Hwange hunters to pay royalties to council

PRIVATE hunters with concessions in and around Hwange National Park could soon start paying royalties to Hwange Rural District Council following a complaint raised by communities to Government about exploitation of natural resources with no direct benefit to locals.

Speaking during an engagement meeting between Environment, Climate and Wildlife Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu with traditional leaders and community on issues of human-wildlife conflict, various stakeholders also complained about the vast destruction of trees and land by mining companies in Hwange.

They said uncontrolled use of resources by mining companies and private hunters were causing wood and wildlife poaching for charcoal and bush meat by villagers.

The community told Minister Ndlovu that while they should benefit from the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) programme, they were getting less hunting quotas because private hunters control all the seven hunting units.

Campfire is managed through the local authority. Private hunters lease land from Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to whom they pay parks fees and other rates but nothing goes to the council.

More than half of land in Hwange is reserved for wildlife conservancy. The few animals that move out of the national parks are shared between Forestry Commission, which manages the buffer zone outside the parks area and council, which hunts around communities through Campfire.

As a result, less value animals are hunted through the Campfire, Hwange RDC natural resources officer Mr Nxoleleni Ncube said.

“Hunting quotas are meant to empower communities but what we are getting is not commensurate with what we conserve,” he said.

“The same animal we hunt is hunted in the parks protected area and the same herd should be hunted in the council area. We have seven hunting units in Hwange, we appeal to be given one to help the community, where we can also get contracts at zero percent.”

While the hunters rent from Zimparks and run business, the council is getting nothing from those operators, communities are not getting anything,” said Matetsi Ward one councillor, Mr Vulindlela Mhlanga.

He said Zimparks is not properly equipped hence they struggle to react to distress calls, which can be addressed if communities were empowered through Campfire quotas.

Hwange is Zimbabwe’s prime wildlife area as the Hwange National Park, measuring 14 600 square kilometres, is the country’s biggest game park contributing immensely to tourism.

Former HRDC chair who is a senior Zanu-PF Women’s League member Cde Siphiwe Mafuwa said communities should be empowered for them to see value in wildlife.

“As much as we condemn the cutting down of trees by charcoal dealers, we have a serious challenge with coal mining companies that destroy the environment,” she said.

“They have destroyed vast stretches of trees and land. People poach charcoal because they are not empowered on their natural resources. So, locals should be given conservancies where they can hunt and this will help conserve natural resources,” said Cde Mafuwa.

She commended Painted Dog Conservation for coming up with a programme to train villagers to become anti-poachers and paying them for removing wire snares in the bush.

Zanu-PF Hwange District Co-ordinating Committee chair Cde Mathew Muleya implored Zimparks, Forestry Commission and local authorities to work together especially to raise awareness about conservation.
Chief Dingani Nelukoba of Mabale appealed to Government to give traditional leaders hunting quotas as a way of empowering communities.

He said by so doing communities would jealously guard the natural resources.

Responding to the concerns, Minister Ndlovu expressed concern that private hunting concessions were not paying royalties to the local authority, which naturally plays a critical role in conservation around communities.

He said the Government wants people driven solutions.

“Why is a miner paying royalties to council and hunters not paying anything? Every hunter in Hwange will have to contribute to council. We will have to find a proper mechanism,” said Cde Ndlovu.

“Let’s get a database of all those (hunters) who are in Hwange, let them receive invitation or have a separate interaction with them and explain what they should be doing and meanwhile we need to look into our laws,” said the minister.

He said the role of communities in development should be appreciated because if people don’t get the benefit from wildlife, they will poach.

With regards to deforestation caused by mining and wood poaching the prevalent charcoal poaching, Minister Ndlovu said he will soon visit Hwange to meet mining companies.

“I will be coming to Hwange. We will come up with strong resolutions from there and I don’t want to pre-empty that. We will get better response from miners,” he said.

The minister urged those involved in mining and other business of felling trees to plant trees to conserve forests. He implored communities to think of alternatives and learn from the tobacco farming communities who initiated the tobacco wood energy where they plant trees that mature within a decade to replenish forests.

Minister Ndlovu said there should be co-ordination between the District Development Co-ordinator’s office, committee of natural resources at the council and other stakeholders.