Acting President summons Nhema, Mzembi

Resources Management Min­ister Francis Nhema and his Tourism and Hospitality Industry counterpart Minister Walter Mzembi over the rag­ing Save Valley Conservancy saga.
The ministers had earlier met Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare.
The new partners in the Save Valley Conservancy also met journalists to set the record straight.
Minister Nhema last night con­firmed the meetings and said he would meet the stakeholders for a last­ing solution.

“We have been advised to go and look into the matter. We will bring all parties involved together to find a last­ing solution,” he said.
Minister Mzembi declined to divulge issues that were discussed in the meeting.

“All I can say is the matter has been resolved amicably and Minister Nhema will make an appropriate state­ment at the right time,” he said.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, Mr Luke Tam­borinyoka, confirmed the PM met the ministers.
“The Prime Minister met Minister Nhema, Minister Mzembi and the Governor and Resident Minister for Masvingo Titus Maluleke.
“I, however, cannot give you infor­mation on their deliberations,” he said.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries who received 25-year leases from Govern­ment to partner the farmers in the conservancy yesterday came out with their guns blazing.
The group led by Chiredzi South legislator Cde Ailess Baloyi, Chiredzi North MP Cde Ronald Ndama and Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair­man Cde Lovemore Matuke said they were not going back on the pro­gramme.
Cde Baloyi said this was an empow­erment programme to do away with colonial imbalances.

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He, however, added that they would recognise the work done by the Save Valley Conservancy Trust in working with communities in the area.
“This is a programme with serious economic benefits for the communi­ties, but it’s not unique to Masvingo,” he said.
Cde Baloyi said their activities were not meant to destabilise Zimbabwe’s chances of playing host to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly.

“The programme was there since 2007, way before the issue of the Gen­eral Assembly came to Zimbabwe.
“What we are trying to do is correct the historic imbalances caused by colo­nialism and opening up opportu­nities for blacks in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Cde Baloyi, however, blamed the farmers of refusing to work with them.

“We have tried to engage our part­ners with little joy. They were adamant that they do not want to see us.
“We are the rightful players in the Save Valley Conservancy because we have the leases and the other guys do not have anything.”
He called for dialogue between part­ners.
“We need to engage in constructive dialogue. We believe the advertise­ments being published are in bad faith.

“We are seeing a replay of the kind of propaganda that was used by the Ian Smith regime.
“We have, however, seen that this is the kind of ill-treatment being done to the workers at the conservancy.”
Cde Baloyi added that they were ready to engage their new partners.

“No one will lose their jobs and no one will be chased off the land.
“We want to engage them to find a solution to the impasse.”
Cde Ndaba, however, said they would not accept the conservancy members’ community ownership trust model.

“The surrounding communities have not benefited anything except meat and the people would not benefit from the 10 percent the farmers are offering.”
He added that the partners were working with other farmers.
Cde Matuke said Minister Mzembi was misinformed in supporting the farmers.

“They are trying to reverse the gains of independence. We are unhappy with the minister.
“Maybe he has a different agenda but he should listen to what the people on the ground are saying,” he said.
The new leaseholders were, how­ever, at pains to justify being benefici­aries in other areas of the indigenisa­tion process.

“Conservancies are different from the farms because they are proper businesses.
“It is like opening a supermarket and you need to put in money.
“We are busy working on our budg­ets but there is not much that is needed in this business,” Ndaba said.

They denied allegations of poaching in the conservancy.
The group of indigenous recipients was recently issued with hunting per­mits and quo­tas by Government to engage inter­ested hunters in the con­servancy.
They had been issued with 25-year leases in 2007 as beneficiaries of the Wildlife-based land reform pro­gramme.