Parks Officials to Face the Music Over Licences

Financial Gazette (Harare)
June 10, 2004
Harare

The axe could soon fall on some high-ranking National Parks and Wildlife Authority officials as it emerged this week that a crack police team had moved in to investigate allegations of corruption in the awarding of hunting licences.

Industry players had raised concern over alleged corrupt practices in the allocation of lucrative hunting licences which benefited mostly senior ZANU PF politicians and their cronies.

Sources told The Financial Gazette this week that officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sought clarification from Environment Minister Francis Nhema recently on the role of his ministry in the awarding of licences.

Nhema has denied being questioned by the CID, but confirmed that the law enforcement unit was investigating officials from the department accused of corruptly parcelling out licences and faking hunting licences.

"It is not true that I was questioned by the police. Police are investigating some irregularities that were unearthed at the National Parks. There are allegations of corruption that were levelled against some senior members of National Parks," said Nhema.

The Environment Ministry had also received reports that some National Parks board members were involved in corrupt activities and has started its own investigations.

"I met the workers and management at the National Parks and several allegations were raised at the meeting. The meeting was aimed at finding a solution to the problems affecting the National Parks," he said.

Industry players in Matabeleland, who claimed that the government had suffered prejudice worth billions of dollars, said the investigations confirmed that pressure put on senior government officials such as Vice-President Joseph Msika and Minister of Special Affairs John Nkomo had started bearing fruit.

Indigenous safari operators in Matabeleland had called on the government to intervene, but lethargy in redressing the issue had raised suspicion that ZANU PF bigwigs could be behind the development.

Police spokesperson Oliver Mandipaka could neither deny nor confirm that Nhema was questioned twice, saying he was verifying with the CID.

"I have not heard anything of that sort. Let me check with serious fraud," said Mandipaka.

Nhema said his ministry only concurred with the Department of National Parks and was not directly involved in the issuing of hunting quotas.

He said there was a lot of fighting in the safari sector as players were competing for clients. The minister is on record saying the government was serious in stamping out corruption in the safari sector