Latest News

1 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING It’s time for the Society to gather once again for its annual Indaba.  Despite the impact of the Coved 19 Lockdown, the Society has been surprisingly active.  Please show your support by attending the AGM. Nominations for the Society...

1 – MATOPOS NATIONAL PARK READY FOR PHASED REOPENING Acknowledgment Sunday News; 31st August 2020; Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has refurbished their lodges in the Matobo National Park as they...

1 – COVID We are only just past mid-year and it seems a whole era has passed by.  We last met in mid-February when we enjoyed a superb outing to Sotcha cave.  Little did we know that the gathering pandemic would soon reach us and that in March the country would be in...

1 – NEW COMMITTEE Your committee was returned to office, along with Mr Neil Rix who joins our Executive.  The office bearers also remain unchanged: Chairman          Gavin Stephens Treasurer          Jean Whiley Secretary          Gaynor Lightfoot Members         ...

1 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Once again, the Annual General Meeting looms – to be followed by Christmas and the New Year.  Hard to believe but another year is drawing to a close.  And what a year it has been – forget the economy and politics – it has been a hectic year...

1 – LOSS OF BLACK RHINO Your society sadly reports that a black rhino was poached from the Whovi Game Reserve side of the Matopos National Park in the second week of August.  This follows a three-year period free of poaching incidents and is under investigation by...

1 – A CHILL WIND A chill wind blows across the landscape, and it’s not just the onset of winter.  The Zimbabwe economy blighted by drought is once again spinning out of control.  Inflation is soaring; cost of living rising.  Employees are facing real hardship and...

1 – NEW COMMITTEE At our AGM in November the following members were elected to the Committee and have assumed positions as follows- Chairman, Gavin Stephens, Vice Chair and Treasurer, Jean Whiley, Secretary Gaynor Lightfoot, Members, Verity Bowman, Moira Fitzpatrick...

1 – TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF CONSERVATION WORK The Matobo Conservation Society celebrates its 25th Anniversary this November.  It also marks the 15th Anniversary of the Matobo Hills being declared a World Heritage Site.  These two important milestones are not unrelated. ...

1 – NJELELE SHRINE BOMBED The sacred Njelele rainmaking shrine in Matobo district was attacked on Friday 29th June by yet-to-be-identified suspects, who used mining explosives to blast the main rock that covers the shrine. Njelele is situated at Matobo in Kezi,...

1 – RAMSAR Elsewhere in this newsletter matters pertaining to wetlands are shared.  Work on having the Matopos recognised as a Ramsar site has continued with much valuable information being collated.  In fact, we are in the process of refining the data to meet the...

1 – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The AGM was successfully held at Rowallan Park on Sunday 26th November, 2017.  There was good attendance and much interest shown.  The Society has had a busy year, and there remains a full calendar ahead! We enter our 25th year – an...