SafariHunt
.333 member
Reged: 02/01/03
Posts: 468
Loc: Pretoria RSA
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Aussie tourist killed in Zim
Harare - An Australian visitor has been stabbed to death at the Zimbabwean resort of Victoria Falls, an incident likely to further shake the country's ailing tourist industry.
Australia's high Commissioner to Zimbabwe, Jonathan Brown, said the tourist's body was found on Saturday and the motive appeared to have been robbery. He could not reveal the man's name as his next-of-kin had not been notified. Diplomats from the mission would fly to Victoria Falls on Monday to consult local police, he said.
Chief Superintendent Alexio Paradzai, a senior officer commanding police at Victoria Falls, said the tourist was repeatedly and fatally stabbed "as he stepped out of the Rain Forest", a fenced and closely guarded area with spectacular views of the two-kilometre wide waterfall. Paradzai said no arrests had yet been made. He said two cameras were found by the body.
Residents said since the murder was discovered, police paramilitaries had been conducting an aggressive campaign to check identities in a search for vagrants, who are the prime suspects.
In the past three years of political unrest linked to President Robert Mugabe's self-declared "civil war" against white farmers, Zimbabwe's tourist industry has suffered near-collapse, with bed occupancy rates at Victoria Falls, once a world centre for visitors, falling as low as four percent. - Sapa-DPA
Here is the link to the story
news 24
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"Sleeping under the African sky I can see nothing wrong with this world!"
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40645
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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Closely guarded area ???????????
I didn't see one guard except for the staff at the entrance.
While everyone there when I was seemed just to be sightseeing and having a good time, it would be very easy to be mugged there if alone.
If local criminals or desparate persons wanted a bit of hard currency, camera gear etc there are easy pickings there.
I know I was a bit suspicious of one local dude but we just chatted and I took a picture and moved on.
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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SafariHunt
.333 member
Reged: 02/01/03
Posts: 468
Loc: Pretoria RSA
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NItroX,
It is just very bad I was there in 97 before everything came down. But this is one place they have to get security with news like that they are going to loose their last 4% of tourist. As everybody is going across the river these days to Zambia
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"Sleeping under the African sky I can see nothing wrong with this world!"
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Mpofu
.300 member
Reged: 02/01/03
Posts: 141
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I was at Vic falls in Oct 2002.
I know about being wise after the event etc.. but, the aggressive begging and the look of sheer desperation in the eyes of the locals, made us feel very intimidated, and on more than one occasion we remarked that it was only a matter of time before something really serious and nasty occurred.
I am sorry for the Ausie tourist and his family.
What a shame, such a beautiful country. Down the tubes I am afraid.
M.
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Westley_Richards
.224 member
Reged: 03/01/03
Posts: 33
Loc: Boulder, Colorado
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So what about the Safari industry? Is it safe to hunt in Zimbabwe?
Westley Richards
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It's in the salt.
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SafariHunt
.333 member
Reged: 02/01/03
Posts: 468
Loc: Pretoria RSA
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Westley Richards,
I would say it is fairly safe you get picked up by the ph or outfitetr at the airport and from there you leave the problem areas most of the time.
Go trough the posts NitroX, had some bad experience last year when hunting with war vets. Even though it is relatively safe I won't likely send someone to ZIM to boost the economy with US dollars for Mugabe. So I'm on a boycott against hunting in ZIM just my feelings.
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"Sleeping under the African sky I can see nothing wrong with this world!"
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