adminWalter Nyamukondiwa
Kariba Bureau
The passage of time has failed to douse the flame that has driven Sekuru Evergreen Chakapfava through 42 editions of the Kariba Invitational Tiger Fishing Tournament (KITFT).
He is one of the longest serving members of the annual sport fishing event, participating at 42 of the tournament’s 59 years of existence.
In each of the tournaments, he has provided valuable assistance in its layout and ensuring that the event receives participants and visitors with the warmth befitting its international acclaim.
Long before anglers troop to the shores of Lake Kariba — the theatre of tiger fish tackle handling and skill — Evergreen as he is widely known in Kariba and fishing circles – would be part of preparatory works.
Evergreen’s first encounter with the tournament was in 1978 when a work colleague at Tsetse Control Unit, Mr Keith Fulton invited him to attend the event.
“A fellow worker and boss with the Tsetse Control Unit invited me to accompany him to the tournament and that was to be the beginning of a long relationship with KITFT,” said Evergreen.
“From that time to this day I have been part of the planning and set up of the event. Mr Keith Fulton would ask me to accompany him whenever he went for holidays and in 1978 we went for the tournament as he was a member of the Kariba Invitational Tiger Fishing Tournament.”
Being part of the event for 42 years makes him a repository of knowledge and experience on one of the foremost angling tournaments in the world.
Evergreen has seen the ups and downs of the annual event, savours with nostalgia the peak and roaring 80s and 90s.
“The tournament has gone through different phases throughout my involvement and this year has been affected by Covid-19. It has no precedence according to my recollection,” he said.
His is a passion cultivated and watered by the desire, experience and knowledge gained over the years.
“I fell in love with the tournament from that first encounter and whatever I have done has not been driven by monetary or other material considerations.
“The desire to see things coming out well has been the driving force for me hanging around for so long. I now take it as a hobby and change of environment,” he said.
For an event that only runs for at least three days annually in October and at least another three days in February, Evergreen has a full time job at Kariba Municipality where he will reach his retirement age next year.
Evergreen is looking ahead and has since made peace with the development.
However, the milestone has also led him to consider his position with the KITFT tournament amid indications that he wants to retire at its 60th Anniversary next year.
“I am turning 65 years next year and I have to retire from Kariba Municipality. I have also been considering retiring from active participation at KITFT after 42 years of service,” he said.
“If things go well I should be retiring in October 2021 at the tournament’s 60th Anniversary.”
He has watched as the number of teams participating in the event have gone down, reflective of the economic downturn of the country.
From having more than 300 teams participating, teams have gone down to around 200 before dropping to around 80 in 2019.
Around 44 teams are participating at this year’s event which started on Wednesday and ended last night.
The waning fortunes are attributed to limited sponsorship for the teams as companies also struggle to stay afloat.
The size of tiger fish being caught has also diminished over the years in a development Evergreen has attributed to overfishing in Lake Kariba and climate change.
“We are overfishing because the fish which is supposed to be caught using fishing rods are being caught in nets and also during kapenta fishing.
“Others are fishing in rivers as they feed into Lake Kariba and that has affected the breeding and volume of fish in the Lake,” he said.
In a bid to replenish the fish stock, tournament organisers have introduced the “Catch and Release” format where fish caught is weighed and released back into the Lake.
Therein, he said, lies the problem as it kills the excitement. In his view, there should be a blend of Catch and Release with the old format of bringing the catch to the pot.
As the time for retirement beckons, it remains to be seen if Evergreen’s passion and hobby will wilt, taking him away from his second love.
He has however, hinted that he could assist when needed from the background. Asked if he has been grooming someone to eventually takeover when he leaves, he said, not many young people are interested.
Online Reporter