adminResources director Mr Charles Jonga said sport hunting had dipped over the past decade as negative publicity over political and social challenges that the country was facing kept tourists away.
Mr Jonga said the programme was pinning hopes on the forthcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly to be held in August for revival its fortunes.
Zimbabwe co-hosts the 20th session of the UNWTO General Assembly with Zambia from August 24-29.
“In practice and due to competing demands of the programme at local level, only US$50 000 or less is received in any given year from less than 10 Campfire districts,” said Mr Jonga, adding hunting was the cash cow of the organisation.
“Hunting keeps Campfire going as it is our main source of revenue. It also sustains the communities around with meat and jobs. In most cases hunters normally take the head and leave the rest of the carcass to the villagers,” he said.
Mr Jonga said in the absence of external funding, the association’s only source of income was a levy of 4 percent of net revenue from Campfire activities, mainly safari hunting amounting to about US$120 000 annually.
Before the country started experiencing economic decline, the Campfire programme raked in about US$3 million annually.
Mr Jonga said the decrease in revenue was negatively impacting on the operations of the organisation.
“We are unable to carry out substantial meetings and programmes that help mitigate the communities’ challenges in which we are engaged,” he said, adding that Campfire concept had in the past contributed in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
The Government introduced the concept of Campfire soon after independence as a way encouraging communities living adjacent to national parks to protect wild animals, some of which attacked them as well as destroyed their crops.
Communities earn income from sustainable utilisation of the natural resources around them through fisheries, harvesting mopani worms, selling thatching grass and sand.
Other activities include eco-tourism and safari hunting with proceeds used to develop infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and clinics.
To date 57 out of the 60 rural districts councils in the country are members of the Campfire Association covering an area of up to 50 000 square kilometres.
Mbire district in Mashonaland Central province, Hwange District in Matabeleland North, Chiredzi in Masvingo, Gokwe in the Midlands province and Hurungwe in Mashonaland West are home to some of the active Campfire programmes. —New Ziana.
Online Reporter
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