Chiefs sign Save Valley partnership pact

Karukai of Chiredzi) and Chief Msikavanhu (Mr Vusani Mutumebvi of Chipinge) signed the agreement on behalf of their communities at Chishakwe Ranch in the conservancy.
Mr Levison Budzi represented Chief Budzi of Bikita while Mr Norman Muchini signed the agreement on behalf of Chief Chamutsa of Buhera.
Mr Rodwell Mabuyaye signed on behalf of Chief Mutema of Chipinge.
Save Valley Conservancy chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza and Mr Clive Stockil signed the partnership agreement on behalf of the operators.
The chiefs, however, appealed to Government to make sure that conservancy was not over-run by a few individuals. They called for mechanisms that benefit communities around the conservancy.
“This is a historic day because to us it means our people will finally benefit by being directly involved in the running of this wildlife conservancy.
“We do not want a few individuals who come here and lay claim to wildlife in this area yet our people are not benefiting anything.
“This conservancy is a national treasure that should benefit all the people not just a few individuals,” Chief Nhema said.
Chief Tshovani said their people could not wait to benefit from the conservancy.
“This is a great day for us as the people of Chiredzi because we have been waiting for a long time for this day to come. We want Save Valley Conservancy and its diverse wildlife to be in the hands of communities who live around it.”
The conservancy, according to Chief Gudo, should not be allowed to fall into the hands of a few individuals.
He said joint community ownership would immensely benefit surrounding communities.
“We are happy with this new arrangement. We have a lot of infrastructural challenges in our areas which we hope will be addressed through this new arrangement where communities are joint owners.”
Chief Msikavanhu urged operators to start working closely with all stakeholders while ploughing back into the surrounding communities.
“We can end things like poaching if our people understand that they have a stake in this conservancy.
“Our people do not want to sit and watch from the periphery. They want to be partners and once they start accruing the fruits of being partners through developments in their communities even poaching will cease.”
The traditional leaders appealed to the new Save Valley Conservancy executive committee to repair the damaged electrical fence around the wildlife sanctuary.
“The hostility that exists from some communities towards the conservancy operators is also partly caused by the effect of these wild animals on surrounding communities,” Chief Gudo said.
Mr Nyabadza described the agreement as an epic moment dovetailing Government’s land reform programme and empowerment programmes.
He said the long term goal was to make Save Valley Conservancy a reputable wildlife sanctuary with worldwide acclaim in the same mould as the Victoria Falls.
The signing of the partnership agreement was witnessed by several conservancy operators and rural district council officials from Zaka, Bikita, Chipinge, Chiredzi and Buhera who will be the technical advisors to participating chiefs and their communities.