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ZIMBABWE: Foreign poachers share wildlife spoils with the political elite

Thursday, 12 January 2006, 7 hours, 46 minutes and 49 seconds ago.

By ANDnetwork Journalist

Like many others before President Robert Mugabe’s controversial fast track land acquisition programme in 2000, the Gwayi Valley Conservancy in northwestern Zimbabwe was an outstanding example of how wildlife conservation should be done.

It boasted of magnificent game of all shapes and sizes but today, the conservancy is a pathetic shadow of its formerly glorious self. More than 80% of the animals that teemed across the Gwayi River and grazed through the thick forest have been lost to poaching.

Not one of the original Gwayi Valley Conservancy wildlife farmers remains in the valley today. Their place as managers of wildlife has been taken over by close lieutenants of President Mugabe, local ZANU PF party leaders and high-ranking officers in intelligence and other security establishments. While the displaced farmers managed to balance their economic interests with conservation, the new landowners seem more determined to exploit the economic value of the wildlife than to conserve it.

Established in 1995, the conservancy was placed under the strict control of the Intensive Conservation Authority (ICA), a hunting regulatory watchdog that was accredited to various international wildlife conservation organizations. Through the protection afforded by the ICA status, the farmers were able to strictly regulate the hunting of all species and impose complete bans on the hunting of endangered ones.

Although it is almost official Zimbabwean government policy to blame rampant poaching on the unruly hordes of newly resettled supporters of President Robert Mugabe, high ranking officials of his party have quietly established intricate animal trophy theft and smuggling networks.

Investigations carried out over the last four months have revealed that some professional hunters from South Africa, Botswana, France, Russia and the United States continue to use Zimbabwean safari companies as fronts for conducting illegal hunts. With the complicity of politicians in business and staff from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, stolen trophies are smuggled out under various guises through the country's airstrips and border posts.

Through partnerships with local safari companies, agents from the United States of America, Russia and France facilitate the illegal issue of hunting permits and quotas, to their own nationals. In some cases, they do the shooting themselves.

According to the Zimbabwe Conservation and Development Taskforce (ZCTF), the Matabeleland Commercial Farmers Union (M-CFU) and special investigators from Zimbabwe’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DPNW), the chaos that began in the farms in February 2000 has been exploited fully by South African hunters and their foreign counterparts, even as some of them remain banned from operating for flagrantly flouting hunting regulations.

In a wide-ranging interview, ZCTF chairman Johnny Rodrigues narrated how international (mainly South African) hunters had taken advantage of the land invasions chaos to loot wildlife in the Gwayi valley.

Leading the pack is Out Of Africa Safaris, an entity banned from operating in Zimbabwe two years ago. Rodrigues said was still conducting business through proxies and politically linked individual safari operators.

OOAS lists its officials as Dawie Groenwaldt, Janeman Groenwaldt, Nick van Rensburg and Glen van Rensburg. It is a legally registered safari entity in Zimbabwe and Tanzania. It operates out of Happy Days, about 150km from Musina in the northern Limpopo province of South Africa.

OOAS is also on top of a new list of companies under probe by the DNPW’s special investigations unit. According to a Harare-based investigator, the company is being probed for suspected heavy involvement in illegal trophy hunting and violating quotas through inflating the number of animals on the pre-hunt sheets.

It is also under investigation for the alleged shooting of species protected by the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Intensive Conservation Authority (ICA) status of the area.

“We are investigating numerous allegations against OOAS because there is overwhelming evidence that it is still operating here even as it remains banned. We have substantial photographic and documented evidence linking it to various hunting crimes committed between 2000 and today. This company already has a record in which they were caught smuggling mixed trophies into Botswana through the Pandamatenga border post on the edge of the Hwange National Park in 2003.

“OOAS staff had built false fuel tanks into their vehicles and stuffed them with stolen trophies. We assume that they were on their way to South Africa. We have also found out that they own a huge warehouse at their Happy Days base and that trophies smuggled from Zimbabwe pass through it on the way to buyers in Europe, China and the Americas,” said an investigator with the Department of National Parks.

The ZCTF also wants the DNPW to further investigate the “business relationship” between OOAS and Nyala Safaris, a Bulawayo based safari outfit believed to be the OOAS’s link to hunting in the Rhodes Matopos National Park, a World Heritage site located about 30km south of Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo. It is also the country’s last haven and breeding center for the endangered white rhinoceros.

Rodrigues said conservation activists are convinced that OOAS is still using Nyala Safaris as a conduit of access for their hunters and foreign customers.

“OOAS is still active through fronts like Nyala Safaris. Nyala has an official-issue hunting permit in which OOAS directors are listed as witnesses. The agreement, which detailed hunts that took place in Matopo between March and September this year, shows that OOAS professional hunters were allowed to hunt in the absence of local hunters as the law demands. OOAS hunters are also reported from time to time as active in various conservancies throughout the country,” said Rodrigues.

An insight into the activities of the company is contained in the Zimbabwe Hunting Report, which focused on illegal trophy hunting and poaching at its peak in 2003. It is a compilation of area by area hunting situational reports by conservationists and farmer organizations.

It reveals that a partnership between OOAS and a Zimbabwean connection known as EK (Ed Kadzombe) Safaris almost wiped out big game at Goodluck Farm between March and August in 2003. Parks investigators who took tips from the report say they have also discovered that OOAS was at that time into a partnership with an American based safari operator who sent his customers to OOAS, which then used its local connection to help the American hunters evade the law.

“There is no doubt that OOAS used EK Safaris as its Zimbabwean connection. We can also reveal that EK Safaris lists Jacob Mudenda, the former ZANU PF chairman for Matabeleland North as a business associate. The US representative was one Richard Putman whose business address is listed as Seminole Safaris of Alabama in the US. Our findings are that Putman organized or could have organised, American trophy hunters who were brought into the through local front safaris companies with valid hunting permits and ready access to illegal hunting quotas,” said the parks investigator.

The investigator listed the registration numbers of the cars allegedly used by the OOAS in the period as MWF 519N and DDM 850N. The investigators said they are also probing the possibility that OOAS hunters had established various illegal cross-border entry points to facilitate the entry of their hunters and the smuggling of trophies.

In addition to its staff, the OOAS is alleged to be using former Zimbabwe Department of National Parks staffers Albert Padarizi (a pilot) and one Dawie Van Der Westhuizen, a professional hunter from Karoi in Zimbabwe in its operations.

In mid 2002, OOAS hunters are alleged to have partnered up with another South African outfit, Northern Weapons of Louis Trichadt, in illegal hunting and abusing legal trophy hunts on Railway Farm 37, Goodluck Farm, Hankana and Gwayi Ranches. Brothers Piet and Hendrik Uys own Northern Weapons. It operates out of the small farming town of Louis Trichadt, about 80 kilometres from the Zimbabwe-South Africa border town of Musina in the Limpopo province.

“Between 20 and 30 August 2003, OOAS and Northern Weapons hunted extensively in the Gwaai area. We have confirmed that they own or owned the vehicles reported seen in the area. The registration numbers are MWZ918GP (Toyota Land-cruiser pick-up), FBD185N (white Toyota twin-cab) and DPK173N (beige land-cruiser pick-up).”

While denying having had a criminal partnership with US-based Seminole Safaris and Zimbabwean fronts, a woman who answered the phone at the OOAS offices confirmed that they were still sending out “organized hunting parties” to Zimbabwe through associates. She confirmed that the company could organize hunts anywhere in Zimbabwe, including the Matopos National Park (Bulawayo) where they are believed to have sent their clients until September this year.

According to the ZCTF, the OOAS sent a mixed party of foreign hunters to Nyala Safaris, its alleged connection that in turn forwarded them to a partner identified as Mugundumu Safaris of Harare. According to the pre-hunt permit, the safari companies involved earned US$88 000 from the hunts which began on April 20 and ended on September 26.

On the hunting lists were two separate leopard packages, two sable packages, eight buffalo and two elephants. According to the agreement, Ron Bridges and Richard Scott (nationalities unknown) hunted through the Matopos National Park from 20-29 April this year. Jeremy Nave and Mike Anczak, who operated between 20 May and June 6 were the next customers.

Between 12 and 26 June, Mugundumu safaris hosted Jim Anok, Scott Hopkins, Dean Stewart and Steve Voges. From July 8-21, they hosted Tom Weicum, Steve Peterson and John Laddington. They were followed by Mitch Cain, Tom Dejong, Bill Dejong and Dean Irmon who operated from 15-24 August. Paul Harris, the last customer, operated from September 13-26, 2005.

The parks investigators are also trying to establish the names of two safari companies represented by South African citizens Andre de Jaager and Mark Sparrow.

In the company of an unidentified white male, de Jaager is believed to have operated extensively across Lugo Ranch (now owned by ZANU PF national chairman John Nkomo), Chamankanu Farm and Skukungwa Ranch between July and September 2003.

“What we have established from newly resettled people in the area is that de Jaager hunted extensively using a vehicle with registration plate DMT498GP. He was “arrested” on two occasions by resettled people for conducting illegal hunts in the company of another white male South African at Skukungwa Farm. Further investigations have since revealed the other male as one RM Saunders of Jacks Rand Heart of Alberton in Johannesburg,” said the investigator.

De Jaager and Saunders are also alleged to have profited personally from a party of three American hunters who were brought into the country through Elephant Eye Safaris, their alleged Zimbabwean connection. Efforts to locate both men have failed.

The investigation has also targeted South African hunter-businessman Mark Sparrow, now believed to be operating a fishing safari outfit on a small island on the Zimbabwean territorial waters of the Zambezi River. He is being probed for illegal hunting activities he allegedly conducted in farms around the Gwayi Conservancy in August 2003.

Although he confirmed ownership and use of a Zimbabwean vehicle registered as 587-150F in the Gwayi Conservancy between 2002 and 2003, a livid Sparrow denied ever engaging in illegal hunting.
He also denied having Zimbabwe hunting links with the Piet Brothers of Northern Weapons as alleged by the investigators.

“I am a legally registered operator in Zimbabwe and I will not be questioned by your publication about how I do my business now or how I did it in the past. I don’t know anything about that and I have no links, nor do I know, anyone called Northern Waepons in Louis Trichadt,” said Sparrow.

From Cape Town comes allegations against the Rock of Africa Mission, a Christian denomination whose leader Reverend Henry Nel is also being probed for facilitating the entry and operations of unnamed clients who killed two protected hippos at Sikumi Estate on the edge of the Hwange National Park.

“This individual is a story worth following. He is a minister with the Rock of Africa Mission but our evidence shows that he has been bringing “clients” to carry out illegal hunts in Zimbabwe. One of his clients was undoubtedly responsible for the killing of two protected hippos at Sikumi Estate on August 28, 2003. We have also discovered that he (Nel) was at the time based at Kalambeza Lodge in Binga.”

Efforts to get a comment from Nel have been unsuccessful.

In Matetsi, Zimbabwe’s big five haven situated near the Victoria Falls, South African operator De Marillac Safaris and local connection Inyati Safaris are being probed for illegal trophy hunting in the photographic safari area of Guzu Forest, sub-letting hunt permits and illegal logging at Fuller Forest, an area protected by the Forestry Act of Zimbabwe.

Parks sources said investigations have revealed that from their base at Jafuta Lodge near Victoria Falls, the partners used the Forestry Commission owned Mubiya Camp for skinning poached animals to avoid detection by the DPNW.

A spokesman for Inyati Safaris however denied the sub-letting charges and said they never hunted for trophy in any area designated for photographic safaris.

“It is true that we are based at Jafuta but the allegations are false. We know De Marillac Safaris but it is not true that we have been co-operating in illegal logging, hunting and sub-letting of permits. Our permits are issued by the DPNW and we follow the regulations, which simply prohibit all the activities being attributed to us.”

From northern Botswana comes France Hobart, the owner of Touch Africa Safaris. He is on the parks probe list for allegedly killing at least two of the six tame giraffe and a hand reared buffalo at Masuma Ranch between June and November 2003.

Contacted for comment, Hobart confirmed that the allegations had been indeed leveled against him, adding he had cleared himself with the Zimbabwean authorities. He said he had in early 2004 met with the district administrator of Hwange District and wildlife officials to clear his name.

“I met with the DA and several wildlife officials and farmers. We went to Masuma Ranch where I showed them the buffalo I was alleged to have shot. I am sure it still there but the allegations about the giraffe are nonsense. The Zimbabwean authorities know that, we were cleared,” said Hobart.

He said the allegations were coming from “some silly Zimbabwean farmers” who continue to peddle lies about the activities of foreign safari operators. An assistant at the DA’s office in Hwange, the heart of Matebeleland North’s safari business, said he was not sure if such a case was handled since the office now has new staff.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

The parks investigation has also sucked in Jerome Sefredi, a French national accused of using his generally corrupt relationship with the owners of Zimbabwean registered Ivory Safaris to issue illegal hunts in Railway Farm Lot 1. Investigators believe Sefredi was or is still responsible for marketing hunts to Frenchmen who are then brought into the country to carry out illegal hunts under the cover of Ivory Safaris.

THE RUSSIAN LINK

Viktor Dmitrienko, a Russian national from Moscow is also being probed in connection with conducting illegal hunting and abuse of permits at Antoinette Farm in the Gwayi Valley. He is particularly wanted in connection with the killing of 6 lionesses and 5 male lions – all protected from hunting by the Intensive Conservation Authority status bestowed on the area. Although investigators have not been able to link him to any local operator, he is believed to have facilitated the entry, operations and the smuggling of trophies by Russian citizens

Other species protected by the ICA declaration are tusk less and female elephants, elephant bulls, giraffe, hippo, rhino and cheetah. However, all the species have been so extensively poached that the government has been forced to relocate an estimated 45 remaining rhino to safer locations.

All the Zimbabwean safari companies denied aiding and abetting the plunder of the country’s resources by foreigners. ZANU PF officials Jacob Mudenda and Thandiwe Nkomo, daughter of the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo claimed to be conducting ‘clean business.’ Nkomo denied links with Ivory Safaris, which is blamed for decimating big game at Railway Farms 27 and 31 between 2000 and 2003.

Said Nkomo: “I do have business links with safari companies but they do not involve anything illegal. We have never taken advantage of the farm chaos to over-hunt, kill protected animals or assist anyone violate the laws of Zimbabwe.”

Mudenda confirmed being an associate at EK Safaris and Inyati Hunters but denied he ever facilitated illegal business.

“I am associated with the two companies but I am not aware of the allegations raised in connection with their business conduct. In-fact, I doubt if they have ever done anything illegal,” said Mudenda.

To the ZCTF’s Rodrigues, denials from the operators were expected but the plunder of Zimbabwe’s remaining wildlife resources is not showing signs of abetting. The political takeover of wildlife farms and conservancies is also discouraging.

“We can start kissing goodbye all the magnificent wildlife we ever possessed. Politicians and greedy foreign businessmen will continue to loot Zimbabwe because they are immune from prosecution. Even if the prosecutions were to be carried out, we will end up catching the small fry because the big ones are untouchable politicians who make, own and enforce the laws of the country.”

If the involvement of politicians with foreign hunters is heavily sapping the country of desperately needed foreign currency, the government’s fast track land seizure programme was seen as the final nail on the country’s wildlife conservation coffin.

The signs are on the ground are not encouraging either because senior government officials and relatives of President Mugabe continue to be implicated in various scams involving the foreign currency spinning safari business.

On October 21, 2005 Environment and Tourism minister Francis Nhema was cited together with Mugabe’s nephew John Mapondera in the controversial leasing of Chikweya Camp on the Forthergill Islands of Lake Kariba. On average, the business rakes in US$200 000 per annum from tourism and hunting revenue.

The camp is owned by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.

It is alleged that Nhema, in a business partnership with Mapondera, used his position as relevant minister to apply for and award himself a tender to run the business following the expiry of the previous owners licence in December 2004.

Explaining his position, Nhema said that the operating tender had been advertised after the previous operators failed to renew their licence last December.

“My ministry was forced to re-advertise the operating tender when the previous operators failed to renew their licence. We then applied and got the tender in a clean, overboard selection process. It had nothing to with my position as relevant minister,” said Nhema. Courtesy of the land seizures, the same minister now owns a number of wildlife farms complete with safari camping sites and family lodges in the wildlife heartland of Matabeleland North.

Nhema admitted that the country was under siege from unscrupulous foreign and local hunters. He refused to comment about the involvement of senior ZANU PF and government officials in colluding with criminal elements.

“We are still fighting all the problems that came about as a result of confusion after the change of farm ownership since 2001. All local and foreign hunters who ever set foot to hunt illegally in the country will be called to account,” said Nhema.

For conservationists, the fate of wildlife conservation is sealed and the minister’s statement sounds too familiar.

“We have heard such promises before and we know they are meant to remain as mere promises,” said one conservationist.