Gulati CL as well as undertake a number of walks. Gulati CL has been transformed with the wonderful rain that we have received this year so it promises to be an attractive autumn outing.

4 – REPORT BACK – DIANA’S POOL

On Sunday 16th March, under a grey cloud, we gathered at Ascot Service Station and travelled in convoy out to Diana’s Pools, via the Diana’s Pool road, which was in pretty good condition. This made the drive considerably shorter than going via Mawabeni. It was a delight to splash across the Umzingwane river drift, and in no time, we were at our destination. The weather also started to improve. After the now traditional cup of tea, we set off to the Orbicular Granite site and spent some time exploring the area with some discussion of its importance. 

A lovely picnic lunch followed under the trees whilst the Nkankezi river flowed strongly over the waterfalls and into the pools.

5 – WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

Your Society plans to join with National Parks to commemorate World Environment Day. Whilst the 5th June is the UN designated day, we will join Parks on Saturday 7th June at Maleme Rest Camp and assist in clearing cactus, other exotic plants and litter from around the lodges.  This will start at roughly 10:00, so we will meet at Cresta Churchill at 09:00. This is a chance to get off the couch and do some real work for the environment. Bring your hat, a picnic lunch, garden gloves and any tools you think might be necessary. Hope to see you there – free Parks entry provided.

6 – GOVERNMENT OKAYS US$110 MILLION OLD GWANDA ROAD UPGRADE

Herald, Wednesday January 29.

The government has signed a concession agreement with a local contractor, Zwane Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, which was selected for the reconstruction of the 120km Old Gwanda Road. The development comes after Cabinet last year approved the US$110 million Public-Private-Partnership investment for the construction and upgrading of the road. Zwane Enterprises expressed interest in the construction of the gravel road in 2023 and has a US$150 million budget for the project. In the past few months, the investor has been conducting feasibility studies and a total of 43 homesteads are expected to be relocated to make way for the project. Government recently revealed that it will be engaging the private sector in the construction of major roads in the country under the “Build, Operate and Transfer” model. Two toll gates are expected to be placed along Old Gwanda Road. Yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joey Makumbe, signed the agreement on behalf of the government while Zwane Enterprises chief executive officer, Engineer Bekithemba Mbambo, signed for his company.

Old Gwanda Road investor ropes in 8 contractors: Zwane Enterprise, the investor behind the upgrading of Old Gwanda Road, has roped in 8 companies that will be involved in the construction of the 120km stretch with President Mnangagwa expected to lead the project’s ground-breaking ceremony in two weeks’ time. The ambitious road construction will cost about US$150 million including the road furniture while part of the funds will cater for the construction of new homesteads for affected families. A total of 42 homesteads will be moved while 24 graves will be relocated to pave the way for the road construction. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development last month signed a concession agreement with Zwane Enterprise, giving the investor a greenlight to start the construction of the road. Before moving its yellow machinery on site, Zwane Enterprise, which won an unsolicited bid to rehabilitate the road, arranged a traditional ceremony and a church service within the road’s route. Vice-President Kembo Mohadi led a traditional ceremony in Dula, Umzingwane District, as part of community’s beliefs before the major project is commenced. He will lead the Christian service at Matopo Mission’s Brethren in Christ Church, tomorrow. Zwane Enterprise executive Engineer Bekithemba Mbambo told a press briefing that after the spiritual sessions, the next important item will be the ground breaking ceremony. “On March 12 we are going to have the big one, the groundbreaking ceremony where the President is expected to grace us as the guest of honour,” he said. “We wish to start the road soon after ground breaking and we hope to finish most of it this year. We have been given 18 months within which to finish the road,” said Eng Mbambo. Herald, Saturday March 1.

EDITOR: Both UNESCO and the Matobo Conservation Society are asking for sight of the Environmental Impact Plan, which is still outstanding. No work can start until this has been approved.

7 – MATOPOS HERITAGE MTB CHALLENGE

The 16th edition of the popular annual cycling event across the Matobo Hills took place from 26 to 30 March. Cyclists travelled from the USA, Denmark, Australia, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia. Again. it proved most successful, but this success would not be possible with the support of so many MCS volunteers who man water-points, transport vehicles and provide support in other areas. Is the ride achieving our aims? Yes, it is exposing the Matopos to a growing number of outdoor-oriented folk who would not otherwise have visited our special place. It provides support to the National Parks and encourages further visits. It also provides a snap shot of the Matopos year after year, and we can see over just 16 years, the increase in deforestation.  This information is fed back to the authorities. And there is a small excess each year that is contributed towards MCS projects.

And then, of course, there is the ride. Slightly slower this year, due to flooded vleis, water-logged valleys and full rivers to cross. The paths were also more sandy in places. Route changes had been effected to avoid the worst of the wet conditions, but the new routes were well received. There were tumbles, scratches and one evacuation, but lots of exhilaration! And the final judge; the cyclists, loved it with much camaraderie, fun and sense of spirit throughout the ride. Once again, we can claim to host the best MTB cycle route in Southern Africa.  These words come from the riders not the organisers!

Our sincere appreciation to the Organising Committee and the many volunteers and we look forward to the 17th edition in March 2026.

8 – PROTECT WETLANDS: ACTION AID ZIMBABWE

With acknowledgement to NewsDay. 4 February 2025

According to ActionAid Zimbabwe, unauthorised activities have compromised the functionality of wetlands, leaving communities vulnerable to climate change.

A local non-governmental organisation, ActionAid Zimbabwe, has called on the government to enforce laws which protect and preserve the country’s wetlands.

In a statement yesterday, ActionAid said the plea comes as Zimbabwe prepares to host the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Victoria Falls in July this year.

The conference will be held from July 23 to 31 in Victoria Falls under the theme “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”.

It highlights the urgent need to safeguard these critical ecosystems, which are disappearing at an alarming rate. According to ActionAid Zimbabwe, unauthorised activities have compromised the functionality of wetlands, leaving communities vulnerable to climate change.

 “The theme for this year, Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future, underscores the urgent need to safeguard these critical ecosystems, which are disappearing at a rate three times faster than forests.

“This alarming loss poses significant challenges, particularly for vulnerable communities, as they grapple with the intensifying effects of climate change.

“For example, wetlands, which play a crucial role in water management, flood mitigation and biodiversity support, are struggling to function effectively due to unauthorised activities, leaving communities vulnerable.”

ActionAid commended the government for establishing comprehensive laws, regulations and policies to protect and preserve wetlands, emphasising the need for effective enforcement of the policies.

“Zimbabwe has been a party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands since May 2013 and has demonstrated its commitment to wetland conservation through key legislative measures, including the 2006 Environmental Management Act, the 2007 Environmental Assessment and Ecosystem Protection Regulations and the 2022 National Wetland Policy and Wetland Management Guidelines.

“These frameworks align with section 73 of the 2013 National Constitution, which emphasises the importance of environmental protection and are also consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” the organisation said.

It said the government should strengthen law enforcement and policies aimed at protecting and preserving wetlands in both rural and urban areas, address illegal settlements on wetlands and provide alternative areas for displaced people. It further said the government should empower relevant agencies mandated to preserve wetlands, such as the Environmental Management Agency.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association has called on stakeholders involved in wetlands management to collaborate effectively, overcoming institutional challenges and conflicts that may hinder conservation efforts.

“Wetlands are vital for people and nature. Wetlands provide water filtration, flood control and biodiversity support. Let’s protect these ecosystems.”

9 – PRIORITISE WETLAND CONSERVATION – NYONI

Acknowledgement to Newsday

Government has raised concern over lack of seriousness in conserving wetlands with Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Sithembiso Nyoni stressing their critical role in sustaining ecosystems and water sources. Nyoni made the remarks during the launch of the Wilderness Ngamo Livestock Farm and Vocational Training Centre in Tsholotsho, while announcing Zimbabwe’s upcoming role as host for two major international environmental conferences this year. Zimbabwe will host the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Conference and Summit in May 2025 and the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in July. Nyoni highlighted the importance of wetlands, noting that they serve as the starting point for many rivers .

Wetlands under threat: Southern Africa’s wetlands, including those in Zimbabwe, are facing unprecedented threats from land degradation, human encroachment and climate change. In Zimbabwe, wetlands have been affected by land invasion, widespread deforestation, overgrazing and poor water management practices. The country’s wetlands, which support livelihoods and biodiversity, are being degraded at an alarming rate. The result is loss of ecosystem services, including flood control, natural water purification and habitat provision for wildlife. The impact is felt across communities, with many facing water scarcity, reduced agricultural productivity and increased vulnerability to climate-related disasters.

10 – MATOPOS SCIENTISTS DEVELOP INSECT-BASED LIVESTOCK FEED

With acknowledgement to The Chronicle, Judith Phiri, 29 April 2025

USING locally available resources and insect-based proteins such as mealworms and black soldier flies, scientists at the Matopos Research Institute in Matabeleland South Province have developed innovative solutions to enhance feed availability for livestock by formulating alternative animal feed.

The innovation is expected to address the growing challenges in livestock production caused by climate change, resource scarcity, and competition between food, feed and fuel.

As part of its initiatives, Matopos Research Institute has successfully registered mealworm starter, grower and finisher diets under the Farm Feeds regulations, specifically for poultry.

The institute has also introduced “frass blocks,” a multi-nutrient feed supplement for ruminant animals such as goats and sheep, which is produced from insect waste material.

Speaking during a recent familiarisation tour of the institute’s innovation hub in Matopo, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary, Professor Obert Jiri, commended the work being done by the scientists.

“What we have seen here with the feed trials and experiments is truly fantastic. This is the foundation of our agriculture. Through innovations like these, we can commercialise new feed formulations that are scientifically tested and proven,” he said.

Professor Jiri noted that not every innovation would make it to commercialisation, but stressed that the process of experimentation was essential for agricultural transformation, especially in the face of threats such as El Niño-induced droughts that have previously devastated livestock populations.

He said there is a need to find solutions for climate change, livestock diseases, and livestock growth as the country is grappling with inbreeding, where the livestock are growing smaller and smaller.

“Science must drive our agriculture. Even if results are not immediate, science-based agriculture will never fail us. We need to continue investing in research to find solutions to climate change, livestock diseases, and genetic challenges like inbreeding, which is causing smaller livestock.

“That is what we must aim for, to have a basket of all these experiments and innovations as we aim for those that are successful technologies that can drive our agricultural transformation based on science,” said Professor Jiri. 

Professor Jiri said that by developing affordable, sustainable feed alternatives that are locally sourced, Matopos is not only offering solutions to immediate feed shortages but also helping smallholder farmers reduce costs and improve animal productivity, thereby contributing to national food security and rural development.

Matopos Research Institute’s principal research officer, Ms Primrose Nkomboni, who is a nutritionist, said that their research is guided by a mandate to create affordable, sustainable feed solutions using resources that farmers can easily access. “These are resources that farmers can easily access. When we identify the resources, we take them to the laboratory for testing. We test for crude protein, fibre and other nutrients. After that, we then formulate our feed, such as lucerne, mopane, or black soldier fly-based pellets,” she said. 

One of the major successes includes the formulation of bush meals, a protein-rich feed made from a mixture of mopane leaves, acacia pods and hay, which contains 23 to 26 percent protein and is ideal for feeding ruminants and donkeys, particularly during dry seasons when conventional feed becomes scarce. 

The institute is also producing black soldier fly-based pellets, comprising 30 percent insect meal and 70 percent bran, used for feeding poultry and ruminants. In addition, the team is exploring cactus-based silage, taking advantage of the plant’s high water content (around 90 percent) and its rich fibre and energy properties to enhance livestock nutrition during dry periods. “We also use acacia to make silages and improve the quality of our hays and cereal stovers. It aids and improves the digestibility of hay and cereal stovers,” said Ms Nkomboni. She said ongoing feeding trials using mopane-based pellets are investigating the leaves’ natural anthelmintic properties, which could help reduce internal parasite loads in goats. “Feeding trials are ongoing for goats with mopane-based pellets. We want to see how the goats perform in terms of internal worms. Properties in mopane are known for reducing the worm load in the gut,” said Ms Nkomboni. 

The innovations at Matopos Research Institute come at a crucial time as Zimbabwe seeks to build a more resilient livestock sector in the wake of increasing droughts, erratic weather patterns and rising input costs. 

11 – US$480K RHINO HORNS CRIMINAL GANG BUSTED

With acknowledgement to Zvikomborero Parafini, HMetro, 25 February 2025

TWO men tried to illegally export rhino horns worth US$480 000, which were hidden in sculptures, to China but their criminal enterprise was busted by police and officials at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. Both men are Chinese nationals and were denied bail. 

Lin Wang, also known as William Kings, and Fuxi Wang, were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Isheanesu Matova. They were remanded in custody and were advised to approach the High Court for bail considerations as they are facing a third schedule offence. The court heard that last Thursday, Lin Wang claimed he wanted to export a sculpture from Zimbabwe to China through Robert Gabriel International Airport. 

He engaged a clearing agent and the two met in Alexandra Park, where they agreed that Lin would pay US$600 for the transaction. He paid US$300 as deposit and they agreed to meet two days later to complete the transaction. Detectives, who were on surveillance in Alexandra Park along Fleetwood Road, saw Fuxi handing over a white plastic parcel to Lin at the main gate of a house. 

Lin collected the parcel and drove away in a hired Nissan X-Trail. The surveillance team followed and they saw Lin inviting the agent into the car and paying US$200 of the US$300 balance. During the transaction, the police pounced on them and introduced themselves. Detective Sergeant Kemusi recovered the white plastic bag which had a khaki cardboard box concealing the rhino horns.

Lin was asked to produce a permit allowing him to possess the rhino horns and he failed, leading to his arrest. The recovered horns were worth US$120 000. The court also heard that on September 12 last year, Lin indicated that he wanted to export a sculpture from Zimbabwe to China through Robert Gabriel International Airport via Emirates Airways. Lin met the agent, Cuthbert Maoko, at Robert Gabriel International Airport Departures car park and they proceeded to National Handling Services (NHS) Cargo handling area. He handed over a 13 kg owl sculpture to the agent to facilitate its export to China and it was placed in a cardboard box. He left and the agent proceeded to Aviation Ground Services to process export papers. The sculpture was physically examined by officials from ZIMRA, CID and AGS. The sculpture was put on AGS Scanner and the image and the officials became suspicious. The sculpture was held by ZIMRA. When the sculpture was broken, after two months, it was discovered that there were five rhino horn pieces which were wrapped by a newspaper.

The agent implicated Lin. The agent called him to come at the airport to answer questions relating the case but he disappeared. The five rhino horn pieces seized by ZIMRA were worth US$360 000.

12 – “NIGHTMARE CRISES” AS SA’S NATIONAL HEALTH LABORATORIES RUN OUT OF SNAKE, SCORPION AND SPIDER ANTIVENOM

With acknowledgment to E Ellis, 4 March 2025

The South African National Health Laboratory Service has stopped manufacturing snake, scorpion and spider antivenom and has not yet indicated when it will start again, leaving millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa at extreme risk. 

“As of next month, people will start dying,” says Arno Naude of Snake Bite Assist. “Hospitals everywhere tell me they are running out.” The National Health Laboratory Service has admitted that due to construction work, all manufacturing of snake, scorpion and spider antivenom has ceased and their stockpiles are now empty, except for boomslang antivenom. “Today, exactly a year ago (4 March 2023), we were assured by the National Health Laboratory (NHLS) that they have ‘more than enough’ antivenom,” Naude said. “We thought they were back on track. But the truth is their stockpile was next to nothing.”

Upgrades

But this week, the NHLS’s Mzi Gcukumana said that in late 2024, the service reported that the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP) facility had undergone extensive infrastructure and equipment upgrades. “These upgrades were planned and necessary due to the deterioration of ageing infrastructure, which had hampered compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) within the SAVP sterile manufacturing unit. “This deterioration became more apparent during significant load shedding, resulting in frequent operational disruptions. A steady power supply is important for manufacturing controlled-air-and-temperature conditions,” Gcukumana said.

“Due to the extent of the work required, antivenom manufacturing processes had to be temporarily discontinued during the renovations. While in the middle of renovations, the project experienced delays due to postponed delivery of specialised equipment and the requirement to maintain required quality standards, both of which were aggravated by the rigorous regulatory environment for sterile manufacture. “During this period, the stockpiles of spider, scorpion, and polyvalent antivenoms were depleted. As a result, only the supply of boomslang antivenom remains available for distribution. The NHLS is now concentrating on the commissioning of the facility. This process entails cleaning, validation and quality control protocols to meet the regulatory requirements for sterile pharmaceutical production. “The NHLS is doing everything possible to speed up the final stages of the process to resume snakebite antivenom production and will keep providing updates on progress,” Gcukumana said.

There are two types of antivenom in South Africa. Polyvalent antivenom is made from the poison of 10 types of snakes found in southern Africa: Puff adder, Gaboon adder, Rinkhals, Green mamba, Jameson’s mamba, Black mamba, Cape cobra, Forest cobra, Snouted cobra and the Mozambique spitting cobra. Boomslang antivenom can be used to treat only boomslang bites.

Naude said the failure of the NHLS to provide sufficient antivenom should cause outrage in South Africa as thousands of lives of both humans and animals are placed at extreme risk. “We are going into the second peak of the snake season. During the Easter holidays, we always see a huge increase in snakebites,” he said. 

Several sub-Saharan countries, including Uganda, had been buying antivenom from South Africa and now had to import it from elsewhere. “South Africa is importing a product from India. It is a little cheaper, but you have to use more. But this is only available for emergency use if you have medical aid. You can’t find this in a state hospital. And even if you did, the product was never intended to be used in South Africa, so it doesn’t state on the leaflet that it can be used for … South African snakes, so the doctors are refusing to administer it, Naude said.

‘Poor and rural people will be hit hard’

“Poor and rural people will be hit hard by this. Most state hospitals in rural areas tell me they have maybe enough left for two or three bites and after that, their antivenom will be finished.” He said there was a product in use in Swaziland that was cheaper and worked better than the imported product, but in South Africa, it could be used only by vets. “They had good results there with this product. Out of 800 patients bitten, they did not have one death. But this product has not yet been approved by the World Health Organization,” he said, “and it can’t be used on humans in South Africa.”

Naude welcomed the upgrading of the equipment at the NHLS and said it also had become clear that in the recent past, the antivenom supplied by South Africa was not up to standard. “The quality was not what it should have been and we saw a lot of allergic reactions. Skilled people have left the NHLS and their equipment is very old.” However, he said they had been assured that there was enough stock to see the upgrading project through. “But then again, we are lied to all of the time,” he said.

‘Huge crisis’

“We have a huge crisis on hand,” Naude said. “Other countries in sub-Saharan Africa are buying antivenom from the Middle East and India. But they can just as well buy distilled water. It is completely useless. Also, it isn’t stocked by government hospitals so you also must go buy it yourself. “No vets have antivenom any more,” Naude said. “This country should also be held responsible for the deaths that occur in sub-Saharan Africa because of what the NHLS has done.”

Apart from running out of polyvalent antivenom, the NHLS also no longer has antivenom for scorpion stings and spiders.  “Two weeks ago, a young child died in Botswana after a scorpion sting. Their family sold everything they had to buy vials of antivenom, but this was made for a scorpion in North Africa so it didn’t help,” he said. He said if a person who has medical aid was bitten by a snake today, they could still scramble and find something to use. “But [it] might be too late. I have seen people die within 9 minutes.”

“The other problem is that people might survive, but without antivenom they will likely lose an arm or need a kidney transplant. The suicide rate among snakebite victims within two years after the bite is sky high, he said, “especially those who suffered a significant injury”. “The government must stop messing around. Snakebites have been declared a neglected tropical disease. It is actually the most neglected,” he said.

He said the risk, especially in the Northern Western Cape, the Northern Cape, Limpopo, Botswana and Namibia of fatal thick-tail scorpion stings were sky-high. “Children and the elderly are especially at high risk. And there is nothing you can import for this scorpion sting, he said. 

Naude said it didn’t help for the NHLS to declare that it still had boomslang venom. “First, what does it help to have boomslang antivenom? These bites are so rare. You almost have to apply in writing to get a bite,” he said. He said the antivenom could offer some solace, though, because he had witnessed a person dying from a boomslang bite “and it was excruciating”.

Steve Meighan from Deep South Reptile Rescue said it could not be overstated how much trouble the country was in. “And even if they start working today it will still take months before they are producing antivenom,” he said. “I have been involved with snakes since 1991 and this is the first time that this [has] happened. He said in two recent cases, snakebite victims had to be treated with products from a vet. 

Michele Clarke from the Democratic Alliance said the party would question the NHLS in the parliamentary committee on health on Wednesday (5 March) about the antivenom crisis. “We will demand clarity on how much antivenom has been produced and distributed since 2023. The NHLS must also account for reported shortages in hospitals and what is being done to address them. The crisis is reportedly due to load shedding and renovations at the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP). Reports indicate that South Africa, once an exporter of antivenom, is now forced to import substandard alternatives. This places thousands of lives at risk, especially in rural communities.

“South Africa records approximately 4,000 snakebites annually, with around 900 hospitalisations and 100 patients requiring antivenom. Without urgent access to treatment, severe complications or death can occur,” she said. “A single snakebite can kill within hours without access to antivenom, lives and limbs are being lost unnecessarily.”

13 – FIVE JOURNALISTS WIN AT AFRICA TRAVEL WEEK MEDIA AWARDS

With acknowledgement to Nehru Odeh, 16th April, 2025

Africa Travel Week has announced the winners of its 2025 Media Awards, recognising five exceptional journalists whose work has helped elevate the profile of Africa’s tourism offering on the global stage. The event held between 9 and 11 April 2025 at Cape Town International Convention Centre.

A distinguished judging panel, which included Pat Riddell (National Geographic Traveller UK), Barry Neild (CNN Travel), Ellie Rothnie (Canon Ambassador), and Kojo Bentum-Williams (Voyages Afriq) selected the winners from a competitive field of entries.

The five award-winning journalists are : Mike Unwin, who claimed the top prize for his piece, “Rock of Ages”, published in Travel Africa Magazine. Others are Summer Rylander for “What Does Successful Low-Volume, Hugh-Value Tourism Look Like?” ; Ryan Eslin for “A wild, Wild Life”; Shanna Jacobsen for “Addressing the Train-Retain Drain”; and Qaqamba Matundu.

Mike Unwin ‘s piece, “Rock of Ages” is a vivid exploration of Zimbabwe UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Matobo Hills. “I’m delighted that my feature on Bulawayo and the Matobo Hills has won ATW’s Destination award. Bulawayo was where my experience of Africa began, as a teacher many years ago, and I have held a deep affection for this magical corner of the world ever since. Many thanks to the always excellent Travel Africa magazine for allowing me the opportunity to put my feelings into words,” Unwin said.

Summer Rylander’s thoughtful analysis “What Does Successful Low-Volume, High-Value Tourism Look Like?” examines Botswana’s distinctive approach to balancing tourism development with environmental conservation. “Sustainability is at the heart of my work as a journalist and I’m proud of this piece, which delves into the ethics of access in relation to the protection of nature and doing right by local communities. What an honour it is to receive this award! Thank you to the judges and well done to the other nominees, ” Rylander noted

Ryan Enslin’s captivating photo essay “A Wild Wild Life” documents the unique wildlife encounters possible in Cape Town, revealing an unexpected side of urban Africa. “Travel writing and photography have always been deeply personal for me. They are ways of capturing and sharing the moments that speak directly to my soul,” reflects Enslin. “Each story I tell is, in many ways, a passion project, born from a place of curiosity and connection. To have that recognised by the Africa Travel Week Media Awards is incredibly encouraging. It reminds me that these stories, rooted in heart and experience, resonate with others too.”

Shanna Jacobsen’s investigative report “Addressing the Train-Retain Drain” examines critical staffing challenges facing South Africa’s incentive travel industry in the post-pandemic landscape. “This is a big deal for us, not just to spotlight the skills constraints the incentive travel industry is currently grappling with, but to try find a means to address the issue,” Jacobsen remarked

Qaqamba Matundu won for her remarkable report on the rediscovery of South Africa’s “lost” golden mole, highlighting both an important conservation milestone and emerging journalistic talent. “This award is a testament to the power of storytelling and the incredible support I’ve received along the way from my editor,” says Matundu. “Here’s to pushing boundaries, sharing impactful stories, and inspiring others in the media industry.”

Megan de Jager, Portfolio Director at RX Africa, noted: “Compelling storytelling is essential for showcasing Africa’s extraordinary destinations and experiences. These award-winning journalists exemplify the highest standards of travel reporting, helping to position Africa within the global tourism conversation.”

Now in its second year, the ATW Media Awards celebrate excellence in travel reporting, photography and storytelling across five categories. It also celebrates outstanding travel journalism that brings Africa’s diverse tourism destinations to global audiences. Quality reporting plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and raising awareness of the continent’s travel offerings. “Compelling storytelling is essential for showcasing Africa’s extraordinary destinations and experiences,” says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director, Travel, Tourism & RX Africa Marketing. “These award-winning journalists exemplify the highest standards of travel reporting, helping to position Africa within the global tourism conversation.”

The annual ATW Media Awards are open to all media practitioners including journalists, bloggers, videographers, and photographers producing content related to African travel. The programme forms part of Africa Travel Week’s broader initiatives to promote the continent’s tourism offerings to international markets. WTM Africa was launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2024, it facilitated more than 10 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 8% compared to 2023 and welcomed more than 10 thousand visitors (unaudited), 25% more than 2023.

About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.

14 – HARARE COUNCIL PUMPS RAW SEWAGE INTO LAKE CHIVERO AND THIS KILLS FOUR RHINO.

With acknowledgement to The Herald

Harare City Council has been discharging raw sewage into the Mukuvisi River, which flows into Lake Chivero, the city’s main water source, for the past two weeks. This has created serious health and environmental hazards, resulting in Zimparks banning all fishing activities at Lake Chivero, where thousands of fish have died, alongside animals including four rhinos and three zebras. The pollution, primarily from raw sewage, has caused a surge in cyanobacteria, posing health risks to both humans and wildlife.

15 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

18 May 2025 Field Trip to Gulati Communal Lands

7 June 2025 Matopos Clean-Up Day for World Environment Day (5 June)

22 – 24 August 2025 Matopos Heritage Trail Run

22 September 2025 World Rhino Day

23 November 2025 Matobo Conservation Society AGM

27 – 30 November 2025 Matobo Classic MTB

16 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025 are now due. Please ensure that your subs are up to date. There has been no increase in rates.

US$ 20 Individual/Family

US$    5 Pensioner/Student

US$100 Corporate

If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com

MCS Branded Apparel

The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo, available at US$20 each. They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. We also have stocks of hats and caps at $10 each. CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each. Additional branded apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, sleeveless safari jackets and golf shirts) can be ordered on request. Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details

Website – www.matobo.org

Visit our website and make use of the RESOURCES tab to download maps and information.

Please email matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Facebook

Don’t forget to follow  our Facebook page, with nearly 1000 followers now.

The Natural History of the Matobo Hills

This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$20. The price has been reduced.

Umvukela – The 1896 Anti-Colonial Rebellion in Matabeleland by Ian Cross

This limited-edition book was published by the Matobo Conservation Society as it records an important part of the Matopos History. The first edition has been sold out, and a reprint is being considered. Contact Rob Burrett on email robburret@icloud.com to book a copy.

The AGM returned your committee to office, and at the subsequent first committee meeting, the following portfolios were allocated:

Chairman Gavin Stephens

Vice-Chairman Neil Rix

Treasurer TBA

Secretary Gaynor Lightfoot

Membership Jean Whiley

Committee Members Verity Bowman, Moira Fitzpatrick, Dennis Chitewe and John Dold

2 – NEW PARKS DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED

Professor Edson Gandiwa , a renowned wildlife ecologist and professor at Chinhoyi University of Technology, has been appointed as the new Director General of the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks).

Gandiwa, who previously served as ZimParks’ Director of Research, succeeds his former superior, Dr. Fulton Mangwanya, who recently assumed the position of Director General of the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO).

Dr. Gandiwa, married to fellow ecologist and Professor Patience Gandiwa, brings extensive experience to the role. Both have dedicated their careers to wildlife conservation within ZimParks under the leadership of Dr. Mangwanya.

Professor Gandiwa earned his PhD in Wildlife Conservation and Management from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. He has co-authored over 140 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has a distinguished research record in wildlife conservation, ecology, and environmental science.

He previously served as the Executive Dean of the School of Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation at Chinhoyi University of Technology.

3 – CHINESE ARRESTED FOR POSSESING RHINO HORNS

NewsDay, Tuesday 25 February 2025

A 62-year-old Chinese national was dragged before the Harare Magistrates’ Court facing an allegation of possessing rhino horns valued at US$360,000 yesterday. Harare magistrate Sheunesu Matova remanded Lin Wang in custody to March 11 for routine remand after advising him to approach the High Court for bail application. Prosecutor Rufaro Chonzi alleged that on September 12 last year, Lin wanted to export a purported sculpture from Zimbabwe to China through Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Emirates Airways. The court heard that Lin met agent Cuthbert Maoko at the airport near the departure car park and went to National Handling Services (NHS) cargo handling area. While at NHS, Lin allegedly handed over a 13-kilogramme owl hardened-plastic sculpture to the agent to facilitate shipment to China.

4 – NEXT EVENT

Please note that an entry fee is payable, $2 per person and $4 per car

Bring your picnic lunch, hat and, for the brave, swimming costume.

Following the recent good rains we are travelling out to Diana’s Pool to enjoy the site of rushing water and spilling pools. We will also walk to the Orbicular Granite Site. We are not certain of the road conditions after the recent rains but understand that they are passable via Mawabeni.

5 – REPORT BACK – ROWALLAN PARK

Our Annual General Meeting was held on 17^th November at Rowallan Park – kindly hosted by Neil and Fiona Rix. The large veranda was a useful provision given the rain that was around that week-end.

Folk attending the AGM were able to visit Rowallan Adventure Camp and partake of a short walk before the main business commenced. The formalities were followed by an interesting talk by Dr Woody Cotterill on the recent geological conference held in Bulawayo, which included updates on the Matobo area. It seems that the orbicular granite remains an area of particular fascination, and we should probably be making more of this unique geological phenomenon than we hitherto do.

6 – AS FORESTS FELLED WOOD SHORTAGE HITS VILLAGERS IN ZIMBABWE

With acknowledgment to The Guardian, 13 November 2024. By Jeffrey Moyo, Chimanimani

Cart laden with firewood in Gonzoma, Zimbabwe, a picture that could just as easily have been taken in any of the Matopos Communal Lands.

Linet Makwera (28) has a baby strapped on her back as she totters barefoot, picking tiny pieces of wood on both sides of a dusty and narrow road, peering fearfully at people passing by along the road in Chimanimani’s Mutambara area in Gonzoma village located in Zimbabwe’s Manicaland Province, east of the country.

Her fears, Makwera says, are the patrolling plain clothes police officers, who often target people, cutting down the few available trees in search of firewood.

In the midst of firewood shortages countrywide, more than 300,000 trees were destroyed between 2000 and 2010, according to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

In fact, in 2011, the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe found out that the country was losing about 330,000 hectares of forests per year. According to Global Forest Watch in 2010, Zimbabwe had 1.01 Mha of natural forest, extending over 2.7 percent of its land area. In 2023, it lost 4.67 kha of natural forest, equivalent to 3.27 Mt of CO₂ emissions.

A slight drop from the previous one, currently, Zimbabwe’s annual deforestation rate is estimated to be at 262,348.98 hectares per annum, the Forestry Commission says.

According to UNDP in 2022, the use of local forests for fuel wood has also been one of the many drivers of deforestation in the country.

UNDP has been on record, saying presently, fuel wood accounts for over 60 percent of the total energy supply in the country and almost 98 percent of rural people rely on fuel wood for cooking and heating.

The Forestry Commission says up to 11 million tons of firewood are needed for domestic cooking, heating and tobacco curing every year in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is ranked top of the United Nations-ranked Least Developed Countries (LDCs) that have battled the highest rate of deforestation in the world, as many rural dwellers here depend on firewood for cooking.

Yet still, even as the felling of trees for firewood gets worse and worse in Zimbabwe, it is a crime for anybody to be found cutting trees for any purpose without the authorities’ blessing.

If caught on the wrong side of the law, a wood poacher can be fined $200 to $5,000

Like many villagers domiciled in her remote area, Makwera has to battle with firewood deficits as the forests disappear under massive deforestation.

But the laws prohibiting people from cutting down trees have also meant hard times for many, like Makwera.

Yet despite her struggles to find firewood often in order to cook food for her family, she (Makwera) has had to soldier on, just like many other villagers in her area.

With even the hills and mountains now running out of firewood in Makwera’s village, life has never been the same for the villagers, as they do not have electricity, which, even though it might have been there, would not have saved any purpose amid daily power cuts gripping the Southern African nation.

“Finding firewood is now a huge challenge. Yes, we buy. We have no choice. We suffer to find the firewood. In the hills and mountains where we used to find firewood, there is now nothing,” said Makwera.

Named using vernacular Shona, a tsotso stove typically is a tin with holes pricked into it, with a few tiny sticks stashed inside the home-made stove to produce some fire heat needed for cooking.

Stung by the growing firewood deficits, Zimbabwean villagers are even resorting to buying firewood from wood poachers moving around in scotch carts touting for customers.

Such are many, like 33-year-old Tigere Mhike, also a resident of Gonzoma village, who said he has been for a long time earning his living through selling firewood to the desperate villagers.

He does this illegally, and in order to escape the wrath of law enforcers, Mhike said he and his assistant often operate under the cover of darkness in their search for the wooden gold.

“Where we live here, there are now too many people who are crowded. Some pieces of land that had plenty of firewood are now occupied by more and more people. We now have to travel very long distances, waking up very early in the mornings sometimes at 2am to go and search for firewood so that we deliver to the villagers wanting the firewood. We sell one scotch-cart full of firewood at 25 (US) dollars,” said Mhike.

Amid incessant droughts actuated by climate change that have also led to the gradual disappearance of Zimbabwe’s forests, with the use of tsotso stoves requiring fewer wood sticks to produce the cooking heat, villagers here have said they are gradually adapting to the crisis.

Even to environmental experts like Batanai Mutasa, part of the panacea to surmount firewood deficits has turned out to be the now popular tsotso stoves in the face of Zimbabwe’s laws forbidding the cutting down of trees.

Mutasa is also the spokesman for the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), a non-governmental organization comprising of legal minds fighting for this country’s environment.

As the trees disappear amid firewood poaching in Zimbabwe’s villages like Gonzoma in Manicaland Province, Mutasa has a piece of advice.

“My advice to people struggling to find firewood in remote areas is that they should work together to find other means that protect our trees from being damaged, things like using biogas or stoves that don’t require much firewood like tsotso stoves,” he said.

In worst case scenarios, said Mutasa, to preserve forests as they search for firewood, people should resort to just plucking off branches from the surviving trees to use these to make fire, leaving the trees alive.

Mutasa said: “Mainly, people should make it their habit to plant and replant trees. People can team up with authorities in their villages to fight off wood poachers in their areas.”

Another Gonzoma villager, Mzilikazi Rusawo, in his early sixties, said faced with desperate times in their search for firewood as the few forests are jealously guarded by law enforcers, they now have to seek permission from authorities before they cut selected trees for firewood.

“The law does not allow us to just cut down trees for firewood anyhow. We actually seek permission from authorities before cutting trees for firewood, which we do with care—sparsely cutting down the trees in order to leave many other trees standing,” said Rusawo.

For the Zimbabwean government, the options are, however, fast running out as rural dwellers battle with firewood shortages.

Some of the options cannot be afforded by many residents in rural areas in a country where more than 90 percent are jobless, according to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).

“Firewood shortages are a huge challenge for all people living in rural areas, but it is not only firewood that can be used for cooking. People can also use biogas,” said Joyce Chapungu, spokesperson for the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).

With the retail price of biogas in Zimbabwe going for approximately two dollars per kilogram, not many rural residents can afford buying the cooking gas.

7 – UNESCO AND BIRDLIFE ZIMBABWE PARTNER TO RAISE AWARENESS OF WETLANDS CONSERVATION

With acknowledgment to UNESCO, 8 November 2024

Since the 1700s, nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have degraded, with their loss occurring at a rate three times faster than that of forests. Urban wetlands are highly vulnerable. This highlights the urgent need for collective efforts to address and reverse the decline of these critical ecosystems.

Wetlands in Harare, including Ramsar Sites, face threats from drainage, conversion to development, cultivation and pollution. These activities have caused increased siltation in Harava and Seke Dams, as well as Lakes Chivero and Manyame, leading to water shortages, eutrophication from excess nutrients, and a loss of biodiversity essential for ecosystem health and human well-being. To address these challenges, BirdLife Zimbabwe, in collaboration with UNESCO ROSA and Harare Wetlands Trust, and with funding from the Netherlands, is hosting a series of workshops to identify the most effective strategies for protecting wetlands. The outcomes of these workshops will be presented at the Ramsar Convention in 2025.

The first workshop, held at Lake Chivero, brought together participants who shared the status of Harare’s wetlands, which have been worsening over time and developed an action plan with recommendations to enhance the protection and restoration of these ecosystems. The strategies and recommendations included the establishment of a National Committee, comprising all relevant stakeholders, to address wetlands issues. Additionally, the need for strong awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of wetlands was emphasized, among others.

As growth and development continue, the demand for water is increasing. However, water supplies are steadily diminishing due to the degradation and loss of natural wetland infrastructure, depletion of groundwater resources, and the growing impacts of climate change. Amidst this development, it is essential to preserve and protect our wetlands, as their destruction undermines nature’s own system for providing sustainable freshwater to the area.

The terrible water situation in Harare is directly related to wetlands loss, as Zimbabwe’s capital relies on headwater wetlands for water supplies. The city is unable to provide adequate supplies of clean water which negatively impacts marginalised and poor communities.

If current trends continue, Harare’s surviving wetlands may be completely destroyed over the next several decades. Without wetlands, the city will experience more frequent water shortages, increased flooding, and poor water quality. The environmental and societal consequences of this loss might be devastating for Zimbabwe’s capital.

UNESCO ROSA Programme Specialist, Guy Broucke encouraged participants to start empowering themselves with knowledge about the wetlands, understanding the current threats they face, appreciating their significance, and recognizing why their involvement matters.

The workshop was attended by the Ministry of Local Government, The City of Harare, Environmental Management Agency, Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council, ZimParks Conservation Society of Monavale, Emerald climate hub, African Youth Initiative on Climate Change Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Youth Biodiversity Network.

Zimbabwe will be hosting the COP 15 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands at Elephant Hills, Victoria Falls from 23-31 July 2025. Every small action count, and together we can ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our wetlands.

8 – THIRSTY, ENERGY-HUNGRY STEEL ‘MONSTER’ SET TO DESTROY THOUSANDS OF LIMPOPO PROTECTED TREES IN INDUSTRIAL DRIVE.

With acknowledgment to Tony Carnie, 14 November 2024

Opponents of the heavy industry plan fear the development will cause irreversible environmental harm to a large section of the Vhembe biosphere reserve. (Photo: Gallo Images / GO! / James Gifford)

Tens of thousands of indigenous trees, including baobabs and other specially protected species, are set to be the first casualties of a massive heavy industry development plan in Limpopo. The scheme is driven by the provincial government and Chinese developers, who have touted it as ‘the most competitive energy metallurgy special zone in the world’

Permit applications sent to the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) show that there are plans to destroy as many as half a million protected indigenous trees in the 12,000-hectare Musina-Makahado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) in northern Limpopo. This appears to exclude the further destruction of tens of thousands of other more abundant indigenous trees such as mopanes, bushwillows and clusterleafs.

So far, the department confirmed that it has issued licences for the destruction of 1,000 specially protected trees but forestry officials said they would adopt a “cautious and responsible approach” when considering another application to destroy a further 9,000 protected trees.

But there is also a more alarming application in the wings: to remove or destroy more than 650,000 protected trees that include 10,000 baobabs, 100,000 shepherd’s trees, 120,000 marulas and 428,058 leadwood trees.

Apart from the significant scale of biodiversity damage from tree felling, the plan to develop a new heavy industry zone in Limpopo has also raised concern about whether there is enough water and electricity available in the region to support a mega-scale scale development centred around steel smelting, coal washing and other metallurgical processes.

Botanists voted to change the name of hundreds of plants to remove a racial slur in their scientific names. They also voted to allow a committee to evaluate new species names that could be offensive or derogatory, starting in 2026.

Nevertheless, the project has received official backing from President Cyril Ramaphosa, Limpopo provincial Premier Phophi Ramathuba and several China-based steel, coal and metallurgy companies. The investors have been wooed with a range of government incentives that include corporate income tax of 15% instead of 27%, as well as cheap electricity supplies, potentially from the Medupi Power Station.

9 – IN A FIRST, BOTANISTS VOTE TO REMOVE OFFENSIVE PLANT NAMES FROM HUNDREDS OF SPECIES.

An international body has voted to make the change and to further consider the ethics of scientific names. With acknowledgement to Rodrigo Perez Ortega and Erik Stokstad.

The scientific name of the gifbossie, a flowering plant from South Africa, will change from Gnidia caffra to Gnidia affra. Bob Gibbons/FLPA/Minden Pictures

Alina Freire-Fierro, a botanist at the Technical University of Cotopaxi who was not involved with proposing the changes, says she’s glad that culturally offensive names were discussed at the International Botanical Congress in Madrid, where the vote was held. “It was about time,” she says.

This is the first time that botanists have voted on changing names that could be offensive. Their decision will eliminate a “c” in more than 300 scientific names of plants, algae, and fungi that include caf[e]r- and caff[e]r-. The one-letter change would mean removing references to caffra, an Apartheid-era slur used to discriminate against Black people in South Africa, in favor of affra and related derivatives, implying simply that the species has its origins in Africa.

“[We] express our gratitude to our colleagues from around the globe who supported our efforts to rid botanical nomenclature of a despicable, racial slur,” says Gideon Smith, a plant taxonomist at Nelson Mandela University who initiated the renaming proposal.

In a secret ballot among 556 botanists physically at the Madrid meeting, 63% voted to accept the change. But discussions leading up to the vote have been heated for years. Debates over scientific names have erupted among botanists since at least since 2021. Some have pushed to restore Indigenous species names and change offensive ones, such as those in the genus Hibbertia, which was named in honour of English anti-abolitionist and plantation owner George Hibbert. A few botanists have also proposed getting rid of eponyms honouring humans altogether, arguing that they’re “out of step with equality and representation.” Other researchers have pushed back, saying scientific nomenclature shouldn’t be swayed by social movements.

Natural History Museum of London botanist Sandra Knapp expressed concern about the bickering factions last year in an interview with Science. “What I find really sad about this is that there’s a lot of vitriol, there’s a lot of unpleasantness associated with this, which I kind of feel there doesn’t need to be,” said Knapp, who also serves as president of the nomenclature section that voted on the changes today.

Taxonomists are often reluctant to alter species names, because these changes can cause confusion and must be revised in databases and sometimes in legislation, such as protections for endangered species. The proposals accepted today by botanists’ contrast with what the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature decided last year. That group arbitrates on the correct use of scientific names of animals and announced it will not consider changing animal names many researchers consider offensive.

“Even small changes [in names] could have ripples, unforeseen circumstances that cause costs and difficulty for everyone,” says Quentin Groom of the Meise Botanic Garden, who attended the botany session today in Madrid. “So, there are conflicting pressures. And you definitely felt that in the room.”

Today’s vote among botanists also included a proposal to more broadly allow existing culturally offensive names to be changed and to set up a new permanent committee to rule on these decisions going forward. But that original proposal was amended before it was voted on and passed. Instead of a new group, an existing committee that evaluates names that may be invalid for other reasons, such as prior discovery, will also handle requests to change names deemed offensive. This committee will only consider objections to new plant scientific names that have been published after 1 January 2026 and not retroactively correct names. This way, the scientific community “can deal with new names, but obviously that’s much less of a problem” than older names, Groom says.

Botanists will continue to contend with existing offensive names and other ethical issues in taxonomy. An ad hoc group will consider such names and report back at the next Congress in 6 years. “The community does want to do something, but you’re talking about a very cautious bunch,” Groom says.

10 – RELENTLESS POACHERS BUTCHER 20 DEHORNED RHINOS IN KZN SANCTUARY

With acknowledgement to Tony Carnie, 13 November 2024

WWF rhino range expansion coordinator Ursina Rusch and Ezemvelo conservation staff Hloniphani Qwabe and Musa Nkosi (right) collect blood samples prior to the dehorning of another rhino in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. (Photo: Vanessa Duthe)

The dehorning project in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi rhino sanctuary in KwaZulu-Natal has suffered a setback, with at least 20 dehorned animals gunned down for their remnant horn stumps over the past month. Earlier this year, a massive operation began in the 96,000ha Hluhluwe-iMfolozi rhino sanctuary to remove the horns of hundreds of rhinos to reduce the relentless poaching in a state-owned park that still protects a significant portion of the beleaguered species.

The Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife management agency had previously resisted calls to dehorn rhinos in the park — partly due to the significant expenses, and because the sanctuary was one of the few major parks where tourists could still see rhinos in their natural state. However, following an offer of financial and other assistance from the WWF South Africa conservation group, Ezemvelo embarked on a joint operation in April to dehorn more than 1,000 rhinos. The operation, with further assistance from Wildlife ACT, Save the Rhino International and Zululand Wildlife Vets, led to immediate conservation dividends. According to WWF, the mass dehorning resulted in a sharp 70% to 80% drop in poaching in the park. However, now it has emerged that at least 20 dehorned rhinos were killed in October by a poaching gang believed to be connected to a Mozambique-based syndicate. While the aim of dehorning is to remove as much of the horn as possible (to make it less attractive to kill animals with no visible horns) conservation staff leave behind a small portion to prevent injury or permanent damage to the growth plate at the base of the horns. In a media statement recording a recent visit to the park by Zulu King Misuzulu, Ezemvelo said that despite initial success, “October saw an unfortunate spike, with 20 dehorned rhinos lost to poaching. “However, Ezemvelo hopes that it has dismantled the syndicate following the death of two foreign poachers shot during the gun battle between them and Ezemvelo’s anti-poaching unit. “Commenting on the recent killings of the dehorned rhinos, WWF rhino conservation programme manager Jeff Cooke said it was still too early to declare that the project was not working. Cooke — who spent 34 years of his career at Ezemvelo, including heading the game capture and veterinary services unit — said he would prefer to wait until the end of the year to review the statistics over a longer time frame. “This is not a simplistic success/failure issue. The fact is that the poaching rate has declined significantly since the project started in April. We have had several good months and one bad month, and we also have to ask how many more rhinos would have been poached if we had done nothing. “Nevertheless, said Cooke: “This is a wake-up call for Ezemvelo and other conservation agencies that you cannot just dehorn rhinos and then take your foot off the pedal. “These guys are in it for the money, so if they think they can get away with poaching the stumps from dehorned animals — without getting arrested — then it’s still worth their effort, although we know that local syndicates are generally looking for the whole horn intact. “As a result, it was vital for conservation staff to remain on high alert and to ensure that staff had the necessary capacity and intelligence support to intercept poachers, preferably before they entered parks. Ezemvelo has installed a large number of surveillance cameras in the park that trigger immediate responses from ground teams, erected strategically placed “smart fencing” to monitor specific areas of the park and uses K9 units to track poachers in the park.

11 – THAT BITE OF SUMMER HAS WELL AND TRULY COME EARLY THIS YEAR AND WITH THAT HEAT COMES SNAKES.

With acknowledgement to Rob Timmings and edited for Zimbabwe conditions.

In Australia, 3000 bites are reported annually, which result in 300-500 hospitalisations and 2-3 deaths.

Average time to death is 12 hours. The urban myth that you are bitten in the yard and die before you can walk from your chook pen back to the house is a load of rubbish.

While not new, the management of snake bite (like a flood/fire evacuation plan or CPR) should be refreshed each season.

Let’s start with a basic overview.

In Zimbabwe poisonous snakes belong to four families: Colubrids (Boomslang), Vipers (Puff Adder), Elapids (Mambas and Cobras) and Atractaspids (Bibron Stilleto snake). The Puff Adder is responsible for three quarters of the bites.

All snake venom is made up of huge proteins (like egg white). When bitten, a snake injects some venom into the meat of your limb (NOT into your blood).

This venom cannot be absorbed into the blood stream from the bite site.

It travels in a fluid transport system in your body called the lymphatic system (not the blood stream). Now this fluid (lymph) is moved differently to blood.

Your heart pumps blood around, so even when you are lying dead still, your blood still circulates around the body. Lymph fluid is different. It moves around with physical muscle movement like bending your arm, bending knees, wriggling fingers and toes, walking/exercise etc.

Now here is the thing. Lymph fluid becomes blood after these lymph vessels converge to form one of two large vessels (lymphatic trunks) which are connected to veins at the base of the neck.

Back to the snake bite site.

When bitten, the venom has been injected into this lymph fluid (which makes up the bulk of the water in your tissues).

The only way that the venom can get into your blood stream is to be moved from the bite site in the lymphatic vessels. The only way to do this is to physically move the limbs that were bitten.

Stay still!!! Venom can’t move if the victim doesn’t move. Stay still!!

Remember people are not bitten into their blood stream.

In the 1980s a technique called Pressure immobilisation bandaging was developed to further retard venom movement. It completely stops venom / lymph transport toward the blood stream.

A firm roll bandage is applied directly over the bite site (don’t wash the area).

Technique:

Three steps: keep them still

• Step 1 Apply a bandage over the bite site, to an area about 10cm above and below the bite.
• Step 2 Then using another elastic roller bandage, apply a firm wrap from Fingers/toes all the way to the armpit/groin.  The bandage needs to be firm, but not so tight that it causes fingers or toes to turn purple or white. About the tension of a sprain bandage.
• Step 3 Splint the limb so the patient can’t walk or bend the limb.

Do nots:

• Do not cut, incise or suck the venom.
• Do not EVER use a tourniquet
• Don’t remove the shirt or pants – just bandage over the top of clothing.
• Remember movement (like wriggling out of a shirt or pants) causes venom movement.
• DO NOT try to catch, kill or identify the snake!!! This is important.

In hospital we NO LONGER NEED to know the type of snake; it doesn’t change treatment.

Five years ago, we would do a test on the bite, blood or urine to identify the snake so the correct anti venom can be used.

BUT NOW…

we don’t do this. Our new Antivenom neutralises the venoms of all the 5 listed snake genus, so it doesn’t matter what snake bit the patient. (in AUSTRALIA not Zimbabwe)

Read that again- one injection for all snakes!

Polyvalent is our one-shot wonder, stocked in all hospitals, so most hospitals no longer stock specific Antivenins.

Allergy to snakes is rarer than winning lotto twice.

Final tips: not all bitten people are envenomated and only those starting to show symptoms above are given antivenom.

12 – DROUGHT IMPERILS ZIMBABWE’S ANCIENT ROCK ART, SPURRING EFFORTS TO PRESERVE AND DATE IT

With acknowledgement to Diana Kruzman, 27 Nov 2024

THE MATOBO HILLS IN ZIMBABWE—Sketched onto the walls of a granite outcropping in the hills of southern Zimbabwe, tall, rust-red human figures gather around groups of antelopes and giraffes. The painting, along with more than 3000 others in the area, portrays animals spiritually important to the nomadic San people who created them sometime between 2000 and 13,000 years ago. This pictorial record of San culture in the Matobo Hills is one of Africa’s highest concentrations of rock art; it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003.

Ancient rock art made by the San people depicts an eland and human figures. Steve O. Taylor.

But the paintings are under threat from vandalism as well as erosion. Now, a nonprofit group near the hills is working with local people to document and raise awareness of the rock art before it disappears. Since July, the Amagugu International Heritage Centre (AIHC), based in the village of Whitewater near the southern city of Bulawayo, has been collaborating with the U.S. embassy in Zimbabwe and the country’s national museum to record local stories about the art, identify new sites, and develop a catalogue of artworks that can be analyzed by experts even if the original paintings fade. The team plans to release a final catalogue and a documentary about the project in January 2025.

Preserving the art is essential to understanding the ancient societies that created it, said Ancila Nhamo, a professor of archaeology at the University of Zimbabwe working on the project. “Art is a product of the mind and the culture, which is an intangible thing,” she said. “But when you get the art, you can get into the minds of these people and really see what the world was like at that time.”

This year, Zimbabwe has undergone one of the worst droughts in living memory, with maximum temperatures 2°C to 5°C above normal. Hot, dry weather boosts the risk of wildfires and kills vegetation, increasing soil erosion and making rock art sites more prone to flooding during the rainy season, as researchers in nearby Namibia have found.

The paintings are also vulnerable to vandalism, such as graffiti, and damage from fires, which are sometimes set by locals unaware of the paintings’ importance. Unlike previous efforts led by outsiders, this project aims to inspire a sense of ownership over and responsibility for the sites among local people. “The [local residents] are the people who should play a part in preserving, documenting, and protecting this cultural heritage,” said Allington Ndlovu, a program manager at AIHC.

The people in the area today are mostly farmers of the Ndebele ethnic group, whose ancestors migrated from the north in several waves starting about 4000 years ago. The ancient Ndebele interacted with the nomadic San, whose descendants still live in some parts of Zimbabwe and in South Africa. Today, San people feel the rock art can help them understand their heritage, said Davy Ndlovu, director of the Tsoro-o-tso San Development Trust, a Zimbabwean nongovernment organization that advocates for the rights of the Indigenous group. “The cultural heritage of the San is critically endangered and there is very little awareness around the issue,” Ndlovu said. “Projects like this can assist the San to get their voices heard … and assist coming generations to understand the heritage of Zimbabwe.”

The project organizers worked with local leaders to train 35 women from seven villages in drawing and painting techniques. The local artists then replicated 35 artworks using pencils, brushes, and paint, creating a visual record now displayed in a community gallery. Fourteen of the largest and clearest rock paintings were reproduced on canvas and granite slates, to be displayed in the country’s national gallery.

Meanwhile, a joint French-Zimbabwean research project called MATOBART is working to date rock art in the Matobo Hills. The paint is made of inorganic material so it can’t be radiocarbon dated, said project leader Camille Bourdier of the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès. Instead, she and other researchers set out to date stone tools, including palettes likely used to create the paintings, and flakes of paint that fell to the ground. They hope to estimate minimum ages by directly dating the sediment around these artifacts.

Preliminary findings confirm earlier estimates made by archaeologists in the 1980s, who suggested the paintings were created starting about 13,000 years ago. More precise dating will allow researchers to more accurately interpret the art, Nhamo said. For instance, rock art in Zimbabwe mainly depicts kudu antelopes, she says, whereas similar San sites in nearby South Africa focus on another antelope, the eland. Nhamo would like to know whether San people painted different animals over time, or distinct San groups valued particular animals as markers of community identity, a way to distinguish themselves from their neighbours.

Other interpretations focus on the spiritual, rather than social, importance of the animals, said Sam Challis, who heads the Rock Art Research Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand. San people started to paint “richly embellished” eland at sites in the Drakensberg Mountains during a period of cooler climate that began around 1500 B.C.E., when the animals—previously a staple food source—were becoming more scarce, as Challis and anthropologist Brian Stewart of the University of Michigan wrote in a 2023 paper. They argue that by painting the eland, the San were attempting to harness the antelope’s spiritual powers to summon more of them to appear during a time of scarcity.

The artworks now being documented in the Matobo Hills, including scenes of antelopes, elephants, and gnus surrounded by humans walking with bows and arrows and dancing or sitting, could yield similar insights for future researchers, Bourdier said. “These [San] hunter-gatherers have been living this way for tens of thousands of years. … It has proven to be a very sustainable way of living,” she said. “Unravelling these ways of living within the world could give us some clues of the type of behaviours or relationships we could go back to.”

13– RAINFALL

The first rains fell in late October – isolated and light, and the brief wet spells were interspersed with long and very hot periods, right through December. Another year of drought loomed on the horizon.

Finally meaningful rain started to fall towards the end of December – probably too late to improve crop fields in the rural areas, but hopefully will continue so as to refill the wetlands, streams, rivers and dams and so secure water for the year ahead. At this stage it seems we are going to receive above average, and through the month of February the dams within the Park all filled and started to spill, whilst the Matopos Dam took in a fair bit of water. The Hills are alive once more!

Rainfall measures at 24 February – Eastern Hills 784mm, Central Hills 668mm, Western Hills 696mm

14 – COUNCIL PUMPS RAW SEWAGE INTO LAKE CHIVERO AND KILLS FOUR RHINO – HARARE CITY

With acknowledgement to The Herald

Council has been discharging raw sewage into the Mukuvisi River, which flows into Lake Chivero, the city’s main water source, for the past two weeks. This has created serious health and environmental hazards, resulting in Zimparks banning all fishing activities at Lake Chivero, where thousands of fish have died, alongside animals including four rhinos and three zebras. The pollution, primarily from raw sewage, has caused a surge in cyanobacteria, posing health risks to both humans and wildlife.

15 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

26 – 30 March 2025 Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge

7 June 2025 Matopos Clean-Up Day for World Environment Day (5 June)

22 – 24 August 2025 Matopos Heritage Trail Run

22 September 2025 World Rhino Day

28 – 30 November 2025 Matobo Classic

16 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025 are now due. Please ensure that your subs are up to date. There has been no increase in rates.

US$ 20 Individual/Family

US$    5 Pensioner/Student

US$100 Corporate

If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com

MCS Branded Apparel

The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo, available at US$20 each. They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. We also have stocks of hats and caps at $10 each. CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each. Additional branded apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request. Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details

Website – www.matobo.org

Visit our website and make use of the RESOURCES tab for maps and information.

Facebook

Don’t forget to join our Facebook page, with over 800 members now.

The Natural History of the Matobo Hills

This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$20 (Reduced from $30)

Your Society has been busy in the Matobo National Park.

2 – NEXT EVENT

We will meet at Rowallan Park on Sunday 17^th November to hold our Annual General Meeting. The AGM itself will take place at 11:30am, so folk can make their way out at their leisure. For those who have not previously visited the revamped Rowallan Park it is a chance to explore. We hope to see you there. Please note that Park entry fees are payable. MCS subscriptions can be paid at the meeting.

3 – REPORT BACK – FORT USHER

Sunday 16^th October saw a well-attended outing to the historic area of Fort Usher. In trying to maintain chronological order, we started at Usher’s Kop where a short climb to the summit brought us to Usher’s House (or the ruins thereof). With magnificent views around, we were given a brief history of William Usher and his arrival in 1870. We then returned to the cars for tea which was held in the lovely cool deep shade of the Mkuni Tree (Paranari curatifolia) adjacent to the Second Indaba Site. It was under this tree that Mrs Colenbrander and her sister Mrs Smith remained, whilst Cecil Rhodes conducted the Indaba. Following our refreshment, we progressed to the Indaba Site where Rhodes, once again unarmed, had met with all the chiefs to ratify the decision of the first Indaba, namely to suspend hostilities. The hill was given the name Lahlamkont “the place where the spears were laid down”. Enjoying the clear sunshine, with only the birds calling it was hard to imagine the tension that must have played out here 128 years ago. It was decided to retain our shady tree for lunch, during which our raffle draw was held.

Thereafter we drove back to Fort Usher itself, passing the old Hospital, and then walking to the site of the Fort itself – which had been largely levelled after 1897 when the BSA Police Camp had been built. The monument stone was located and then we proceeded across the Nkantolo river to the old Vet’s House subsequently owned by Martin Rosslee, and now sadly derelict.

4 – RHINO MAN FILM & RAFFLE

Between the entrance fees and the raffle, we raised just over $700 which will be used to assist Rangers in the Matobo National Park

5 – MATOBO RHINO TRUST RESTORES LUSHONGWE PLATFORM

The MRT restored the Lushongwe platform, that had been burnt down in a veldt fire, in the Whovi Game Park, They took the opportunity to sink a borehole, equipped with a solar operated pump to upgrade the water pan adjacent to the viewpoint.

6 – STUDY FINDS DROUGHT AREAS HAVE TREBLED IN SIZE SINCE 1980’s

With acknowledgement to Stephanie Hegarty and Talha Burki, BBC World Service

Nyakuma and her husband Sunday, who live in a village in South Sudan, struggle to find food due to drought. The area of land surface affected by drought has trebled since the 1980s, a new report into the effects of climate change has revealed.

Forty-eight per cent of the Earth’s land surface had at least one month of extreme drought last year, according to analysis by the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, up from an average of 15% during the 1980s.

Almost a third of the world (30%) experienced extreme drought for three months or longer in 2023. In the 1980s, the average was 5%.

The new study offers some of the most up-to-date global data on drought, marking just how fast it is accelerating.

The threshold for extreme drought is reached after six months of very low rainfall or very high levels of evaporation from plants and soil, or both. It poses an immediate risk to water and sanitation, food security and public health, and can affect energy supplies, transportation networks and the economy.

The causes of individual droughts are complicated, because there are lots of different factors that affect the availability of water, from natural weather events to the way humans use land.

But climate change is shifting global rainfall patterns, making some regions more prone to drought.

The increase in drought has been particularly severe in South America, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.

In South America’s Amazon, drought is threatening to change weather patterns.

It kills trees that have a role to play in stimulating rainclouds to form, which disrupts delicately balanced rainfall cycles, creating a feedback loop leading to further drought.

Yet, at the same time as large sections of the land mass have been drying out, extreme rainfall has also increased.

In the past 10 years, 61% of the world saw an increase in extreme rainfall, when compared with a baseline average from 1961-1990.

The link between droughts, floods and global warming is complex. Hot weather increases the evaporation of water from soil which makes periods when there is no rain even drier.

But climate change is also changing rainfall patterns. As the oceans warm, more water evaporates into the air. The air is warming too, which means it can hold more moisture. When that moisture moves over land or converges into a storm, it leads to more intense rain.

The Lancet Countdown report found the health impacts of climate change were reaching record-breaking levels.

Drought exposed 151 million more people to food insecurity last year, compared with the 1990s, which has contributed to malnutrition. Heat-related deaths for over 65’s also increased by 167% compared to the 1990s.

Meanwhile, rising temperatures and more rain are causing an increase in mosquito-related viruses. Cases of dengue fever are at an all-time high and dengue, malaria and West Nile virus have spread to places they were never found before.

An increase in dust storms has left millions more people exposed to dangerous air pollution.

“The climate is changing fast,” says Marina Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown.

“It is changing to conditions that we are not used to and that we did not design our systems to work around.”

For the series Life at 50 degrees, BBC World Service visited some of the hottest parts of the world, where demand for water was already high. We found that extreme drought and rainfall had further squeezed access to water.

Since 2020, an extreme and exceptional agricultural drought has gripped northeast Syria and parts of Iraq.

What remains of the Khabor river in Hasakah, Syria. In the past few years, Hasakah, a city of one million people, has run out of clean water.

“Twenty years ago, water used to flow into the Khabor River but this river has been dried for many years because there is no rain,” says Osman Gaddo, the Head of Water Testing, Hasakah City Water Board. “People have no access to fresh water.” When they can’t get water, people make their own wells by digging into the ground but the groundwater can be polluted, making people ill.

The drinking water in Hasakah comes from a system of wells 25 kilometres away, but these are also drying and the fuel needed to extract water is in short supply. Clothes go unwashed and families can’t bathe their children properly, meaning skin diseases and diarrhoea are widespread.

“People are ready to kill their neighbour for water,” one resident tells the BBC. “People are going thirsty every day.”

In South Sudan, 77% of the country had at least one month of drought last year and half the country was in extreme drought for at least six months. At the same time, more than 700,000 people have been affected by flooding.

“Things are deteriorating,” says village elder, Nyakuma. “When we go in the water, we get sick. And the food we eat isn’t nutritious enough”. Nyakuma has caught malaria twice in a matter of months.

Her family lost their entire cattle herd after flooding last year and now survive on government aid along with anything they can forage.

“Eating this is like eating mud,” says Sunday, Nyakuma’s husband, as he searches floodwater for the roots of waterlilies.

During a drought, rivers and lakes dry up and the soil gets scorched, meaning it hardens and loses plant cover. If heavy rain follows, water cannot soak into the ground and instead runs off, causing flash flooding.

“Plants can adapt to extreme drought, to an extent anyway, but flooding really disrupts their physiology,” adds Romanello. “It is really bad for food security and the agricultural sector.”

Unless we can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and stop the global temperature from rising further, we can expect more drought and more intense rain. 2023 was the hottest year on record.

“At the moment, we are still in a position to just about adapt to the changes in the climate. But it is going to get to a point where we will reach the limit of our capacity. Then we will see a lot of unavoidable impacts,” says Romanello.

“The higher we allow the global temperature to go, the worse things are going to be”.

7 – VELD FIRES KILL TWO, DESTROY 750 000ha

Sunday Mail, 29 September 2024

2 people died while more than 750 000 hectares of land have been destroyed in over 3 200 incidents of veld fires since the start of the fire restriction period on July 1, the Environmental Management Agency has confirmed. This represents a staggering 49.5% increase in land loss compared to the same period in 2023, when approximately 507 000 hectares were burnt.

8 – ZIMPARKS ADDS FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Herald, Monday 7 October 2024

Government has appointed new board members for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), at a time the Parks and Wildlife are facing both human and climate challenges. ZimParks, in terms of the Parks and Wildlife Act (Chapter 20:14) as read with the Public Entities Act Corporate Governance Act (Chapter 10:31) has appointed four new board members, increasing the number of the entities’ overall board to eight in total. The newly-appointed board members include Retired General Sibangumuzi Khumalo, Lesley Ncube, Mary Moses and Cecilia Dubiwa. During the inauguration meeting for the new board members held at the ZimParks head office in Harare last week, the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Sithembiso Nyoni, called on the board to actively contribute to the overall performance of one of the country’s key parastatals. Their designations were not clear at the time of going to print.

9 – OUTRAGE OVER “KING” MUNHUMUTAPA’S PRIVATE MEMBERS BILL

With acknowledgement to Southern Eye, 25 October 2024.

The Private Member’s Bill introduced by the self-appointed “King” Munhumutapa has angered people in the Matabeleland region opposed to the move arguing that they have their own monarchs. Munhumutapa’s Bill seeks to amend section 283 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and transfer powers of appointing traditional leaders from the Minister of Local Government to him. The controversial Bill was tabled in Parliament recently, sparking an out- rage from Matabeleland. If it succeeds, the Bill will see Timothy Chiminya, who has imposed himself as “King” Munhumutapa and it was endorsed by the courts, having sole powers to appoint chiefs across the country. Chiminya argues that the Munhumutapa Kingdom represents a significant part of the historical governance structure of Zimbabwe, with roots deeply embedded in the region’s traditions, customs and heritage.

10 – POACHING AT FLAGSHIP KZN RHINO RESERVE DROPS DRAMATICALLY AFTER EMERGENCY DEHORNING DRIVE

With acknowledgment to Tony Camie, 19 September 2024

On average, 26 rhinos were killed each month last year at the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. The killings have dropped to single-digit figures after an emergency dehorning programme. The painful decision to remove the horns of the world’s most famous rhino population appears to be bearing fruit, with an estimated 80% drop in poaching in KwaZulu-Natal’s flagship Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve over the last six months. This is according to the World-Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), the conservation group that has provided significant funding and other support to the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife provincial conservation agency to mount an emergency dehorning programme in the 96,000ha reserve in central Zululand. The entire global population of southern white rhinos was hunted to the point of extinction across Africa nearly 150 years ago, leading to the establishment of the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve in 1876. By 1920, fewer than 100 of these animals had managed to survive. Over many decades, the former Natal Parks Board guarded the survivors and gradually increased this remnant population to the point where there were enough animals to start restocking the Kruger National Park, along with many other game reserves across Africa where the species had become extinct. Later, an unprecedented wave of horn poaching led to heavy casualties in Kruger and other parks, prompting wildlife managers across SA to dehorn rhinos to make them less attractive targets for poachers. Whereas managers in Kruger began dehorning rhinos at least three years ago, Ezemvelo opted against this drastic strategy and continued to suffer heavy poaching losses as criminal syndicates switched their attention away from Kruger to focus on animals still bearing large horns. That began to change in April when Ezemvelo and WWF launched a major operation to dehorn the famous Zululand population. In a statement on Thursday, WWF said poaching had dropped by roughly 80% since mass dehorning began in the park. Whereas an estimated 307 rhinos were killed in this park alone last year (an average of 26 per month), poaching has now dropped to single-digit monthly figures. WWF said only four rhinos were poached in June, eight in July and four in August, whereas almost 30 animals were being slaughtered monthly immediately before the operation began.

Orphaned calves rescued

Though the exact number of rhinos left in the park has not been disclosed for security reasons, it is understood that more than 1,000 have been dehorned. At least eight rhino calves orphaned by poaching were rescued during the dehorning project.

Jeff Cooke, WWF South Africa’s rhino conservation programme manager said: “Unfortunately, rhino poachers are indiscriminate and often target female rhinos that have small calves at foot. These calves are usually ignored by the poachers and are left behind to fend for themselves. Fortunately, these eight calves were discovered in time, due to the extensive aerial surveillance carried out during the dehorning operation.”

WWF said that alongside the dehorning, the security capacity of Hluhluwe iMfolozi Game Reserve had steadily improved, with more security cameras and “smart fences” and the deployment of tracking and detection dogs.

Many of the dehorned rhinos were fitted with tracking “pods” to allow for the remote monitoring of their movements. These devices are normally fitted above the horn stumps.

Cooke commended the hard work and dedication of those involved in the dehorning but cautioned, “While we have seen a dramatic decline in poaching, we cannot let our guard down. We know that the criminal syndicates are always looking to capitalise on security lapses wherever they can find them.”

The dehorning strategy appears to have paid immediate dividends, but several conservation managers have warned that dehorning displaces poaching to other, smaller reserves where rhinos still have horns.

Cognisant of these risks, wildlife managers at the 20,000ha Babanango Private Game Reserve in northern KZN announced this week that their rhinos had also been dehorned.

As more reserves resort to these desperate measures, even the dehorned rhinos are at risk as poachers may shoot these animals to extract their remnant horn stumps.

There are also concerns that the massive costs associated with dehorning rhinos on a regular basis are not sustainable in the long term for cash-strapped government agencies and several private parks, and that funding could dry up due to “donor fatigue”.

11 – FIFTEEN SUCCUMB TO SNAKE BITES

Daily News, Monday 28 October 2024

Snake bites continue to increase in the country with a total of 3 087 cases and 15 deaths recorded since the start of the year. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health on Friday in its latest surveillance report.

12 – RAINFALL

Sunday Mail, 22 September 2204

Early, above-normal rains forecast: The 2024/2025 rainy season is projected to begin earlier than usual in the southern parts of Zimbabwe, while the rest of the country can expect normal rainfall to start around mid-November, the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has advised. According to the MSD’s early season rainfall outlook, there is an increased likelihood of normal to below-normal rainfall between October and December, followed by normal to above-normal rains between January and March. The country’s eastern regions are expected to receive the highest rainfall totals. The latest forecast comes as preparations for the summer cropping season are at an advanced stage, with the government having secured all inputs to support the climate-proofed PRESIDENTIAL INPUTS SUPPORT SCHEME. With the early onset of rains, the government has set Monday next week as the deadline for farmers under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme to complete land preparations.

• The first rains fell in late October, isolated and light.
• Rainfall measures at 7 November: Eastern Hills 15mm, Central Hills 13mm, Western Hills 25mm.

13 – MATOBO VILLAGERS BEMOAN INADEQUATE FOOD DISTRIBUTION

With acknowledgement to Southern Eye. 25 October 2024

Villagers in Shumbeshave (ward 23) in Matobo have lamented the inadequate distribution of food with only 15 households out of 228 currently receiving food aid from the government.

The government is distributing food aid to villagers severely affected by the El Niño-induced drought that wiped out crops after below normal rainfall during the 2023/2024 agricultural season.

In an interview with Southern Eye this week, ward 23 councillor Joseph Sibanda said the Social Welfare and the district development co-ordinator (DDC) had promised to address the problem.

“When they will do that, I do not know since the law states that councillors are not involved in the issues to do with who benefits from food aid,” he said.

“In the process of selecting who gets food aid these people pick each other according to friendships. Councillors are only involved when not enough people get food aid like the issue is now.”

Sibanda said some villagers in the ward had received a bucket of maize each for Isiphala Senduna.

Shumbeshabe villager Tshinde Mpofu also confirmed that 15 villagers in the area were benefiting from the government’s food aid programme.

“The DDC is the one who knows about this and how people are being selected. To say that they pick their friends and relatives would be speculation but I do think that something fishy is going on here. Other villages such as Halale, Dewe and Domboshaba had received food aid while we received nothing,” he said.

However, Matobo DDC Obey Chaputsira said he was not aware of the issue but contradicted himself saying authorities were working to address the challenge.

“You are not the first person to ask me about that. There is confusion between the boundaries of areas but we are addressing the issue,” he said.

“To say that not everyone is getting food, that is a misrepresentation of facts. There are issues to do with food distribution. We are not covering everyone at the moment but we are looking into increasing the numbers.”

Earlier this year, villagers in Maphisa alleged discrimination in food aid distribution adding that the government programme was biased.

14 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

17 November 2024 Annual General Meeting

24 – 25 November Matopos Classic MTB

26 – 30 March 2025 Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge

22 – 24 August 2025 Matopos Heritage Trail Run

15 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025 are now due. Please ensure that your subs are up to date. There has been no increase in rates.

US$  20 Individual/Family

US$    5 Pensioner/Student

US$100 Corporate

If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com

MCS Branded Apparel

The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo, available at US$20 each. They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. We also have stocks of hats and caps, ideal for Christmas presents. CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each. Additional branded apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request. Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details

Website – www.matobo.org

Visit our website, and make use of the RESOURCES tab for maps and information.

Please email to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Facebook

Don’t forget to join our Facebook page, with nearly 700 members now.

The Natural History of the Matobo Hills

This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$30.

16 – OBITUARY Pathisa Nyathi (1951-2024)

Pathisa was one of the few Ndebele historians that successfully balanced the interests of the general public and academic investigation. He loved to delve into the rich cultural heritage of the people and places of western Zimbabwe and beyond. Indeed, he has even offered an Africanist perspective on the ancient and sacred landscape of the United Kingdom’s Stonehenge monument on the Salisbury Plains. But it was the Ndebele people and places that were closest to his heart. In many ways Pathisa has become the recognised oral historian of the Ndebele people and associate communities who live around about. He restored local pride in the complex heritage of the Matobo Hills and Matabeleland in general.

Born in the Kezi District in 1951, Pathisa Nyathi received his primary education at Sankonjana Primary School in Matobo District, before going onto Mazoe and Mzilikazi High Schools. With limited options then available he enrolled in Gwelo Teacher’s College where Pathisa specialised in science and graduated in 1973. For the next two decades he taught at various high schools across the country, although mostly in his beloved Matabeleland. In later years he was a competent headmaster. In 1996 Pathisa was appointed an Education Officer for Matabeleland North in the Ministry of Primary & Secondary Education. In 2002 he was appointed Deputy Provincial Education Officer in the same district. After retiring from school education, Pathisa took on a different role as a public voice, an educator who loved to share his intimate knowledge of Ndebele history.

Drawing on the proud Ndebele tradition of storytelling and historical memory, Pathisa Nyathi became involved in a multitude of projects and was appointed to several boards where his understanding of traditional values did much to reorientate public heritage discourse. He was not negative to the colonial voice, but he provided the necessary Africanist counterpoint. Pathisa always maintained that we should use current spellings/names, something that was difficult to achieve as some things happened in the past and at specifically named places in the past, like it or not. But there were other areas of mutual agreement including the need to seek a traditional perspective in symbolism, settlement patterns, historical biographies and the role of oral memory in reformatting and balancing the historical, text-based narrative. His advice will be greatly missed by many of us.

Pathisa Nyathi wrote over 50 books and innumerable articles in academic journals, newspapers and public magazines. He was a historian of the people, not an ivory tower academic. Pathisa was never too proud to share his ideas, he never touted himself as the “world’s greatest expert”. He thought, investigated, chatted to others in the community and beyond, and drew on the rich depository of heritage knowledge that he possessed. This culminated in his founding of the Amagugu International Heritage Centre. Located off the Maphisa (Kezi) Road through the Matobo Hills, it is not far from the traditional spiritual shrine of Njelele, positioned so as to be at a respectable distance from the sacred site in order not to break with traditional mores. The Centre is now visited by large numbers of local and national school children and social clubs. Pathisa’s focus there, as with all of his writings, were on sharing heritage with the greater Zimbabwe audience. Foreign tourists were of much less importance, although they too were and are regularly welcomed.

While some of Pathisa Nyathi’s works can and have been criticised because of a select use of oral memory from some individuals and an absence of cross-referencing, Pathisa has left us a rich resource of heritage interpretation which will no doubt be picked through by future generations as they seek to understand their roots. Who will now take on the role as custodian of public memory it is hard to say – who is fit to stand in his shoes?

Go well Pathisa Nyathi. You were a good man as the cloudy, rainy day of your Bulawayo memorial service and burial at Lady Stanley Cemetery rightly attest. In Ndebele tradition, rain on the day of burial is a good sign that  the ancestors are pleased with their son.

17 – REMINDER OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

ROWALLAN PARK

SUNDAY 17^th NOVEMBER 2024

11:00am for 11:30am SEE YOU THERE!

In conjunction with the British Embassy, Harare, we hosted two screenings of the documentary
“Rhino Man” which was filmed in Kruger Park, South Africa and follows the training of game guards
and the tragic murder of those defending our wildlife.
It was not only an emotional story, but one that should lead to much debate and thought.
Apart from thanking the British Embassy, we also thank Cheeseman, Lobels Biscuits, Skinny Cow
and Waiters House for their support. Thanks to Black Rhino Safaris, Big Cave Camp, Camp Dwala
and Rowallan Adventure Camp for donating raffle prizes and the Natural History Museum for use of
the venue. Not forgetting ZETDC who thankfully restored power to the Museum just before the start!
Great thanks to Dennis Chitewe for arranging the successful event.

2 – NEXT EVENT

Date Sunday 6 th October 2024
Venue Fort Usher
Meet 08:00am, Cresta Lodge
Travel We will travel about 7km down the Fort Usher Road. This is quite passable in
a sedan if taken slowly, though a truck may be preferred. We will then do
about 4km’s on a track, again not a problem if taken slowly.

Fort Usher was established in 1896 as part of the BSAC’s efforts to contain the Ndebele within the
Matopo Hills, and to launch attacks from there. Nothing remains of the Fort today as it was levelled to
make way for the first BSAP station established in 1897. We will however visit some of the early
surviving buildings from the little Matopos Village that followed.
We will visit Usher’s Kop to visit the ruins of Usher’s House (1860) and visit the site of the second
Indaba held between CJ Rhodes and the Ndebele Chiefs in August 1896.
Don’t forget your sunblock, hat, picnic lunch and drinks! Might need to come prepared for a hot day.
There will be a talk at each point of interest.

3 – REPORT BACK – MANGWE PASS

Sunday 21 st July saw us join with the Friends of the Museum and the Pioneer Society to mark the 170 th
anniversary of the first wagon passing through the Mangwe Pass on 8 July 1854. This lonely wagon
making its way north was the herald of dramatic events that would unfold across the land we now call
Zimbabwe. Over 55 members and friends were in attendance and we were regaled with numerous
experiences and commentary. Amongst those, were three gentlemen who were at the original
unveiling of the monument in 1954. Their recollections were most interesting.

John Rosenfels spoke about the building of the monument, Ginty Melvill shared memories of the
opening that he attended as a Plumtree schoolboy, and Roger Greef shared his recollections of 1954.
We were also able to visit Lee’s house and cemetery, from about the same era, as well as Fort
Mangwe.
For Mangwe dates from 1893 and 1896 so not quite as old as the other sites.
Special appreciation to the Rosenfels family for hosting our picnic lunch, and for the work done in
clearing the various monuments we visited.

4 – MCS PROJECTS

Your Committee has been busy these past few months, and our next Newsletter will be able to share
the various completed projects. These include fencing and grids to secure the northern part of the Park
for wildlife, though the cattle are likely to be allowed access until the rains come, and finalisation of
the Nswatugi site museum. The Matopos Tour operators funded the grading of all the dirt roads within
the Park, making the Park more accessible to visitors.
5 – MATOPOS HERITAGE TRAIL RUN
This year, the 9 th annual Matopos Heritage Trail Run, was held in almost perfect conditions. 26
competitors took to the hills, with 2 completing the “Challenge” run (a marathon and a half!) and the
rest opting for the “Heritage” run at a mere 50kms. This year the Brachystegia were not quite in full 4 leaf, but surprisingly there were one or two streams with just a little water still flowing. Appreciation
to those who manned the water-points and to those who assisted in the smooth running of the event.

6 – REHABILITATE BULAWAYO TO KEZI ROAD SEEKING INVESTMENT

With acknowledgement to Southern Eye, September 10 th , 2024.
Former Speaker of the National Assembly during Zimbabwe’s government of national unity
Lovemore Moyo has challenged the Matobo Rural District Council and other relevant authorities to
prioritise the rehabilitation and maintenance of Bulawayo-Kezi Road to attract investments in the
area. Moyo made the call in a paper titled The Matobo Voices from the Rocks, noting the sorry state
of the road between the late former Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s home district, Matobo, and
Bulawayo. He said authorities in the district should engage the Transport and Infrastructural
Development ministry to prioritise the rehabilitation and maintenance of Bulawayo-Kezi Road

7 – ZANU PF CONDUCTS RITUALS AT MATOPO, GREAT ZIMBABWE

With acknowledgement to NewsDay, July 18, 2024
The ruling ZANU PF party has invited King Munhumutapa, born Timothy Chiminya, and three other
chiefs to conduct rituals at Matopos and Great Zimbabwe monuments. In a letter to the Zimbabwe
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Parks Authority) dated July 10, ZANU PF asked the
Parks Authority to allow the chiefs to conduct the rituals at the two sites. The letter does not specify
why the ruling party needed to conduct the rituals. “The ZANU PF party’s department of gender and
culture is recommending the following traditional leaders to be given clearance referral letters to
conduct national rituals at Matopos and Great Zimbabwe monuments,” party secretary for gender and
culture Stephanie Mkusha wrote. “They are Timothy Chiminya as Mambo Munhumutapa, Masimba
Rubatika [Chief Seke], Claudius Nyashanu Choga and Amos Jacha. “Accordingly, we refer them to
your good office for assistance.” In response, Parks Authority director-general Fulton Mangwanya
granted the chiefs the right to visit the two national monuments for the rituals.

8 – NDEBELE KINGDOM TUSSLE PARTLY SOLVED

With acknowledgement to Southern Eye, September 11 th , 2024.
Ndebele King Bulelani has received a huge endorsement that could put to rest a raging debate on the
rightful owner of the throne when he got a rousing ovation from people attending the late King
Mzilikazi’s commemorations at Mhlahlandlela last week. Several people have claimed the Ndebele
kingship, with Stanley Raphael Khumalo Tshuma, Peter Zwide Khumalo and Mcijwana Khumalo also
claiming to be title holders, but on Saturday, only Bulelani was received with the crowd shouting
“Bayethe” to him, a Ndebele term which means “Hail the King”. King Mzilikazi died on September 5,
1868. Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart paid tribute to King Mzilikazi and said the city owes its
existence to the monarch after he set up his kingdom in the country’s second largest city. He said the
late king has not been honoured enough. Bulawayo Residents Association chairperson Winos Dube
paid tribute to the king and said it was an important event to revive the Ndebele culture.

9 – HUNGER STALKS ZIMBABWE”S RURAL POPULATION AFTER DROUGHT

With acknowledgement to Bloomberg Thursday July 18, 2024
Harare – More than half of Zimbabwe’s rural population faces food insecurity by the first quarter of
next year after an El Nino-induced drought slashed crop output, a new report showed.
“At peak, 57% of the rural households, approximately 5,894,368 individuals, will be cereal-insecure”
in the three months through March 2025, according to the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Committee report
seen by Bloomberg. The document, compiled Zimbabwe’s government, United Nations agencies and
aid organizations, was confirmed by the Agriculture Ministry.
The El Niño weather phenomenon triggered a dry spell across southern Africa this year, leading
countries including Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe to declare states of national disaster because of 5 crop failures. Zimbabwe produced 744,271 tons of corn in this year’s harvest, almost 70% less than a
year earlier.
The southern African nation requires almost 593,000 tons of cereals between July and March 2025,
the committee said. Quarterly cereal requirements from the National Strategic Grain Reserve will be
175,125 tons for the July-to-September period; 199,516 tons for October to December; and 218,092
tons for January to March 2025.
“There is a need for the ministry responsible for agriculture and the private sector to ensure that staple
cereals will be available on the market for cereal-deficit households with the means to purchase to do
so throughout the consumption year,” the committee said.

10 – ZIMBABWE CONSIDERING FIRST ELEPHANT CULL IN ALMOST FOUR DECADES

With acknowledgement to Bloomberg, September 11, 2024
Harare – Zimbabwe is considering culling elephants for the first time since 1988 and using the meat to
feed people who have been affected by a crippling drought, a cabinet minister said.
“Zimbabwe has more elephants than we need” and more than its forests can support, Environment
Minister Sithembiso Nyoni told lawmakers in Mount Hampden, north of the capital Harare, on
Wednesday. Discussions are under way about culling some elephants and providing the dried meat “to
some communities that need the protein,” she said.
Zimbabwe has 100,000 elephants, the world’s second-largest population after neighbouring
Botswana. The minister didn’t specify how many of the pachyderms may be killed.
Adult elephants consume about 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of vegetation a day and usually strip
trees of their bark, which kills them. Zimbabwe’s large elephant herd was destroying large tracts of
the southern African nation’s natural habitat, to the detriment of humans and other animals, according
to Nyoni.
International regulations prevent Zimbabwe from selling its ivory stock, which currently stands at
about 130 tons, a situation the government would like to rectify, the minister added.
Zimbabwe has recorded its worst food shortages in four decades this year due to an El Nino-induced
drought that has withered essential crops.

11 – UNESCO AND PARTNERS CELEBRATE GREAT ZIMBABWE
PROJECT MILESTONES

UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa and its partners handed over essential equipment and
strategic documents to the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) as they
celebrated key milestones achieved under the Great Zimbabwe Development project in Masvingo on
27 June 2024.
The handover event marked a major step in the preservation and sustainable development of the Great
Zimbabwe World Heritage Site.
Speaking at the event, the guest of honour, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and
Cultural Heritage, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi, appreciated the French Government for partnering
with the Government of Zimbabwe in helping with efforts towards preserving, conserving and
sustaining of the Great Zimbabwe national monument. He stated that the Government of Zimbabwe
stands ready to continue mobilising resources for the continuous improvement of facilities at the
national monument, calling on the project partners to continue demonstrating best practices in
sustainable heritage management and inspiring partners across the country to come together for the
benefit of similar sites and communities dotted across the country.
This project provides us with best practises in terms of sustainably managing other heritage sites in the
country and I, therefore, urge the NMMZ team to fully utilise the equipment to advance its mandate
which is both at national and international level.
Ambassador Raphael Faranisi, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. 6 UNESCO and its partners handed over a range of specialized documentation and conservation
equipment, including a tractor, mower and the latest generation geospatial and surveying kit. These
tools will be crucial in preserving the heritage site for future generations and will assist NMMZ with
technology-based heritage conservation and preservation. NMMZ also received an assortment of
computers to facilitate onsite data processing and storage.
In the same fold, UNESCO presented three critical documents that were developed by the project.
The Great Zimbabwe Tourism Development and Marketing Strategy: This strategy aims to
stimulate the local economy and boost tourism by leveraging the site’s historical significance by
providing a roadmap for enhancing visitor experiences and increasing both international and local
tourist visits.
The Great Zimbabwe National Monument Interpretation and Storytelling Framework:
Developed by UNESCO in collaboration with the Great Zimbabwe University and the International
Centre for Interpretation and Presentation of World Heritage Sites (WHIPIC), this framework offers
detailed guidelines for interpreting and presenting the site’s rich history to visitors. By enhancing the
educational experience, it ensures that visitors gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and
historical significance of the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site.
The Great Zimbabwe National Monument Integrated Management Plan (2024-2028):
This Plan was developed by NMMZ with the support of local and international experts and outlines a
holistic approach to managing the site, integrating conservation, tourism, and community involvement.
It addresses risk management and resource allocation, ensuring sustainable site management.
The development of these documents followed an inclusive and participatory approach, maximizing
stakeholder engagement and offering a comprehensive platform for creating new narratives, marketing
perspectives, and actions for the conservation and preservation of the Great Zimbabwe National
Monument World Heritage site. This approach ensures that all voices are heard, and no one is left
behind.
By leveraging expert knowledge and fostering collaboration, UNESCO ensures that the documentation
and conservation of sites such as Great Zimbabwe align with international best practices in the
protection of the sites’ Outstanding Universal Values, while also contributing to local sustainable
economic development and enhancing the site’s cultural significance. Such collaboration is especially
important for Africa as the continent largely remains underrepresented on the UNESCO World
Heritage list.
As communities in Africa, we need to come together to see which aspects of our heritage need to be
protected, sustained and given world heritage designation. This is one sure way of ensuring that which
is dear to our local communities remains valued, protected, and celebrated across the world.
Ms Nisha, UNESCO Regional Director and Representative.
Local community members and chiefs expressed optimism about the project’s impact on their
livelihoods, particularly in terms of the envisioned development of a cultural hub and community-
based management of resources and risks.
This project is more than just preserving a site; it’s about preserving our identity and creating
opportunities for our people. We are proud to be part of this journey.
Mr Wellington Chindara, Ziya Cultural Arts Trust.
The celebratory event marked the beginning of community-based interventions aimed at improving
conservation efforts at the site. Young people from communities around the site are already earmarked
for a two-week-long on-site training in wall restoration. This training will equip them with critical
skills, including stone masonry and heritage condition assessment. Additionally, local community
members will benefit from practical tour guide training designed to enhance their professional skills in
tour guiding and visitor management. This training will enable them to create lasting impressions, 7 encourage repeat visits, and convey current and diverse understandings of the Great Zimbabwe World
Heritage site.
As the Great Zimbabwe Development Project progresses, it stands as a testament to the power of
international cooperation and commitment to preserving Zimbabwe’s rich cultural legacy. The newly
acquired equipment and strategic documents mark a significant milestone, promising a brighter future
for the Great Zimbabwe National Monument World Heritage site and the communities that live in its
surroundings.
The Great Zimbabwe Development Project is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and
managed by UNOPS. Implemented by UNESCO in partnership with the National Museums and
Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) and other key stakeholders, the project seeks to enhance the
conservation and management of the Great Zimbabwe National Monument World Heritage site in a
sustainable manner, adequately interpret and present the site and its associated intangible cultural
heritage elements, support the development of sustainable tourism practices, and develop community-
based cultural programming and tourism offers, thereby contributing to the attainment of the 2030
Agenda with its international sustainable development goals.

12 – KEEPING CLOSE TABS ON ZIMBABWES RHINOS

With acknowledgment to Keeping close tabs on Zimbabwe’s rhinos Save The Rhino

With more than 1,000 rhinos, Zimbabwe has one of Africa’s largest rhino populations. However,
despite reaching this milestone by 2022, rhinos were once found in far greater numbers. Amidst the
1980s and early 90s, guerrilla militants stationed in the Zambezi Valley deterred prospective poachers
from illegally killing rhinos here. However, following the loss of black rhinos from the Luangwa
Valley in Zambia, and following and Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, the militias moved out,
making way for poaching gangs. By 1992, Zimbabwe’s rhino population had reduced to below 450.
Protecting the survivors, the decision was made to translocate approximately 300 rhinos south. Living
in heavily protected yet idyllic habitats, these animals prospered, and their numbers swelled.
Unfortunately, this was not to last.
Land reclamation under the country’s Fast Track Land Reform Policy was underway and with it came
habitat clearance for agriculture and in turn, less rhino habitat and heightened poaching. Bubiana
Conservancy, in the south-west of the country, became one such unsafe location and so, beginning in 2002, its rhinos were removed by the Lowveld Rhino Trust (LRT). Their destination? Bubye Valley
Conservancy (BVC), a former cattle ranch turned wildlife conservancy.
Since then, LRT has overseen the monitoring of these rhinos, keeping close tabs on each animal by
using differing combinations of triangular notches cut into the rhino’s ears. Each notch in a rhino’s
ears represents a number. How many notches and their precise location gives a rhino its unique ID
number overall, something that will last throughout its life. Using these numbers, Rhino Monitors can
record an accurate picture of the population’s dynamics, which then help to inform wider management
decisions.
Having a notching system to provide unique IDs might sound like a Rhino Monitors’ job is simple, but
that’s far from the truth. Finding each rhino remains tough, particularly as black rhinos spend a lot of
time in the dense bush of the Lowveld, making them hard to spot in general, let alone get an accurate
sight of their ears. Nonetheless, LRT’s team continue to do a great job.
Last year, despite particularly thick vegetation, the team achieved more than their 80 rhino IDs per
month target. When incorporating camera traps and aerial IDs, the rhino monitors achieved an
impressive average of more than 160 IDs/month!
So, how are ear notches given?
 Notches can only be applied when a rhino is immobilised, which means a vet needs to be
present to induce general anaesthesia and to apply appropriate pre- and post-notching
treatment and care
 The notches themselves are cut using a specific notching tool and bleeding is controlled using
forceps. A topical antibiotic is also applied before a rhino is woken up and released, helping to
avoid infections
 Once the notches have been applied, photographs are taken of both the rhino’s ears in a ‘front
on’ position as a record of the rhino’s notch pattern
 Ideally, rhinos should be notched before they become independent from their mothers, so that
their maternity is confirmed as part of their identification
 These photos and life history are then used in a personal rhino file, which is used by monitors
to track sightings data over time

13– RAINFALL

Mixed rainfall forecast for Zim: The Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF)
has predicted an increased likelihood of normal to below-normal rains in the October to December
period in Zimbabwe. The forecast also highlighted that the central part of the SADC region, including
Zimbabwe should receive normal to above normal conditions from the January to March 2024/25
period.
Currently the situation in the Hills is desperate and the rains are still some months away. Apart from
very real shortages of water, there is little grazing left for the cattle.

14 – ANTHRAX KILLS 50 WILD ANIMALS IN GONAREZHOU

With acknowledgement to the Herald, August 31st, 2024.
An outbreak of anthrax in the Gonarezhou National Park on the southeast border has killed at least 50
wild animals, the Department of Veterinary Services has confirmed. At least 80 000 cattle around the
park have been vaccinated against the deadly disease. Chief director in the Department of Veterinary
Services, Pious Makaya, said the anthrax outbreak in Gonarezhou National Park was now under
control, adding that no livestock deaths arising from the outbreak have so far occurred.

15 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

22 September 2024 World Rhino Day
6 October 2024 Field Trip – Fort Usher
17 November 2024 Annual General Meeting
24 – 25 November Matopos Classic MTB
26 – 30 March 2025 Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge
22 – 24 August 2025 Matopos Heritage Trail Run

16 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions
Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025 are now due. Please ensure that your
subs are up to date. There has been no increase in rates.
US$ 20 Individual/Family
US$ 5 Pensioner/Student
US$100 Corporate
If you need any information, please contact matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com
MCS Branded Apparel
The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo,
available at US$20 each. They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. We also have stocks of
hats and caps at $10 each. CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each. Additional branded
apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request. Please contact the
Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details
Website – www.matobo.org
Visit our website, and make use of the RESOURCES tab for maps and information.
Please email to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com
Facebook
Don’t forget to join our Facebook page, with nearly 700 members now.
The Natural History of the Matobo Hills
This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$30.

17 – MATOPO MISSION FIRE

The Matopo Mission, founded in 1898, is appealing for support and assistance for the rebuilding of
their boys’ dormitory on Saturday 6 th July. Please contact the Chairman if you are able to assist.
It’s a double blow for the Mission which is also facing severe water shortages following the poor rains
earlier this year.

18 – IN MEMORIUM

Julia Duprée 20 Feb 1940 – 16 July 2024
Julia, the daughter of a medical doctor, spent her early years in Nigeria and recalled her life as idyllic
as much of the wild areas were just that. Married life took her back to England and then to Kenya
where she worked as a marketing manager. Her two boys grew up in Kenya, although schooled at
Peterhouse, Marondera. On leaving Kenya, Julia and David moved to Botswana and finally chose
Bulawayo as their retirement city. Almost immediately Julia involved herself in the dog club with her
dachsies, BirdLife (where she coordinated the Black Eagle survey in the Matobo Hills, the National
Waterbird survey and the Bulawayo Garden Bird survey) and the ornithological department of the
Natural History Museum. She went on many museum ventures over two decades to find specimens

10

for photographs for Michael Stuart-Irwin. Julia knew the value and importance of the museum’s
collections and in her later years taking care of these collections turned into a passion of hers.
Julia was known for her incredible sense of humour and ready wit, her generous nature and keen
interest in the lives of those around her. Always ready for an adventure, always inquisitive and
wanting to know more. She would drive fast when asked, and she declared that she had driven in a
Dakar Rally once! Her picnic lunches were always a feast and involved much humorous banter with
Julia complaining her legs wouldn’t get her where she wanted to go but always did, even up
Silozawane Hill to the cave.
With her meticulous attention to detail and understanding of journal and book layouts from her
working experience Julia became the editor and layout designer of Honeyguide, the Journal of
BirdLife Zimbabwe. Later she became heavily involved with publications for the museum including
many of Rob Burrett’s historical booklets and the guide for the museum. Due to her professional
output, she was allowed to use the illustrations from Roberts Birds of Southern Africa to produce a
Roberts Waterbirds of Zimbabwe, which was an amazing honour for her to work with such an
important legacy. Julia also took up the mantel of co-editing the book on the Natural History of the
Matobo Hills and was made an honorary life member of the Matobo Conservation Society for her
efforts.
Julia’s love of the museum led to her becoming one of the first to offer support and fund-raising
efforts when the Friends of the Museum was launched in 2012 to bring the museum back to its former
glory. She helped raise money to replace the carpet in the geology gallery, for the revamp of the Site
Museum at Khami Ruins, many of the temporary displays and finally for the resuscitation of the Hall
of Man. This included a trip to the Cradle of Mankind in South Africa to gather information and bring
back a number of skull replicas for the display. It was a pleasure and great humour to work with her.
Julia was always working in the background and always a supporter. Her efforts were acknowledged
by the Friends of Museum when recently she was made an Honorary Life member.
Julia always engaged with others, always wanting to know their story, always having time to share a
conversation. This made Julia an amazing networker, bringing people together that would not
normally get together or know each other. She used that to her advantage in all her various projects.
Julia, however, was a private person herself, never giving to much away, the guard only coming down
sometimes after a glass or two of wine, and many were shared with her friends over the years. Hers
was a life lived to the full and she will be sorely missed by so many. Heartfelt condolences to her two
boys Jonathan and Jeremy and their families. Fly High, Julia and thank you for the good time and
wonderful memories.

At short notice, the MCS was able to assist in a Clean-up along the Matopos Road. We hope that measures will be put in place to stop the terrible littering along our highways, and on the Park roads.

2 – NEXT EVENT

Don’t forget your sunblock, hat, picnic lunch and drinks! Might also need to come prepared for a cool day. There will be a talk at each point of interest.

3 – REPORT BACK – THREE SISTERS

On Sunday 3^rd July, following a couple of cold grey days, we assembled at Cresta Churchill under a mackerel sky and travelled a short way along the Matopos Road to Three Sisters. ZimParks had given us permission to enter the Three Sisters area to see the project undertaken by your Society, with the generous support of Brightlight Foundation, Leichtenstein.

Apart from the provision of rooms, we have installed water and solar power, and are currently providing beds and basic furniture to assist the ZimParks staff. The facility includes a kitchen area and ablutions. The construction of the Rangers Base has seen a vast improvement in the living conditions of the staff.

We have also extended the water to game troughs in the area to ensure water is available in the dry months of the year. Hopefully, we can now secure and protect the wildlife in the Three Sisters and Upper Mtsheleli area.

Our next target is to fence the area to the south of Three Sisters up to Imadzi Hill, in the hope that this will secure the entire upper Mtsheleli Valley from cattle.

We also took the opportunity to see work carried out on earlier fencing projects as well – also supported by Brightlight Foundation, and Beit Trust and Educasa Foundation.

We also thank Stuart Danks for his support in our fundraising efforts.

4 – PREPARATIONS FOR KING MZILIKAZI COMMEMORATIONS BEGIN

Preparations for ‘Umgubho wenkosi uMzilikazi,’ King Mzilikazi’s annual commemorations to mark 156 years since the death of the founder of the Ndebele nation, have begun. Mthwakazi kaMzilikazi Cultural Association, Dingani Likhwa Tshabangu representative said the commemorations will be held at the Mhlahlandlela memorial site on September 7 this year. Tshabangu sent an SOS for cash and other materials to make the event a success – Southern Eye, Saturday June 22,

5 – THE DARK LIGHT: ZIMBABWES ENERGY NIGHTMARE

With acknowledgement to Mail & Guardian, June 13 2024.

Harare – Zimbabwe’s electricity deficit has been linked to widespread deforestation as illegal loggers are increasingly cutting down trees to produce charcoal, which is sold in major cities such as Bulawayo and Harare.

Desperate to earn a living, locals like 42-year-old Loveness Ncube, a Hwange resident, are frequently arrested and fined by law enforcement officials. Illegally producing charcoal has sustained her family for 20 years.

She said she has become a major supplier to those needing charcoal in Bulawayo. Sometimes, the sellers are forced to pay bribes to move their products.

“While we have clients, it’s no longer easy now we have rangers from ZimParks [Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority] who conduct surveillance and arrest those they find,” she said. “Sometimes you have to pay a bribe just to be allowed safe passage.”

For years, Zimbabwe has experienced significant power shortages largely due to lack of investment in energy generation infrastructure, with the situation changing following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rise to power in 2017.

His administration presided over the construction of the Hwange Thermal Power Station Units 7 and 8 Expansion Project, following an investment of US$1.5-billion by China in 2018. It is now the country’s major supplier of electricity, having added 600MW to the national grid.

While the government has made strides to address power shortages, the country still has a deficit of more than 300MW, according to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority. Public records indicate that at least 300,000 households still need to be connected to the national grid.

This energy gap has seen a rise in the illegal cutting down of trees, with mopane trees being the main target because the wood is believed to produce the best quality coal. Mopane trees take 35 years to grow fully, but are cut down and burnt within minutes.

Charcoal production is outlawed in Zimbabwe, yet it is openly sold in Bulawayo’s high-density suburbs and, unbeknown to most of its consumers, is causing widespread environmental damage.

Experts worry that if this situation is not averted, the country will lose a huge chunk of land to deforestation. According to the country’s forestry regulator, the Forestry Commission, about 330,000 hectares of forestry cover is being lost each year.

Matabeleland North is feeling the adverse effects and the commission says more than 14,302 hectares of land was lost in the province through deforestation between 2001 and 2023.

Forestry Commission chief conservator for Bulawayo and Matabeleland North, Armstrong Tembo, linked electricity demand to the thriving charcoal business. He said that “as electricity consumers turn to charcoal, the environment suffers.”

“It’s really devastating, we are talking about hardwood indigenous timber which takes a long time to mature,” he explained. “What is disturbing is these are people that have poached the timber and have had no investment, so for them it’s a quick buck, and they will sell it for a song without giving back to the communities and doing any afforestation.”

Tembo said it has become increasingly difficult to arrest some of the illegal loggers because they “innovate” to evade the law by constantly changing their strategies.

According to him, existing legislation does not deter culprits from committing this crime, time and time again. He even referred to the punishment as “a pittance.”

Zimbabwe’s Forest Act [19:05], created to protect the country’s forests, penalises offenders by handing down fines up to Level 8, equivalent to US$500, or a custodial sentence not exceeding two years in jail. Although arrests have been made, public records show that only fines have been imposed on individuals found to have broken the law.

“When someone is arrested, they pay a fine and go back home and indulge again because fines are not deterrent enough,” said Tembo. “What we are advocating for now is custodial sentences. Hopefully this might awaken the culprits.”

Another hotspot for the illegal charcoal business is Hwange, mostly due to its proximity to the Hwange National Park and Hwange Colliery mines.

Nxolelani Ncube, environment and natural resources officer at the Hwange Rural District Council, called the crime “well-coordinated”.

“Some of the illegal loggers use haulage trucks that would be transporting coal from Hwange Colliery mines to smuggle their products beyond the district,” he said.

Ncube said that as law enforcement agents have turned up the heat against illegal loggers, they have responded by changing their strategy, including operating during the cover of night.

“People are even bringing chainsaws and quite a lot of undesired methods are being used to cut down the trees,” he said.

Although the district council has been running awareness campaigns in collaboration with ZimParks, the Forestry Commission and police, their efforts have not yet yielded any real results.

Ncube explained that there should be more engagement with the judicial system and that “maybe it’s a matter of understanding the magnitude [of the deforestation] and what these trees have to offer us”.

Although it is challenging to stop the demand for charcoal due to power shortages, Ncube suggested people consider adopting renewable energy sources instead. “People in urban areas should try to use biogas digesters, they should use LP gas and solar power, and deviate from using natural resources such as charcoal, which is destructive,” he said.

Hwange’s dependency on coal makes things challenging for environmental lobbyists.

Daniel Sithole, the executive director of Hwange-based Green Shango Environmental Trust, said more needs to be done to stop deforestation in the town and beyond.

“The reduction of carbon sinking in the forest is a challenge as Hwange is a coal-mining town responsible for fossil fuels,” he said. “We need these trees to make sure they carbon sink our excess carbon while mining is in continuation.”

Carbon sinks help to regulate the climate by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. This is why having thick forest cover near where coal is mined and burned is so important.

Sithole added that illegal charcoal production is also fuelling human-wildlife conflicts within the Hwange National Park, as communities encroach on animal habitats to seek livelihoods.

For Brenda Sibanda, a charcoal vendor in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park, environmental issues are far from a concern.

“Most of my clients have not been connected to the national grid,” she explained. Charcoal is also cheaper than liquefied petroleum (LP) gas and firewood. Even those connected to power come to us when there is load-shedding,” she said.

By selling charcoal, Sibanda is able to support her family and pay school fees. She sells a plastic bag of charcoal for US$1, and a 20-litre bucket for US$4.

In April this year, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga said the country is in the process of reviewing its laws to deter forest crimes. He was addressing participants at a human-wildlife conference, held on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.

“The government has taken proactive steps to enhance the regulatory responsibilities of the Forestry Commission,” he said. “The Forest Act has been revised through the Forest Act Amendment Bill, with the aim of strengthening forest protection and combating veld fires through the introduction of mandatory and deterrent sentences. These legislative measures demonstrate our commitment to preserving our precious forests for future generations.”

In addition to this, he said that protecting the environment opens doors for international funding and sustainable protection of the environment.

6 – ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION REACHES ALARMING PROPORTIONS

With acknowledgement to Newsday Zimbabwe, 7 June 2024

ZIMBABWE continues to face a myriad of environmental problems ranging from pollution, mining waste dumps, resource depletion, deforestation, and land degradation, according to Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG).

In a statement to mark the World Environment Day running under the theme: Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience, on Wednesday, CNRG said several communities were witnessing environmental degradation on a scale never seen in the country’s recorded history.

CNRG said a significant portion of Zimbabwe’s arable land had been rendered unusable due to mining activities.

“Zimbabwe’s natural resources — from its vast woodlands and wildlife to its mineral wealth and water sources — are the foundation of the economy and the lifeblood of communities,” CNRG said.

“Currently, these resources are under increasing threat from unsustainable mining practices, weak governance, and the devastating impacts of climate change.

“Integrating development with robust environmental management has become a major concern. The mining industry thrives at the expense of the environment, posing a serious threat, especially to mining host communities and future generations.”

CNRG said the organisation had documented numerous cases of illegal mining, deforestation and other environmentally destructive activities that are degrading Zimbabwe’s ecosystems and depriving local communities of their rightful benefits.

In a related development, United Nation’s resident and humanitarian co-ordinator Edward Kallon said droughts could affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.

“With up to 40% of the planet’s land degraded, directly impacting half of the world’s population and the number and duration of droughts increasing by 29% since 2000, urgent action is needed,” he said as he commemorated the World Environment Day at the Geo Pomona Waste Management Site in Harare on Wednesday.

Kallon said there was need to strengthen policy or legal frameworks in agriculture and land management, including sustainable land use planning and incentives for sustainable farming and agro-forestry.

“Scale up resilience and community asset-building initiatives, focusing on young people and climate-resilient farming practices such as water harvesting and management technologies.

“Enhance research and development — agronomy and crop research, introducing drought-tolerant crop varieties and seed and optimising productivity. The youth can play a vital role in this,” he said.

Kallon added there was also needed to invest in climate-smart, environmentally friendly local institutions and markets to ensure sustainable food security.

7 – BRAZZAVILLE DECLARATION PRIORITISES DECADE OF TREE PLANTING

With acknowledgement to the Herald, 8 July 2024.

The United Nations must prioritise the decade of planting trees to fight climate change and its dire effects on the people and environment, the Brazzaville Declaration states.

The declaration came at the end of the four-day first International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation, where Zimbabwe’s delegation was led by Vice President Kembo Mohadi.

Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Dr Sithembiso Nyoni, Permanent Secretary in VP Mohadi’s Office Dr Benson Martins Dube and Permanent Secretary for Local Government and Public Works Dr John Basera also attended.

Trees and forests not only lock in carbon, reducing greenhouse gases, but protect the ground and stop erosion.

Apart from host President Denis Sassou Nguesso, other leaders who attended the official opening of the conference were President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, President Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, and President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon.

From Southern Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, and Madagascar joined Zimbabwe in sending representatives.

Republic of Congo Minister for Forest Economy, Rosalie Matondo, read out the Brazzaville Declaration.

It says African leaders called for “the adoption of a resolution by the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations to officially endorse” the plan ahead of the annual meeting that takes place in New York in September.

The leaders also called on the UN to hold an international conference on reforestation biennially and on a rotating basis, from one continent to another.

The UN should realise the “crucial importance for the planet” and declare that the planting of more trees would help combat climate change through reducing erosion.

Trees also help generate income, while also being used in the health sector for the production of medicine.

In his remarks, VP Mohadi said the conference had come at an “opportune time when mankind is faced with an existential threat due to global warming, deforestation, floods and famine, occasioned by climate change.”

Zimbabwe, he said, had declared a state of disaster following a poor 2023-2024 summer cropping season due to erratic rains caused by the El Nino phenomenon.

“As I speak, the whole Southern African sub-region is facing a severe drought due to El Nino weather occurrences,” he said.

“We, therefore, applaud the Government of the Republic of Congo for hosting this auspicious conference at this important juncture in the lives and history of humanity.

“Let us all put all hands-on deck to reverse this global phenomenon. Let us do so, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of future generations to come.”

Zimbabwe had instituted a reforestation levy on tobacco growers in cognisance of the negative effects arising from growing and curing the crop. The levy is dedicated to tree planting and reforestation.

In addition, Government had designated the first Saturday of every December as a tree planting day during which the national psyche is mobilised towards planting more trees, particularly indigenous ones.

President Sassou Nguesso said the conference was the beginning of “a process of research and a life-saving response.”

“The situation we already know remains worrying (and) the need for action is clear. It’s all about the will to act and putting in the necessary effort,” he said.

African Union Commission chair Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat said the greatest challenge today was not only to stop the disappearance of forests, but also to restore those that have disappeared and create new ones.

Kazakhstan’s advisor to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Special Representative on International Environmental Cooperation, Zulfiya Suleimenova, said the Eastern European country was committed to biodiversity and ecosystem preservation.

Kazakhstan intends to plant two billion trees by 2027, with 843 million planted between 2021 and last year.

The conference, which attracted over 2 000 delegates, was part of an “African and global decade of afforestation and reforestation” launched by President Sassou Nguesso at COP27 in Egypt in 2022.

Since 1986, Congo has declared November 6 every year a national holiday during which everyone should plant at least one tree. Kenya has also declared a special holiday on November 13, so that people plant trees.

The conference was organised by the Congolese government, the African Union Commission, the UN Forum on Forests, and the African Forest Forum.

8 – FROM THE FIRST PAGE – MATOPOS CLEAN UP APPRECIATION

5 July 2024 saw our inaugural Matopo Highway Clean Up take its first baby step towards keeping our UNESCO HERITAGE SITE of Matopos National Park litter free. May I extend my sincere gratitude to EMA Mat South Province for taking their time to grace this momentous occasion, thank you, Matopo Conservation Society for 130 bin liners and 240 bottles of water, Rowallan for manpower and transport, Chief Nyangazonke Ndiweni for transport and manpower, Gulati Community Development Trust, for human capital mobilisation of volunteers, ,President Elect for Rotary Club of Matopos, ZIMPARKS Matopo, EHT Nyatsanza, United Youth Voices Through Advocacy for volunteer mobilisation, Matopo Secondary, REPS and a third school(forgot name) NewDay’s Magaret Lubinda for media coverage, Keyona TV representatives, Greenhut representatives and all volunteers who took their time to restore our land to its naturalness. In total we had 52 volunteers and over 100 school learners.

9 – RAINFALL

Just when we thought we were finished with the rainfall for 2023/4 season, June surprised us with 12mm in the eastern Matopos. In the last week of the month cold drizzle turned to rain for a couple of days, giving a final small top-up.

Rainfall for the season – Western 187mm, Central 447mm, Eastern 452mm

10 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

23-25^th August 2024 Matopos Heritage Trail Run

17th November 2024 Annual General Meeting

24 – 25^th November Matopos Classic MTB

11 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024 are now due. Please ensure that your subs are up to date. There has been no increase in rates.

US$ 20 Individual/Family

US$    5 Pensioner/Student

US$100 Corporate

If you need any information, please contact matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

MCS Branded Apparel

The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo, available at US$20 each. They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. We also have stocks of hats and caps at $10 each. CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each. Additional branded apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request. Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details

Website – www.matobo.org

Visit our website, and make use of the RESOURCES page for downloadable maps, checklists and information.  Please email queries to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Facebook

Don’t forget to join our Facebook page, with nearly 700 members now.

The Natural History of the Matobo Hills

This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$30.

12 – MATOPO MISSION FIRE

In the early hours of Saturday 6^th July, a fire broke out in one of the boys dormitories at Matopo Mission destroying the accommodation and possessions for 52 boys. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire.

The MCS is appealing to any well-wishers who may like to assist with either the refurbishment or assistance to the Matopo Mission to rebuild the facility.

13 – IN MEMORIUM

John Minshull – 24 March 1936 – 6 July 2024

We were saddened to hear of the passing of John Minshull on Saturday 6^th July. Another of the giants from the Natural History Museum, and a loss to both the Museum and the environmental world in general.

John graduated from Rhodes University in 1958 as an entomologist and as a result always had an interest in all things creepy crawly. His first job with his young wife Jacqueline was at Lake Sibaya, and in 1968 he joined National Parks and Wildlife Department as a Fish Research Officer on Lake Kariba and then Lake Kyle. He joined the Queen Victoria Museum in Harare as Ichthyologist in March 1978 after completing his Masters in Tropical Resources Ecology and in October of the same year he took over as Director. With the restructuring of National Museums and Monuments in 1981 John stepped down as director and he, his collection and his family moved to what became the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo where both he and his wife worked as curators for many years. John took early retirement in 1992 and went teaching at CBC and consulting on farm dams and fish farms. He then joined ACOL chemicals where he was tasked with writing up years of research while he mastered the art of typing and the ways of a computer!

John was an avid reader with many interests and his later years he was studying human evolution and bacteria!! And was a fountain of knowledge on many things. He loved jazz music and had played the double bass, collected stone age implements, loved aloes and cacti, was a Bowls Maestro, and always wore his beloved hat, long socks, and khaki. He has a great sense of humour and conversations were always lively and centred around a beer or two!

John was best known by all for his contribution as an ichthyologist, ecologist, and fisherman with many complaints that his “Fishes of Zimbabwe” was out of print and copies hard to find. His contribution to aquatic science was considerable, his fieldwork in Zimbabwe extensive and the size and scientific value of the museum fish collection is his legacy to the nation. He will be missed by all, and your deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers go to his daughter Pippa and his grandchildren. A life well spent.

The AGM returned your committee to office, and at the subsequent first committee meeting, the following portfolios were allocated:

Chairman Gavin Stephens

Vice-Chairman Neil Rix

Treasurer TBA

Secretary Gaynor Lightfoot

Membership Jean Whiley

Committee Members Verity Bowman and Moira Fitzpatrick

We were unable once again to appoint a Treasurer at the AGM, and still hoping that a member may yet come forward.  Jean is kindly holding the portfolio.

Mr Rob Burrett did not stand for re-election, and we record our appreciation to him for his many years of service to the Society and interest in the Matobo Hills. Whilst he may not be on the Committee he remains a valuable resource to the Society.

We have subsequently co-opted Mr Dennis Chitewe onto the Committee to assist with Projects, and welcome him to our fold.

2 – NEW FUNGI IDENTIFIED

The Darwin Project operating in the Matopos under Cathy Sharp has decided to fund Cathy’s publication of her book on Zimbabwe’s Fungi which is very encouraging. A species of Magic Mushroom (Psilocybe), which had already been written up in the draft, has been confirmed as new to science. Two of the collections are from the Matobo Hills (Stonehills & Farmhouse) and one from Mukuvisi in Harare, all on granitic sand. This is very exciting for Zimbabwe – and more so for the Matopos. Congratulations to our researcher in residence – Cathy Sharp!

3 – NEXT EVENT

Don’t forget your sunblock, hat, picnic lunch and drinks!  Come prepared for a cool day.

4 – REPORT BACK – MATOBO CONSERVATION SOCIETY @ 30 YEARS

On Saturday 25^th November we gathered at the Farmhouse to celebrate our 30^th anniversary. Initially we enjoyed a wonderful sunset over the hills from a vantage point complimented by assorted libations, before we went on to enjoy an evening dinner under the moon light. Our Chairman spoke of the establishment of the Society and its progress over the past thirty years.

The next morning, we were joined by more members from Bulawayo, and the AGM was held. It included a screening of our Matopos promotional video, and a short Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge video which allowed members present to “share” in the experience.

John and Jenny Brebner were then asked to talk on the 60^th anniversary of the Black Eagle study, and this was accompanied by wonderful pictures taken of the magnificent bird. The MCS regularly donates to this worthy cause.

Thereafter tea was held with the cutting of the 30^th Birthday cake by our oldest member, Mrs Joan Stephens.

5 – BEST PARK IN AFRICA

Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park has been named the best in Africa for the fifth time in a row.

It beat six other parks in the continent in this year’s World Travel Awards (WTA), a global body that aims to reward excellence in travel and tourism.

The Serengeti, which is popular for its wildebeest migration, has won the award every year since 2019.

The Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) celebrated the Serengeti’s “stunning five-time victory”.

Other African contenders included Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Namibia’s Etosha National Park, Uganda’s Kidepo Valley National Park, South Africa’s Kruger National Park, and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

6 – RAIN MAKERS ABANDON NJELELE SHRINE

With acknowledgement to The Southern Eye, 15 March, 2024

RAINMAKERS, commonly referred to Amahosana, have reportedly abandoned the sacred Njelele rainmaking shrine in Matobo, Matabeleland South province, to join apostolic sects.

Njelele has, since time immemorial, been used by people from various parts of the country and abroad for rainmaking ceremonies and healing of various ailments that affected their communities.

However, Southern Eye gathered that the traditional rainmaking ceremonies were no longer practised after Amahosana left. “Those who were originally meant to dance for the rain have abandoned the traditional practice,” a traditional leader who preferred anonymity said.

Historian and educationist Pathisa Nyathi said the developments were not surprising when most of the people have chosen to adopt foreign and modern cultures. “When the pillars of belief change, things begin to fall apart,” Nyathi said. “So, you can’t expect the Hosanna people to go and dance for the rain when the community no longer subscribes to that [belief]. It will not work hence they become irrelevant. So don’t think that Christianity was not doing its work.

It was and the whole idea was that Africans must abandon everything African, in particular their African indigenous spirituality and subsume that with religion known as Christianity that does not subscribe to African rainmaking ceremonies.”

Chief Nyangazonke said the developments were worrying. “We should sit down with Amahosanna, traditional healers, induna and many more others who dance for the rain,” he said. “Another thing is people have adopted modern cultures and they no longer care to follow our culture. People, especially the young now look down upon our culture and traditional beliefs.”

The custodian of Njelele shrine, Tobheka Ncube, said he was also of the belief that many have turned their backs on traditional rituals, values, and beliefs. “We urge the government to revisit the issue of sacred places and enact laws to protect these shrines and elevate them to national heritage status,” Ncube said.

In 2018, the sacred Njelele shrine was bombed by yet-to-be-identified suspects, who used mining explosives to blast the main rock that covers the shrine.

7 – LONGER DROUGHTS IN ZIMBABWE TAKE A TOLL ON WILDLIFE AND CAUSE MORE FREQUENT CLASHES WITH PEOPLE

With Acknowledgment to VOA, Thursday November 23

Harare – In a remote southeastern corner of Zimbabwe, people watched from cars or towers in an annual wildlife census, peering through binoculars at animals coming to drink at waterholes and jotting down notes, often by torchlight.

Around 140 volunteers slept in shifts through the 24-hour exercise, which is a valuable indicator of the status of the southern African nation’s wildlife resources during a worrying regional drought.

Before dawn, an elephant guided a calf to a stream. Lions roared in the distance. Noisy baboons stopped to drink. To everyone’s relief, the rains had come, and the grasslands were looking green again in Gonarezhou National Park, whose name means “place of elephants.”

But keen eyes can pick out signs of trouble. The split and shattered trunks of the massive baobab trees and the damage to the umbrella-like acacia trees, the savanna’s shade providers, are evidence of desperate elephants searching for food and water in the 5,000-square-kilometer park.

In other reserves in wildlife-rich Zimbabwe, animals have suffered even more as climate change-induced drought conditions take their toll.

The animals in Gonarezhou are “the fortunate ones,” said Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. In his office in the capital, Harare, he has received regular reports of anguish this year from national parks.

“It’s normal for animals to die, but now they are dying young,” he said. “They starve, they die. They get stuck in the mud, desperately looking for water and they die. It’s heartbreaking.”

Farawo said the parks agency was still compiling statistics, but 15 elephants died in a week in Hwange, the country’s largest park, this month, with 16 buffaloes also found dead.

The dry spells are becoming longer and more severe. For decades, Zimbabwe’s rainy season ran reliably from October to March. It has become erratic in recent years, sometimes starting only in December.

“Climate change is turning out to be our biggest challenge,” Farawo said. “Weather patterns have become unpredictable, so animals often have no food and water. Right now, we are in November and most of the country still has no rains.”

Across Africa’s national parks, similar effects of climate change are felt. Multiple studies show that extreme weather events are leading to the loss of plants and animals, which struggle to cope with longer dry spells and hotter temperatures.

Zimbabwe’s parks agency has intervened to ease the problem with 100 solar-powered boreholes to pump underground water into pools for animals to drink. But with so much surface water drying up, animals are still forced to walk longer distances, sometimes across national borders, in search of food and water.

The Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area is the world’s largest multi-country conservation area, spanning 520,000 square kilometres over five southern African countries including Zimbabwe. The area is larger than Germany and Austria combined and provides a corridor for animals to freely trek for hundreds of kilometres.

“We often joke that unlike humans who stay close to the parks, animals can eat breakfast in Zimbabwe, lunch in Botswana and supper in another country,” he said.

The parched environment affects animals like elephants in multiple ways, according to a recent study by researchers from Zimbabwe, Britain and South Africa.

Their report, published in late October in the journal Nature Communications, cited a combination of heat, drought and population density as likely contributing factors for an outbreak of a blood-poisoning bacterial infection that killed 35 elephants during the dry season in Hwange National Park in western Zimbabwe in 2020. The report followed extensive tests on carcasses.

Zimbabwe is home to about 100,000 savanna elephants, second only to Botswana’s 130,000. Zimbabwe and Botswana over the decades have built large herds of elephants that far exceed the capacity of some parks, and both countries now say the effects of that overpopulation are worsened by resource depletion caused by climate change.

Birds are another victim. They need baobab, acacia and other trees for breeding, but hungry herbivores like elephants and giraffes leave little behind.

“They can only breed at a certain tree height, and it means it affects their breeding cycle because the trees are now too low for the security of their young ones,” Farawo said.

He warned that the future of some tree species is at risk, and “you can hardly see a young acacia or baobab tree because they are destroyed by the animals.”

And across Zimbabwe, there is increased conflict between humans and animals.

Many people living close to national parks, forests or mountains were already struggling to put food on the table due to depressed economic conditions. With the drought, they clash more frequently with animals that are encroaching into human settlements in search of food and water.

Farawo said the parks agency received about 4,000 distress calls from communities battling hyenas, lions, elephants, and baboons in 2022, and the human-animal conflict has been rising over the last five years. The agency received 900 calls in 2018, he said.

People sometimes dig trenches, establish bee hives or bang pots and pans to keep away animals. They are not always successful.

In Hwange town and surrounding areas, residents have raised the alarm with parks authorities over herds of elephants venturing from the park to eat from people’s gardens and fields, even destroying water pipes so that they can drink.

In the eastern Manicaland province, residents described what they called a new phenomenon: A hyena killed a man, ripping off his lips and a limb. “Now they are turning to humans,” the state-run Manica Post newspaper quoted a resident as saying.

Farawo confirmed the incident.

“It’s because the animals are looking for food,” he said. “Hyenas are an indicator species of food availability. If there is no food, they move all over, looking.”

8 – SA RHINOS: POACHING ON THE RISE IN NEW HOTSPOT

The majority of the rhinos poached in South Africa last year were in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park. By Kyle Zeeman. BBC News, Johannesburg

South Africa’s battle to defeat rhino poaching has taken a turn for the worse with the numbers killed rising in 2023.

Last year, 499 rhinos were hunted, an increase of 51 from the previous year, Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said.

South Africa is home to most of the world’s rhinos.

The country has some 2,000 black rhinos, considered to be “critically endangered”, and around 13,000 white rhinos, classed as “near threatened”.

Looking back over 10 years, poaching has fallen sharply from 2014 but has increased more recently.

Rhino horns have been in huge demand in Asian states such as China and Vietnam, where they are used in traditional medicines.

The majority of animals killed last year were in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The Kruger National Park, which had previously been a hotspot for poaching, saw a reduction of more than a third in 2023.

The success in dealing with poaching at Kruger, the biggest game park in South Arica, had led to criminal groups moving elsewhere, Ms Creecy told journalists.

“The increase is very concerning,” a spokesperson for the company that runs Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Musa Mntambo, told the BBC.

Poaching groups “often struggle to spot rhino in the Kruger and so come here where they are more visible”, he added.

Last year, the government allocated $2.1m (£1.7m) to improving fencing in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park.

Mr Mntambo said several other steps had been taken to fight poaching, including hiring more than a dozen more patrollers and acquiring a new surveillance helicopter.

“We have seen a decrease so far this year and we are hopeful that poaching will decrease in the coming months. By February last year we had 30 rhinos poached. This year we have 22.”

Ms Creecy said her department had undertaken an extensive de-horning programme, making the rhinos less attractive to poachers.

It has also gone on an anti-corruption drive to prevent park officials from colluding with gangs.

Jamie Joseph, head of environmental group Saving the Wild, has been a long-time critic of the government’s anti-poaching measures.

She predicted that poaching would continue to increase unless there was better intelligence gathering on the gangs.

“There is only one thing that will save that park and that is if they start running intel, set up ambushes and make arrests. Otherwise, nothing is going to change,” she told the BBC.

But Ms Creecy applauded the country’s specialist policing unit, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, for its work in convicting 45 rhino poachers and traffickers last year.

9 – RAINFALL

The 2023/2024 was, as predicted, a dreadful year for rain. Not only was it poor, but what fell came in a few big downfalls with no consistency. It was also patchy, with a final wet spell in late April adding a few more mills to a disappointing year. None of the dams in the Matopos spilled this year.

Rainfall for the season – Western 187mm, Central 447mm, Eastern 442mm

10 – MANA POOLS LIFELINE

US$5 million boost for Mana Pools National Park: The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has signed a US$5 million, 20-year deal with the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) of South Africa for the conservation of Mana Pools National Park. The PPF, founded in 1997 by Anton Rupert, the late former South African President Nelson Mandela, and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, is an organisation that aims to re-establish, renew, and conserve large ecosystems in Africa, transcending man-made boundaries by creating regionally integrated and sustainably managed networks of Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) – Daily News, Thursday November 30

11 – MATOBO LITTERING

From a member via social media

If something does not work, maybe try something else?

At Maleme picnic sites round the dam almost everyone has garbage lying around, papers, cans etc. Areal eye sore. As you drive past you find baboons hiding behind the bins or even inside, and then big male baboons eyeing you out as you pass by. Can I suggest just demolishing these concrete bins? Then put signs up that people must take out of the park all their rubbish. A dustbin looks ok and a legit place to put rubbish, but all you are doing is feeding baboons, and they scatter the rubbish. I doubt Parks comes and empties the bins on a regular basis anyway. Record the details of those who do drop rubbish and fine them. And if they leave the park without paying a fine, keep their details on record, those already recorded at the gate. A not so big problem is at Rhodes grave/World View, but why not have the same policy for the whole park. At Rhodes grave we see rubbish lying around near the staff quarters and off to the side. As Zimbabweans we need to learn to discard and destroy paper, tins, and other rubbish in a mature manner. Littering is low IQ, low morals, selfish and it shows little concern for others and future generations. If we start talking about littering in Bulawayo and elsewhere, then we realise Zimbabweans have a serious problem.

12 – 90% OF AFRICAN BIRDS OF PREY UNDER THREAT’ STUDY FINDS

Some 90% of Africa’s “spectacular” birds of prey are under threat, research by a Scottish university has found. According to researchers from the University of St Andrews and the Peregrine Fund, raptors lead an “increasingly perilous existence” in unprotected land in Africa.

A report from the team found habitat, food and breeding sites for the birds have been drastically reduced.

Major threats include persecution from ivory poachers and farmers, ritual killings, poisoning and collisions with wind turbines.

The report, published in the Nature Ecology & Evolution journal, warned of massive declines among nearly 42 species.

Monitoring began in West Africa in the 1970s, where the average rate of decline was more than twice that of other regions – but some species are now deemed to be “vanishing into oblivion” by ornithologists, the researchers said.

13 – ZIMPARKS TRANSFORMATION PAYS DIVIDEND

With acknowledgement to NewsDay

The transformation of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has resulted in sustainable conservation in the country, a new report has shown. An evaluation of ZimParks was requested and supported by the European Commission during the 2015-2016 period.

Consulting firm ARS Progetti Consortium was contracted to do the independent evaluation which was completed in 2016. A final report was submitted in February 2017.

Several challenges affecting the performance of ZimParks were identified in the process, among them, poor financial management.

According to the report, some of the key challenges that needed urgent attention include low staff morale, poor working conditions, lack of prioritisation of key operational activities, garnishing of authority accounts and a growing debt including a legacy debt of US$25 million.

In a statement, ZimParks director-general Fulton Mangwanya said the authority cleared all salary arrears between 2017 and 2020. “We also improved financial management systems and achieved a positive balance sheet, purchased uniforms for all employees and improved the image of the organisation, improved vehicle workshop service and reduced poaching of key species like elephant, rhino and large carnivores.

“Recruitment and training of rangers was done in 2018 and 2019, strengthening law enforcement efforts. After developing our five-year strategic plan for ZimParks (2019-2023), which was approved in 2018, we mobilised resources to sustain and intensify resource protection operations in all protected areas, formalising agreements, and implementation thereof” Mangwanya said.

“We also supported the development and submission of four key proposals at CITES COP18, something that had not been done before, even though the proposals could not sail through, it commanded a lot of respect for the country to voice concerns of our local communities living with wildlife and yet not being supported to trade internationally in wildlife products of listed species.”

Addressing rangers who had completed a rigorous three-month course in wildlife conservation in Matusadona National Park recently, Mangwanya said wildlife conservation contributes significantly to the National Development Strategy 1.

“Our collaborative efforts in the wildlife conservation industry, led by ZimParks, contributes, in a significant way, to the strategic plan for the ministry of environment, climate and wildlife, the government blueprint for vision 2030, the National Development Strategy 1 2021-2025, particularly contributing to the National Priority Area of Environmental protection, climate resilience and natural resources management and the national key results areas of environment and climate protection,” he said.

“The successful completion of this intensive training course by our wildlife rangers brings us closer to collectively achieving these goals.”

14 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

23-25th August 2024 Matopos Trail Run

21-24th November 2024 Matopos Classic MTB

15 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024 are now due.  Please ensure that your subs are up to date.  There has been no increase in rates.

US$ 20 Individual/Family

US$    5 Pensioner/Student

US$100 Corporate

If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com

MCS Branded Apparel

The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo, available at US$20 each.  They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings.  We also have stocks of hats and caps at $10 each.  CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each.  Additional branded apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request.  Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details

Website – www.matobo.org

We have recently upgraded our website which is now more modern and easier-to-use.  It is intended to be more attractive and informative to both members and the general public.  Member suggestions and contributions for the revised website are welcome.

Please email to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Facebook

Please visit our new Facebook page “Matobo Conservation Society” – LIKE or FOLLOW this to keep up to date.

The Natural History of the Matobo Hills

This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$30.  Arrangements can be made to send by registered mail anywhere in Zimbabwe for an additional US$5, or outside Zimbabwe for an additional US$10.  Please email matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

14 – OLD GWANDA ROAD

There have been two recent announcements regarding the upgrading of the Old Gwanda Road through the Matobo Hills. The World Heritage Committee has been in contact with the promotors seeking to ensure that the “Cultural Landscape” will not be damaged (unnecessarily) and that the World Heritage Values will be respected.

Cabinet approves US$110m Old Gwanda Road upgrade

Chronicle 22 May, Tshili, Nqobile.

CABINET has approved the US$110 million Public-Private-Partnership investment for the construction and upgrading of the 120KM Old Gwanda Road by Zwane Enterprise, which expects to complete the project within a year from commencement. Zwane Enterprise expressed interest in the construction of the gravel road last year and has a US$150 million budget for the project. In the past few months, the investor has been conducting feasibility studies and a total of 43 homesteads are expected to be relocated due to the project. The government recently revealed that it will be engaging the private sector in the construction of major roads in the country under the Build-Operate and Transfer model. In his post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said Cabinet considered and approved Zwane Enterprises’ proposed investment to rehabilitate Old Gwanda Road at a cost of US$110 million. “Cabinet considered and approved the proposed Public-Private-Partnership between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development and Zwane Enterprises (Private) Limited for the upgrading, construction and tolling of the Old Gwanda Road, as presented by the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Honourable Mthuli Ncube as the chairperson of the Public Private Partnership Committee,” said Dr Muswere. “Zwane Enterprises (Private) Limited, a Zimbabwe incorporated company, will upgrade, and construct the 120KM Old Gwanda Road from Bulawayo City, through Matobo to Gwanda. “Old Gwanda Road reduces the distance between Bulawayo and Gwanda by six kilometres compared to the existing Bulawayo to Gwanda via Esigodini, Mbalabala and Colleen Bawn.” Dr Muswere said the company will undertake the project through a Build-Operate-Transfer arrangement. “Construction of the road is expected to be completed in 12 months at a cost of US$110 million. Zwane Enterprises will fully finance the project and will recoup its investment through tolling points along the road,” he said. Two toll gates are expected to be placed along the Old Gwanda Road. In an interview last night, Zwane Enterprises chief executive officer, Engineer Bekithemba Mbambo said they were excited that the Cabinet has shown confidence in their capacity to develop the road. “The journey has been longer than the 120KM from Bulawayo to Gwanda that we will be developing. It has come to a point of no return,” he said. “We have been waiting for quite some time and we are happy that finally we will be starting the work. We are just waiting to sign a concession agreement before we go to the ground. “This is going to be a massive project that will have value chain benefits and create employment for locals,” said Eng Mbambo. He said communities should brace themselves for the construction of the project and soon they will start relocating affected communities. “We have plus or minus 43 homesteads that are going to be relocated to pave the way for the construction of the project. So, we are going to build them new homesteads before the project starts,” he said. Eng Mbambo hails from Sikithi area in Umzingwane District and has experience with using Old Gwanda Road, which is not trafficable due to its bad state. He previously stated that he was going to adopt the Government’s strategy of contracting several companies to construct the road as this has proven to be effective. Eng Mbambo also indicated that their intention to rehabilitate Old Gwanda Road was inspired by President Mnangagwa’s philosophy “Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo/Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”

Road contractor reveal innovative architectural designs: Zwane Enterprise, which was selected for the reconstruction of the 120km Old Gwanda Road, has revealed its innovative architectural designs, which aim to celebrate the cultural heritage and tourism ecosystem of Matabeleland South. The public-private partnership (PPP) represents a significant investment in Matabeleland South’s infrastructure. While the project was initially estimated to cost US$110 mln, Zwane Enterprise’s chief executive officer, Bekithemba Mbambo, states that the figure may now be closer to US$150 mln, with US$40 mln assigned to enhance the road’s elements and cultural storytelling. Our Bulawayo Bureau obtained exclusive access to these architectural designs, which show how the road aims to promote the diverse tourism offerings of Matabeleland South, with prominent tourism facilities and cultural sites integrated into the design. Mbambo said Zwane Enterprise isn’t just constructing a road, but creating a “window to tourism” that transforms the journey from Bulawayo to Gwanda into a cultural immersion experience. The innovative approach aligns with the government’s recognition of the essential role accessible roads play in tourism development, fostering smoother connections between travel enthusiasts and their dream destinations. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, together with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, have already forged partnerships to revitalise the country’s roads and airports – Herald, Saturday June 1

16 – CONDOLENCES

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Coppie Dicey, a great supporter of conservation and of your society. We extend our condolences to John and family, at this sad time.

17 – IN MEMORIUM

Farewell to Meg Coates Palgrave

Meg has been part of my life since I was eighteen, just a few years ago! It’s been a privilege to share time with her in the field, particularly in the latter years when I was able to arrange collecting trips in the Mat. South Province. One trip is worthy of mention and Surrender Sibanda and Patson Mpofu will remember this very well. We spent a long, 12-hour day exploring the Esibomvu area of eastern Matobo looking for ‘hybrid-utilis’ Brachystegia, a beautiful drive down the escarpment from the Old Gwanda Road and up again. I KNOW that we botanists (and mycologists and entomologists) don’t move very far but I still expected to be back in Camp by sunset. At five o’clock, we were still in the ‘flat-land’ when we stopped for tea. Meg didn’t want tea – “Five o’clock is Beer Time!” and I didn’t have beers in the cooler-box! I was in the dog-box. Seriously in the ‘dog-box’! The three of us has our very welcome, quick tea while Meg growled at us until we finally reached Camp after 8pm! By that time, her first beer must have tasted so good. I never made that mistake again!

Although Meg had done many of her ‘Know Your Trees’ courses in the area, it was always rewarding for her to re-visit a place. We arranged courses at Farmhouse and at Hillside Dams and had a good attendance. Meg loved going into Matobo Hills and it was fun to share her enthusiasm when meeting up with a familiar friend (Euphorbia matabelensis) or Matobo ‘Specials’: Barleria randii – Matobo apricot barleria; Barleria matopensis – Matobo barleria; Gymnosporia matobensis – Matobo spikethorn; Strychnos matopensis – scrambling strychnos and Turraea fischeri ssp. eylesii – Matobo honeysuckle tree. The Tree nettle (Obetia tenax), cannot escape mention. Meg found a huge specimen at Big Cave Camp and this had to be seen to be believed! Her walking stick worked a treat in pulling a branch down for her to photograph. I cannot remember if she insisted that I collected a specimen for her or whether the photograph would do – a definite character to include in a horror movie! The plant I mean, not Meg!

The most important study that Meg was focused on was determining whether Brachystegia hybridised or not or were we looking at B. utilis? To gather more specimens for Meg, Judy Ross and I travelled 2500 kms around Zimbabwe and returned even more confused than before! MCS set aside some funding to have DNA analysis done on the leaf collections but finding a suitable laboratory to do this for us has been a challenge. The specialists ask: “What do you want to find out?” because that determines what methods are used for molecular analysis. Meg and I just want to know if we have B. utilis, a hybrid or a new species. Surely that’s simple enough? Apparently not! Sadly, we didn’t come to any conclusions before Meg died but I’m determined to continue this work in her honour. Thank you, Meg, for including me in your exciting explorations.

2023 is an auspicious year for the Matopos:

• Sixtieth anniversary of the Matopos Black Eagle Survey, 1963

See our special article (number 6 below)

• Thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the Matobo Conservation Society, 1993

See the celebration plans (number 2 below)

• Twentieth anniversary of the Matobo Hills being declared a World Heritage Site, 2003

2 – MATOBO CONSERVATION SOCIETY @ 30 YEARS

To mark this auspicious anniversary, your Committee has decided to reserve The Farmhouse for the night of Saturday 25^th November.  The Farmhouse has generously offered us a special rate of US$60 per person, Dinner, Bed and Breakfast.

Please make your reservation directly with The Farmhouse on WhatsApp +263 (0)77 556 8345.

You are welcome to bring your own drinks for the evening.  Dinner only, for those not staying at the Farmhouse, is $20 per person.

It is intended that we will commence proceedings with a late-afternoon tea / drinks to mark the end of the day at the Back Camp on The Farmhouse property.  There we can enjoy the magnificent view across our wonderful Hills.  Thereafter we will transfer to The Farmhouse for our dinner and formalities.

The next morning, Sunday 26th November, game drives and walks are possible, then we will hold our Annual General Meeting at 10:00am at The Farmhouse.  Those wanting to bring a packed lunch are more than welcome to do so.

3 – WORLD HERITAGE UPDATE – VICTORIA FALLS

Independent, Friday June 2023.

Zim and Zambia in joint management of Vic Falls: Zimbabwe and Zambia have stepped up efforts to manage the iconic Victoria Falls and look at possible opportunities for developing the tourist attraction.  Officials from the two countries met in Livingstone, Zambia, recently at the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting to discuss the trans-boundary Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.  Zimbabwe and Zambia share Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World.  Speaking at the meeting, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndhlovu hailed joint efforts to protect and develop the site.  Ndhlovu said updating the Strategic Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report, which started in 2021 and work on the updating of the Joint Integrated Management Plan of the property were also crucial.

He called for the two countries to ensure that any development near Victoria Falls did not disturb the site.  He said proposed key projects, such as the Batoka George hydroelectric power station, needed to consider and address concerns raised by key stakeholders while maintaining viable and appropriate technical requirements for optimum power generation

4 – NEXT EVENT

Don’t forget your sunblock, hat, picnic lunch and drinks!  Might also need to come prepared for a hot day.  There will be a series of talks on Rowallan Park, and the History of the Girl Guides.

5 – REPORT BACK

Sunday 21^st May saw a good crowd of members assemble at Cresta Churchill for the drive out to Marula, and onto the Mangwe area.  We were met by more folk at the Mangwe memorial, where after a cup of tea and brief walk around the site, Mr Rob Burrett gave a talk on the importance of the pass.  Thereafter Mr Neville Rosenfels spoke about the building of the monument itself, and the family history of the area.  Of interest – there were four generations of Rosenfels at the monument that day.

Thereafter we followed Neville onto Fort Mangwe, where once again a talk was given, and members could examine what was left.  Of interest was the now thick woodland all around whereas in 1896 the area would have been clear of trees.

After the Fort we visited the remains of trader John Lee’s house, dating from the 1870’s.  It was very disturbing to see that a new landowner was using the stone to build a modern dwelling, with no respect to the history – especially as Lee was a friend of both Kings Mzilikazi and Lobengula and suffered as a consequence at the hands of the BSAC.  We hope that NMMZ have taken action.

A few members then went onto the old cemetery across the river from the house.  The names so much associated with the history of the country appear on some of the headstones.

A picnic lunch was then enjoyed at the home of Neville and Georgina Rosenfels, for which the old wagons in their collection, including the family wagon from 1894, had been brought out for us to enjoy.

We express our heartfelt thanks to the Rosenfels for kindly hosting us, and to Rob for the various talks.

6 – BLACK EAGLE SURVEY – 60 YEARS

There are many raptor species found in the Matobo Hills, with the most obvious, and iconic perhaps, being the Black Eagle, or as it is supposed to be called now, the Verreaux’s Eagle.  The unusual high number of these birds, certainly in the early days of the survey, were a constant wonder.  No-one knows for sure – but could the Matobo area be the “breeding pool” distribution of this species to other parts of Southern Africa?  Unfortunately, this question is yet to be investigated but with today’s amazing modern technology and satellite tracking used on birds that has been so successful elsewhere in the world, perhaps one day, this can be solved.

The history behind the Black Eagle Survey began with a game ranger, Ron Thomson who was stationed in the Rhodes Matopos National Park in 1959 and 1960.  Ron was a keen bird-watcher and was impressed by the number of Black Eagle pairs he observed whilst touring the area for which he was responsible.

When Ron left the Matobo Hills, he provided the Department of National Parks with a composite list of birds in the area and his account of the Black Eagles along with a list of the eyries he had found.

At that stage, Ron had compiled a list of 37 eyries, 35 of which were within the Rhodes Matopos National Park.  However, there were only brief descriptions of where the nests were actually located.

In 1961, Carl Vernon, a student teacher in Bulawayo, obtained Ron Thomson’s list of eyries and began locating them.  Then in 1963 Carl began compiling the data which kick started the Black Eagle Survey and during that year and 1964, added map references along with more detailed information of the locations as well as new eyrie sites that he had found.  Mrs Valerie Gargett, a mathematics teacher, accompanied Carl on some of his trips to the Hills becoming increasingly involved in the work.

As Ron Thompson had previously done, Carl numbered each nest as he found them.  By the end of 1964, Carl Vernon along with members of the Matabeleland Branch of the Rhodesian Ornithological Society, had added 31 eyries and so the total stood at 68 nest sites.  By the time we eventually managed to get a place on the team in 2007, there were over a 100 sites in the survey.

At the end of 1964, Carl Vernon left Bulawayo and Valerie Gargett, who was then Secretary of the Matabeleland Branch of the Ornithological Society, was handed all his records and a draft of his paper prepared for publication.  He passed them across with the words, “Now it is over to you.” Val eventually gave up her teaching career to take on the survey full time and was ably assisted by her husband, Eric, until they immigrated to Australia in 1985 although Val continued to collect and analyse data from the study.

This breeding survey is renowned, as it is the longest running survey of its kind anywhere in the world.  2023 is the 60^th consecutive year of the breeding survey of the Black Eagles of the Matobo Hills.

Valerie Gargett’s book “The Black Eagle – A Study” – was published in 1990.  Her publication is often referred to by both professional and amateur ornithologists as the “Bible” of the Black Eagle.  The book is the culmination of all her intense work over more than two decades and contains a wealth of information.

Gathering data on the survey follows the same format and guidelines introduced by Val Gargett and is conducted with the  permission of Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.  A permit to do so is obtained on an annual basis.

Volunteers are known as “Citizen Scientists” and subsequently are not required to draw any conclusions from their collected data – as Val said “…just record what you see, don’t try and tell us what you think the eagles’ intentions are”.

As there have been known cases of illegal egg collection in the Matobo area, and the eagles are a Protected Species, the locations of known territories and nest sites are kept as confidential as possible.  Only Members of Birdlife Zimbabwe may take part in the survey and to this end, all members as well as any Ornithological or other visitors to nest sites are required to sign a Confidentiality Statement.

Many raptor species including several species of Owl are protected in this country, this confidentiality should apply to many species in Zimbabwe.

Eagles are territorial and therefore, the area in which their nests are situated are known as “territories”.  As the eagles do not always use the same nest, the pair occasionally builds what is called an “alternate” nest, sometimes two, within the same territory they occupy.

Eagles’ nests are constructed of sticks and are usually built near the summit of a granite kopje.  Others build in larger crevices, or possibly depressions in rock formations.  Only one nest in the Hills has been logged as a “tree nest”.

The area of the survey covers approximately 1 220 square kilometres.  The outlying areas outside of the park boundary was host to several nests’ way back when, but now those sites are derelict.  However, there have been recent sightings of adult birds in a couple of disused territories outside the park which are not easy to get to, but these will require further monitoring.  There are two active sites on farming properties adjacent to the Park.

The survey is basically broken down into three reporting periods – the first being 31^st May, then 31^st July and the final one from August through to mid-November if possible.

Observations start in about April and during this first period all nests need to be visited to see if there are eagle pairs in the territory.  If observers are fortunate enough, they may encounter flight displays – which we like to call “Sky Dancing”.  It is a truly spectacular experience for anyone and has, in the past, got some people well and truly hooked on observing Black Eagles!

This is the period when nest renovations begin and with little experience, observers can make out whether new nesting material has been added.  The size of some of the nests is difficult to imagine.  Greenery is added to the cup of the nest, usually when an adult is incubating, with fresh green sprays being added once the chicks arrive.

Main breeding takes place between April and July.  Two eggs are usually laid.  The incubation period is about 44 days, after which time, two chicks will likely hatch out within days of each other.  Invariably one chick will kill the other by pecking it to death.  The adults do not intervene in this “Cain and Abel” struggle.

For about 12 weeks the chick will be fed by the parents.  The chick lies inactive for the first few weeks, but later stands in or on the side of the nest, often calling lustily.

When making and recording observations, observers can make a fairly close estimation of the age of the chick as the plumage of the chick changes rapidly during this period.

By the end of July, being the close of the second period, any successful breeding would be most easily seen as the parent birds will always be in close proximity of their nests.

The final reporting period should cover whether breeding has been successful with a chick that has “fledged” or not.  Fledged means if the chick has left the nest.  A newly fledged Black Eagle is every bit as magnificent as its parents with its golden crown and beautiful russet and gold edged plumage.

It has been established that the Hyrax (or commonly known as Dassie) is the main prey of the Black Eagle.  In order to try and anticipate the survival and continued success of the Black Eagle, dassie counting sites were identified by Prof Ronald Barry, assisted by Peter Mundy, in 1992.  Members involved in the study were expected to participate in an annual dassie count held in May of each year.  Annual counts were taken over by the Matabeleland Branch in 2005 and were done for 14 years.  Due to logistical problems, including the arrival of Covid which still blights the world, this has not been held since 2019.  It is unlikely, at this stage, that this will be re-introduced due to manpower shortages and lack of knowledge of the dassie counting sites.

In Brian Marshall’s editorial in The Honeyguide on this survey reaching its 50^th anniversary, he writes

“The most significant feature of the Black Eagle survey is that it has always been run by volunteers, enthusiastic amateurs whose principal objective is probably to enjoy the Matopos, enjoy the eagles, and savour the satisfaction of gathering valuable data.  The survey has never been externally funded, which is truly remarkable when one considers how much science in Africa has floundered for a lack of funding (this often means donor funding).

We are truly grateful to several well-wishers who, over the years, have generously donated to the survey, the support from Birdlife Zimbabwe National Office in recent years allowing us to retain monies collected from calendar sales in Matabeleland as well as assisting with applying for the permit.  The amazing bunch of “citizen scientists”, past and present, who, over the 59 years, have given so whole-heartedly of their time, some of whom have claimed no compensation.  Our thanks to Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority as without their co-operation, this milestone would not have been reached.

Thank you to all those who assisted with this presentation.

Valerie Gargett ended her book with these words: “It is intended to continue the Breeding Survey for as long as circumstances and the availability of helpers permit.”

Sixty years on, and the Breeding Survey continues.  We salute all the volunteers over the years that have contributed to this extraordinary achievement.

The Matobo Conservation Society is a supporter of and contributor to the annual Black Eagle Survey

7 – MATOPOS HERITAGE TRAIL RUN

The 8^th annual edition of the Matopos Heritage Trail Run took place in late August with 32 riders in all, and a number of supporters.  Once again, day one was hot and clear at 33C though a breeze did help, but on day 2 the weather changed to a maximum of 13C, with mist and heavy guti!  The same conditions as the last two years!

The scenery on day one was again lovely, with a number of Brachystegia trees coming into their spring foliage, and some water in the streams along the way.  Visibility of day two’s scenery was of course compromised, but the cooler conditions made for easier running.

For the second-year runners had a choice of the Heritage 50km run (day 1 = 30km; day = 20km) or the Challenge run 63km (day 1 = 42km; day 2 = 21km).  Only a handful of runners did the Challenge and congratulations to Leo Teede on being the first in each day.

8 – BELOW NORMAL RAINS FORECAST

Herald, Wednesday 6^th September 2023

According to a preliminary weather forecast, Zimbabwe expects to receive normal to below normal rainfall with parts of the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces getting below normal rains for the beginning of the 2023/24 planting season.  In a statement, the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry said the bulk of Matabeleland North, parts of Midlands covering Gokwe North and South districts, parts of Matabeleland South province covering Bulilima district will receive below normal to normal rainfall for the sub-season October-November-December.  The period October to March is the main rainfall season over most parts of the country.  The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) issued the statement at a National Climate Outlook Forum (NACOF), a platform where stakeholders across climate sensitive sectors discuss the implications of the expected seasonal rainfall outlook for planning purposes.  The outlook for October 2023 to March 2024 is that for the October to December (OND) 2023 period, there will be increased chances of normal-to-below normal rainfall for most parts of the country except the greater part of Matabeleland North, parts of Bulawayo Metropolitan, parts of Midlands and parts of Mashonaland West which have increased chances of below normal-to-normal rainfall.

9 – HUMAN -WILDLIFE CONFLICTS THREATENING TOURISM: ZIMPARKS

With Acknowledgement to Newsday Zimbabwe, 5th July 2023

Competition for space between human beings and wildlife is threatening the country’s tourism industry, a senior government official has said.  Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) executive director Fulton Mangwanya said wildlife and wild-lands were the backbone of the country’s tourism.  Speaking during the Mid-Zambezi Region chiefs’ biodiversity conservation indaba in Kariba recently, Mangwanya called on all stakeholders to combine forces for the protection and preservation of both natural and cultural heritages.

“Today due to the ever-growing population in Africa and the whole world, we have noted with concern the competition for space between humans and wildlife,” he said.  “As a result, landscapes are increasingly fragmented, hence disrupting free movement of wildlife, leading to more frequent human-wildlife conflicts.” He said the situation had been made worse by destruction of forests, unplanned and uncontrolled veldfires which alter the wildlife habitat.  “Our tourism is wildlife-based, hence the need to guard jealously our heritage for the present and future generations,” Mangwanya said.

He appealed to traditional leaders and local authorities to ensure that there is enough space for wild animals and come up with futuristic plans to take conservation initiatives to a higher level.  “As a country, Zimbabwe is endowed with rich biological diversity and is one of the world’s torch-bearers when it comes to conservation of wildlife and other natural resources,” Mangwanya said.  “This of cause is strongly supported by the socio-economic benefits which are closely linked to our philosophy of sustainable conservation.”

Speaking at the same event, African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) country director Olivia Mufute called for conservation of wildlife in Zimbabwe.  “Wildlife is the backbone of the economy, hence the need to conserve what we have,” she said.

The indaba, organised with support from AWF, was meant to share experiences on human and wildlife conflicts, challenges faced in resources protection as well as sharing information on emerging issues in biodiversity conservation.

10 – 240% JUMP IN TOURISTS AT PARKS

With acknowledgement to the Herald, 2nd June 2023

Zimbabwe has recorded a 240 percent increase of tourists at national parks within a year, the majority being locals, as the country’s tourism sector continues to rebound and gallop towards its US$5 billion per annum target.  Statistics released by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) show that the country is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic after recording an increase of 397 586 tourists, with locals accounting for 182 350, while foreigners were 179 980.

In 2021, 286 344 tourists visited the parks, 251 088 (domestic) and 35 256 (international) while in 2022 it then boomed as 683 930 tourists were recorded, 468 694 (domestic) with 215 236 being international ones.

Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo said the country witnessed an increase in terms of tourists, especially domestic visitors since Covid-19.  He said in 2019, domestic visitors were 454 140 international and 474 251 locals, totalling 928 391, but the figures dropped drastically in 2020 due to Covid-19, with domestic tourists being 173 752 while international arrivals were at 58 174, the overall being 231 936.  “If you look at the nearly one million tourists who visited our parks in 2019 and the 600 000 who visited last year you will see that in 2019, between 60 to 70 percent were foreigners,” said Mr Farawo.  “Now things have changed.  If you look at the 600 000 plus which visited our parks last year, you will see that more than 400 000 were locals and the balance of course foreign tourists.”

Mr Farawo said they would keep on encouraging people to visit Zimbabwe which has one of the world’s seven natural wonders.  “This is in line with the Government’s policy of creating a US$5 billion tourism economy in the near future so, we will continue to do more programmes tailor-made so that more people can visit,” he said.  “Programmes like ‘stay now and pay later’ will also be implemented as we move towards that target.”

11 – ED THREATENS RHODE’S GRAVE

With acknowledgement to Newsday Zimbabwe, 3^rd July 2023

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has threatened to “take action” if the British failed to claim the remains of Cecil John Rhodes buried at Matobo in Matabeleland South province.  He made the remarks during a Zanu PF rally in Bulilima, Matabeleland South, on Saturday.  “There is this place where Rhodes is sleeping at Matobo.  At one time when we became independent, the late Josiah Tungamirai and Solomon Mujuru came to me and said we want to go and blast Rhodes’s grave because he is a colonialist.

 “It will come a time when the heads of our ancestors such as Mbuya Nehanda will come back, and they should take their dead ones.  I stopped them,” Mnangagwa said.  He indicated that plans to bring back the remains of the ancestors’ heads from Britain were now at an advanced stage.  “If they ask for him (Rhodes) we will give them.  If they do not need him, we will see what we can do about it,” he added.

Rhodes died in 1902 and was buried in Matobo Hills National Park, south of Bulawayo, as per his wish.

Calls for the exhumation of his remains date back to 2012.

The late former President Robert Mugabe blocked war veterans and Zanu PF politicians from exhuming his remains, saying his legacy was part of the country’s history.  The veterans had blamed his grave for causing erratic rainfall patterns in the Matobo area.  The gravesite is a tourist attraction, visited by thousands of tourists both local and foreign.  It lies at the summit of a hill known as the “World’s View.”

In 2003, Matobo Hills was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Rhodes was a colonialist and politician who made his fortune in South Africa’s diamond fields.  He founded the De Beers diamond firm and left most of his fortune to benefit the nascent Rhodesia and the Oxford University Scholarship programme that bears his name.

12 – ILLEGAL ORCHIDS ON SALE AGAIN

The sale of indigenous orchids, notably Anselia africana (Leopard Spot), by vendors at Bradfield Shopping Centre has resurfaced.  This practice may extend to Hillside, Morningside, and other centres.  We urge members to ensure that no support is extended to this illegal practice, and to report the vendors to either the ZRP 2241161, National Parks 0773 166 751 or to EMA 0712 004 696.

NATIONAL PARKS WILDLIFE ACT 14/75 (1 August 1990 Amended)

S 35-93 Specially Protected Indigenous Plants

No person, subject to certain provisions, shall pick any specially protected indigenous plant. 

Specific name Common name

Cysbanthes Fire Lilies

Cyathia Tree Ferns

Aloe Aloe, all species, including hybrids

Gloriosa superba Flame Lily

Epiphytic/lithophilic Orchids

13 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

29^th October 2023 Field Trip to Rowallan Park

25^th November 2023 30^th Anniversary Dinner at The Farmhouse

26^h November 2023 Annual General Meeting at The Farmhouse

20-24^th March 2024 15^th Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge

6th April 2024 Matopos 33-Miler

14 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024 are now due.  Please ensure that your subs are up to date.  There has been no increase in rates.

US$ 20 Individual/Family

US$    5 Pensioner/Student

US$100 Corporate

If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com

MCS Branded Apparel

The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo, available at US$20 each.  They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings.  We also have stocks of hats and caps at $10 each.  CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each.  Additional branded apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request.  Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details

Website – www.matobo.org

We have recently upgraded our website which is now more modern and easier-to-use.  It is intended to be more attractive and informative to both members and the general public.  Member suggestions and contributions for the revised website are welcome.

Please email to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Facebook

Please visit our new Facebook page “Matobo Conservation Society” – LIKE or FOLLOW this to keep up to date.

The Natural History of the Matobo Hills

This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$30.  Arrangements can be made to send by registered mail anywhere in Zimbabwe for an additional US$5, or outside Zimbabwe for an additional US$10.  Please email matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Your committee has been busy working with Daniel Lasker to produce a series of short films on the Matopos to be included on our web site, and used for introduction and promotional purposes.  The first video was an introduction to the Matopos, and can be viewed on the web site home page www.matobo.org.  Two more videos based on the Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge have also been produced, and work has started on the Caves and Rock Art of the Matobo Hills.  We hope to produce a final video on the Wetlands, Waterfalls and Forests of the Matopos, but that has to wait for the summer months.  We believe that high quality of the work produced by Daniel will provide us with useful marketing videos.

2 – MATOPOS HERITAGE MTB CHALLENGE

The 14^th annual edition of the Matopos Heritage MTB Challenge took place in late March with 94 riders.  The cycling conditions were perfect this year, and the event was again a success.  Modifications to the course enhanced the riding experience.

Tragically, a Botswana rider, Mr Cornel Reis, suffered a massive heart attack at the 29km peg, some 90 minutes into the ride, and died on the spot.  The Organising Committee responded efficiently and extended every help and courtesy to the family during this sad time.  The Matobo Conservation Society has sent its condolences to Leanna and family on this untimely loss.  This was Cornel’s favourite ride and he had grown to love the Matobo Hills.

3 – ZIM’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE TARGETED FOR OIL EXPLORATION

With acknowledgement to Newsday, 10^th May 2023

According to a notice in the Zimbabwean Government Gazette, one of Africa’s premier wildlife areas has been targeted for oil exploration.  Shalom Mining has applied for permits to explore for oil and gas in Mana Pools, which has been designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).  Mana Pools lies on the southern bank of the Zambezi River that serves as the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.  The river braids across a flood plain, attracting wildlife and has many luxury lodges on both the Zimbabwean and Zambian banks.  The heritage site covers 676 600 hectares, spanning the Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari areas.

Editor – This follows proposed developments within the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site, and quarrying near the Khami World Heritage Site.  There is also ongoing illegal quarrying of granite slabs in the Matobo Hills World Heritage Site which, despite being reported to the authorities, continues unabated.  This is a worrying trend and perhaps suggests that Government is not taking its responsibilities under the World Heritage Convention seriously enough.  All the more need for conservation bodies to stand together and make a case to preserve our wilderness and heritage.

4 – NEXT EVENT

Don’t forget your picnic lunch and drinks!  Might also need to come prepared for cool breeze.

We will travel out to Mangwe Pass, south of Marula.  This is a 90km drive so plan accordingly.  We will also visit Mangwe Fort, Lee’s House and Lee’s cemetery before going onto Neville Rosenfel’s home for a picnic lunch and a chance to see an original 1890’s wagon, that would have come through the pass.

The Mangwe Pass was the formal route through the western Matopos through which most missionaries, hunters and traders entered Matabeleland between 1854 and1894.  Travellers were required to wait below the pass until permission was granted by the King to proceed to the appropriate Royal residence of the King.  It was in effect the border post from the South.  Interestingly, Hendrik Potgieter in 1849 did not use this passage through the hills when he attacked King Mzilikazi as it was unknown but used a far less practical route today known as Ndleka’s Pass, further to the east.  Famous explorers such as Bains, Selous and others, as well as Moffatt entered this country along this trail.  The memorial, unveiled by Sir Robert Tredgold in 1954, marked the centenary of the Pass, and has survived undamaged.

Fort Mangwe (1896) lay at the foot of the Mangwe Pass.  From the outbreak of the rebellion, 150 men, women, and children, both British and Afrikaner, formed a laager and enlarged and improved the fort built by the Southern Column in 1893.

John Lee first went to Matabeleland in 1858 where he obtained Mzilikazi’s permission to hunt.  His hunting was focused in the area of the Shashi River.  His favourite campsite was near the Mangwe Pass.  Lee obtained his grant of land from the Matabele in 1862.  Lee and his wagon, with others, arrived at Umganin from the south on 30th May.  In 1863 John Lee established a farm and house, the ruins of which still stands some two km south of the fort.  Mrs Lee and their infant son Hans and other children joined him there.  Mrs Lee died in childbirth in 1870.  Early in 1880, he invited the Jesuits to establish a station on his land, in order to have his children educated, but nothing came of this.  Lee’s house was an important waypoint and unofficial border to the Matabele kingdom.  In March 1884; in the last-named month of his diaries, Lee fell ill, and he went to live at Zeerust.  After the death of his first wife, Lee had a succession of housekeepers, one of whom he married, but she ran off with a transport rider.  He married a third time.  Lee refused to serve the Chartered Company as a guide and interpreter in the Matabele War of 1893 and his lands were confiscated by the BSAC.

5 – REPORT BACK

Members gathered as usual at Cresta Churchill on a fine Sunday morning and travelled out to the Inungu Battlefield, immediately west of World’s View and below the impressive Mt Inungu.  The gravel road was still damp from rains, and indeed in the area of the battlefield it was soggy and muddy with water flowing down the ruts.  Fortunately, no one got stuck.  First stop was at the memorial itself, and then retraced our steps a few hundred meters to the actual battlefield where Gavin gave us an outline of the fateful day in 1896.  Whilst the history was interesting, and the military tactics dubious, the scenery was beautiful.  Hard to think of battles in such a setting.

Thereafter we carried onto Matobo Hills Lodge where we were received by Mr Josh Elliot.  Allowed to picnic in the shade on the lawn, we quickly arranged our standard tea, before embarking on a tour of the Lodge and rooms.  No one was quite brave enough to swim.  Thereafter Josh spoke to us about the history of the lodge, its survival through numerous tribulations and the hopes going forward.  With 45 staff employed it’s no mean achievement.

After lunch folk peeled off to return home, or went to climb the hill behind the lodge, enjoying the magnificent views of Efifi, Worlds View, Inungu and Pomongwe.

We thank Josh and his team for his kindly hosting us.

6 – FINAL RAINFALL FOR THE YEAR

The season started well, suffered a dry spell through January and recovered well in February.  Then Cyclone Freddy appeared off the coast of Mozambique and hung around for 21 days.  It may well have set the world record for the longest “living” cyclone (lasted 5 weeks and 2 days!) but it destroyed the rainy season for us, as is the usual case with cyclones over the Mozambique Channel.  As a result, whilst we enjoyed slightly above normal rainfall, the season ended early and prematurely.

Western 687mm (Avg 600mm); Central 693mm (Avg 600mm); Eastern 724mm (Avg 830mm); Bulawayo 561mm (Avg 600mm).

Maleme 675.2mm, Toghwana 526.94mm, Whitewaters 561.1mm, Hazelside 381.5mm.

7 – RHINOS DOWN TO 400 AS POACHING INTENSIFIES IN BOTSWANA

Acknowledgment to Nature World News, Wednesday 22^nd February 2023

Gaborone – Due to ongoing and increased poaching, the rhino population in Botswana has been reduced to just 400 individuals.

On Monday, Botswana disclosed that it had experienced a sharp increase in rhino poaching over the five years leading up to 2022, which amounted to about one-third of its population of the critically endangered species.

According to testimony given to parliament by Philda Kereng, minister of tourism, 138 rhinos were killed between 2018 and 2017.

In contrast, only two rhinos were poached in the previous five years, from 2012 to 2017.

According to statistics Kereng presented to the legislature, homicides spiked to seven in 2018 before falling to 30 the following year.  The number of murders spiked once more in 2020 to 62, then dropped to six last year after halving to 33 in 2021.

She attributed the increase in killings to poachers being driven out of other southern African states as well as an increase in the demand for rhino horn on the global market.

Increased patrols in national parks have made it necessary for hunters looking for rhino horns to turn their attention elsewhere, which has resulted in a steady decline in the number of animals killed in neighbouring nations in South Africa, which is the traditional rhino poaching hotspot.

Demand from Asia, where rhino horns have been used in traditional and folk medicine for their alleged therapeutic effect, drives rhino poaching, according to NPR.

Rhinos in Botswana

Although Botswana withholds information about its rhino population, a report the government submitted to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) held in Panama last year indicated that the country was home to approximately 285 white rhinos and 23 black rhinos.

According to Rhino Conservation Botswana, the number of rhinos in the nation in 2019 was just under 400, with the majority of them foraging on the grasslands of the northern Okavango Delta.

Another government document claims that Botswana started dehorning rhinos in recent years to make them less desirable to poachers, but that this practice has not been successful because the poachers would still be interested in the horn stump that was left behind.

To better protect the rhinos, rangers, law enforcement, as well as nongovernmental groups, have increased ground and aerial patrols, Voices of America reports.

Rhinos of the World

In the past, rhinos were found in many parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and were depicted in cave paintings by early Europeans.  At the start of the 20th century, there were 500,000 rhinos in Africa and Asia, but their population declined to 70,000 by 1970 and today only about 27,000 remain in the wild.  Due to persistent poaching and habitat loss over many decades, very few rhinos now survive outside of national parks and reserves.  The black, Javan, and Sumatran rhino species are critically endangered.

Protected sanctuaries in Africa have helped southern white rhinos to thrive, despite being thought to be extinct at one point, and they are now considered near threatened.  However, the western black rhino and northern white rhino have both become extinct in the wild.  According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the only two remaining northern white rhinos are kept under 24-hour guard at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.

Editor – Rhino poaching swept through Zimbabwe after Independence, and in recent years has been focused on South Africa.  Now it’s turning north again – hitting Botswana.  It is inevitable that Zimbabwe will once again come under fire (literally).  The future of our Matopos Rhino is again under very real threat.

8 – ZIMBABWE BIDS TO HOST WETLANDS SUMMIT

With acknowledgment to Herald, Wednesday 1^st March 2023.

Zimbabwe is bidding to host the main wetlands summit in 2025, with Cabinet now approving plans by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry to host the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.  The meeting, scheduled for Victoria Falls, will see leaders from various countries converge in the country to discuss ways to use wetlands sustainably.  Addressing the post Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the hosting of the meeting would augur well for the country’s engagement and reengagement drive.

9 – POACHING THREATENING TOURISM

With acknowledgment to Newsday, 7^th March 2023.

POACHING and illegal wildlife trade is threatening Zimbabwe’s tourism industry, wildlife industry stakeholders have said.

During last week’s World Wildlife Day commemorations which ran under the theme “Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation”, stakeholders from government, civil society and the private sector said the country has experienced massive economic loss due to illegal wildlife trade.

Speaking over the weekend at the Nyangambe community conservancy game scout graduation ceremony in Chiredzi, which coincided with the World Wildlife Day celebrations, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) acting mission director Ramses Gauthier said: “Poaching and illegal wildlife trade are threatening the country’s tourism industry and the livelihoods and security of rural communities.”

He said wildlife scouts play a critical role in safeguarding the country’s flora and fauna for future generations.

Zimparks Save Valley Conservancy senior area manager Douglas Kuramba said: “To all poachers and your associates, be strongly warned that we are more than prepared to confront you anywhere and anyhow.  Should you dare take a chance with our resources, the rangers have been equipped with techniques to deal with you.”

Resilience ANCHORS, through support from USAID, is working with communities in Nyangambe, particularly the Wildlife Management Committee, to ensure that the Nyangambe Wildlife Conservancy provides increased opportunities for previously disadvantaged communities to engage and benefit from the wildlife industry.

Meanwhile, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has partnered government, through the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) in conservation and anti-poaching campaigns.

Since 2018, AWF has invested over US$10 million in the mid-Zambezi Valley through infrastructural developments, provision and digitalisation of radio communication equipment, provision of fuel, field and camping equipment, patrol rations, vehicles, and boats for anti-poaching patrols.

AWF director Olivia Mufute said: “We have facilitated specialised training and capacity building programmes for rangers as part of efforts to combat poaching and reduce illegal wildlife trade and trafficking in the landscape.  With support from our partners, we donated three vehicles to ZimParks in 2021, one vehicle in 2022, and recently purchased two Toyota Land Cruisers to support anti-poaching work by ZimParks in the mid-Zambezi Valley.  We also supported ZimParks with a one spot fisher patrol boat, one pelican boat and installed a modern boat jetty at D Camp, along the Zambezi Valley.”

Mufute said ZimParks rangers have been trained on use of Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool technology to improve data collection.

10 – NATIONAL PARK UPDATE

Parks have started to repair the fence on the Southern boundary of Matobo National Park.  Whilst a cattle fence has been erected, there has been no repair yet of the gates – and so holes remain.  But it’s a good start.

The fence repair and maintenance will only work with the buy in of the local community.  Parks engaged the local leadership who were very understanding and promised to support Parks to curb the problem of cattle encroachment.  However there still remains some pockets of resistance in the same community which is derailing their efforts.  Parks will however continue to engage them with the hope that they will make them understand one day.

No repairs/maintenance has been done to the Toghwana dam.

The roads are in bad shape.  Parks plan is to hire motorised graders immediately after the rain season (funds permitting).

11 – MEMORIES OF THE MATOPOS BRANCH TRAIN LINE

With acknowledgement from Dave Gray of the Pioneer Society

A trip to Matopos by train was always a real excitement for families unable to go by car and the Sunday morning train from Bulawayo in the 1920’s was usually well filled.

A 7th Class engine would set off with a second-class coach, sometimes two, a van and perhaps one or two trucks for the branch line from Westacre Junction.  Stops were made at Khami and Westacre (to sign the book) and sometimes at the loading spur at Lonsdale Farm on the last lap to Matopos.  Arriving at the terminus most people adjourned to the old Terminus Hotel for much needed refreshment and some to book for lunch, while others ambled off to find a pleasant picnic spot under trees by the stream.  A few energetic ones brought cycles to explore among the Matopos hills and even reached World’s View.

The Hotel put up a good lunch and had shady grounds for relaxation.  Nowadays it is the District Administrator’s offices, with staff houses and a Police camp nearby.  The day soon passed and just before five the locomotive’s whistle was sounded to recall passengers.  During the day the train crew had run the engine round the triangle and shunted the coach and van into position for return, after which they too had adjourned to the Hotel.  On the homeward trip all the passengers were now good friends and passed the time in rousing chorus or chatter until Bulawayo once more hove in sight in the dusk of evening.

For many years the Matopos train was hauled by a 7th Class loco from Bulawayo shed and staffed by R R driver and fireman, while the S A R goods inspector acted as guard as he was familiar with the    S A R train working and paper orders.  No heavier locomotive was allowed over the Westacre-Matopos section which was old light weight track and without ballast.

With the coming of good roads and plenty of cars the passenger traffic dropped off to a few Africans and the train day was altered to Tuesdays.

The last train was hauled by Engine No 72 of whom driver Swiney was in charge.  The train was seen off from platform 6 by Sir Arthur Griffin, Messrs S E L West (C S T), F G John (Running Supt.), A H Croxton (Act.  Operating Supt.) F A Hill and J Knapman of the G M’s staff.

For this last trip on 1st June 1948 the load included short cattle, two open short trucks, a Native coach and van.  Inspector J Markram represented the South African Railways (S A R) under whose control (and that of the C G R) the line had always been worked since its opening in November 1903.  So, after 45 years the Matopos line ended its life and soon was uplifted, but its formation can still be seen running across the grassy veld.

A H C 1971 – From the Archives

12 – DESPERATE VILLAGERS DRIVE CATTLE INTO ZIMBABWE’S MATOPOS NATIONAL PARK

Human-wildlife conflict, spread of disease likely if the situation continues.

By Farayi Machamire for Zim Morning Post

Zimbabwean villagers say they are driving their cattle into Matopos National Park for grazing as a last resort in response to depleted pastures.  Their continued human encroachment leaves their cattle vulnerable to contracting diseases and more precariously once wild animals have a taste of their cattle, it fuels human wildlife conflict.  Park officials note that encroachments have seen some cattle contract catarrhal fever from coming into contact with wildebeest.  Hyena and leopard attacks on livestock are frequently reported, as are baboon raids on village crops, as well as baboon attacks on chickens and children, particularly in wards 15, 16, and 17.

Matopo resident Thulani Zulu claims that friction between Park authorities and villagers has pitted communities surrounding the park against wildlife “creating a scenario of them versus us.”

“The relationship between villagers and park authorities is strained because villagers feel authorities have not done enough to ensure that they benefit from living alongside wildlife,” Zulu claims.

Matopos National Park, which boasts of the Matobo Hills – one of the highest concentrations of rock art in Southern Africa dating back at least 13,000 years – was established in 1926.  As part of a compromise between the colonial authorities and the local people, areas were re-designated for settlement.  Villages in close proximity to Matopos National Park include Gulati area which is about 5 kilometres away from the park’s boundary, Silozwi, Chapo, Bazha, and Dewe areas which are all within 5 kilometres from the park’s boundary.

Professor Edson Gandiwa, Director Scientific Services at the Zimbabwe Parks, and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks), says that there are currently two distinct types of human encroachment at Matopos National Park: settlements and movements, or illegal entry.  “Community encroachment in terms of settlements has only been experienced within the Park buffer zone where the communities are building adjacent to the park boundary,” says Professor Gandiwa.  “The park’s boundary is not fenced; hence locations of illegal entry are possibly everywhere.  It is more prevalent at the eastern park boundary and less at the boundaries close to the park’s Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ).  “Efforts are being made to erect the boundary fence (parts of Hazelside and Whitewaters have been done so far) and prevent cattle encroachment as well as human illegal entry.”

Movement of people from their ancestral homes which made it impossible for them to access the pastures and hunting areas they had previously used, lowered public support for the park, leading to disregard for its limits and encroachment, say officials.  “When the National Park was established, it included public roads which made it difficult to identify illegal entry and control human or vehicle movements.  Some people were also relocated, hence could not access previously utilised pastures and hunting grounds.  This could have decreased acceptance of the park by people, resulting in disregarded boundaries and encroachment,” says Professor Gandiwa.

Matobo Rural District Council chief executive officer Elvis Sibanda says the council is aware of the problems the park is facing.  However, in response to inquiries, he remained silent regarding the council’s interventions and remedies.  “The boundary fence in some sections of the community bordering the park, is no longer there as it was removed way back.  There are no cattle grids in some roads leading to the parks.  All this results in livestock straying into the national parks and animals also crossing to the community,” says Sibanda.  “There is a need to attend to areas of challenge such as repairing the fence and resuscitating grids so that good relations are maintained,” he adds.

Given the central location of the park in relation to the communities, ZimParks recognizes that there will inevitably be challenges involving human–wildlife conflict and poaching for the pot.

Baboons, monkeys, wildebeest, crocodiles, hyenas, and occasionally leopards, jackals, and snakes are among the animals that are frequently reported and regularly brought up in communal areas during human wildlife conversations.  “In the Park human wildlife conflict takes many forms, including baboons raiding crops, attacking chickens and kids especially in wards 15, 16 and 17,” says Professor Gandiwa.  Loses incurring to villagers due to the ongoing conflation between humans and wildlife are varied.  For instance, in Gwandavell, Lushumbe, Boomerange, and Chapo, monkeys raid crops, hyenas and leopards attack cattle.  Jackals have been reported killing cattle, such as in Boomerang.  In Silozwi, Gwandavell a secondary school, for example, pythons have been reported feeding on chickens.  Crocodile attacks on humans, such as the one in ward 17.  Catarrhal fever, for example, is transmitted to cattle by wildebeest.

Local communities say the high cost of living with wildlife coupled with limited alternative ways to make a living and meet basic needs often ignite cases of wildlife crime.

At the same time, compensation remains a contentious issue.  Zimbabwe does not have a compensation law, although there is a Human Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund being set up by the Government to provide medical expenses and funeral costs to human wildlife conflict victims.

The Relief Fund is awaiting approval by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and hospitality Industry.  “Matobo National Park itself has no compensation policy for the victims of human wildlife conflict.  However, there are unrelated benefits that include, but are not limited to cooperative social responsibility by the park,” says Professor Gandiwa.  “These benefits are accrued from the National Park by the surrounding communities.  In addition, Matobo District has a CAMPFIRE status, hence the communities benefit from wildlife in their area through CAMPFIRE.  On a national level, there is a Human Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund being set up to provide compensation to human wildlife conflict victims.”

Matobo National Park maintains that it enjoys a friendly relationship with the nearby communities who they appreciate as they offer important sources of information, labour, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and cultural guidance.  Community benefits from the park include “donations such as in 2021 – the proceeds from hay bales worth $2000 (£1600), thatching grass for Silozwi Clinic, Silozwi Secondary school as well as roofing poles, monetary donations to villages from Matopo Rhino conservation, water provision for example from Mtshelele dam, Curios (provision of market), building of houses for community members in Silozwi and white waters and issuing of permits for free harvesting of firewood to use during funerals and other events.”

Matopo resident Zulu, however, says living adjacent to the national park is not as rosy as it is cranked up to be.  This stresses the need for holistic engagement between Parks and villagers.  “The communities surrounding the Parks are actually required to pay $4 (£3.20) for park entry and this causes strain and conflict,” says Zulu.  “Villagers’ source of income is mainly agriculture, but their farming produce is often wiped out by baboons and monkeys.  In response, poaching for the pot becomes a desperate necessity, indicating a need for greater engagement and understanding between Park Authorities and the local people.” Livestock and human settlement encroachment into protected areas and associated interactions with wildlife is a global issue with implications for sustainable development particularly in developing countries.

This article is reproduced here as part of the African Conservation Journalism Programme, funded in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe by USAID’s VukaNow: Activity.  Implemented by the international conservation organization Space for Giants, it aims to expand the reach of conservation and environmental journalism in Africa, and bring more African voices into the international conservation debate.

13 – SOCIETY CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY

21^st May 2023 Field Trip to Mangwe

4^th June 2023 Environmental Field Day (World Environment Day 5^th June)

July 2023 Field Trip – TBA

25^th August 2023 Matopos Heritage Trail Run

October 2023 Field Trip – TBA

19^th November 2023 Annual General Meeting

14 – MEMBERS NOTEBOOK

Subscriptions

Subscriptions for the year 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023 are now overdue.  Please ensure that your subs are up to date.  There has been no increase in rates.

US$  20 Individual/Family

US$    5 Pensioner/Student

US$100 Corporate

If you need any information, please contact matoboconservatiosociety@gmail.com

MCS Branded Apparel

The Society has a small stock of sleeveless fleece jackets, in olive green with orange MCS logo, available at US$20 each.  They are ideal for the cool mornings and evenings.  We also have stocks of hats and caps at $10 each.  CD’s and shopping bags are also available at $5 each.  Additional branded apparel (such as khaki shirts, fleece jackets, golf shirts) can be ordered on request.  Please contact the Secretary via WhatsApp +263 71 240 2341 for further details

Website – www.matobo.org

We have recently upgraded our website which is now more modern and easier-to-use.  It is intended to be more attractive and informative to both members and the general public.  Member suggestions and contributions for the revised website are welcome.

Please email to matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Facebook

Please visit our new Facebook page “Matobo Conservation Society” – LIKE or FOLLOW this to keep up todate.

The Natural History of the Matobo Hills

This MCS publication is available at the Natural History Museum for US$30.  Arrangements can be made to send by registered mail anywhere in Zimbabwe for an additional US$5, or outside Zimbabwe for an additional US$10.  Please email matoboconservationsociety@gmail.com

Inange Cave

]]>