Ministers to meet over poaching

Adelaide Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
FIVE Ministers are expected to meet today for an anti-poaching meeting during the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Trans-Frontier Conservation conference in Victoria Falls.

The KAZA Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) is made up of five southern African countries and these are: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

KAZA TFCA is potentially the world’s largest conservation area and is centred around the Caprivi-Chobe-Victoria Falls areas.

Its goal is to sustainably manage the Kavango-Zambezi ecosystem, heritage and cultural resources based on the best conservation and tourism models for socio-economic wellbeing of communities through harmonisation of policies.

The conservation meeting started on Monday with technocrats debating issues ahead of today’s meeting of Environment, Water and Climate Ministers from the five countries.

The Ministers are expected to adopt some measures to fight poaching.

Kavango Zambezi Trans-frontier Conservation Area country liaison officer for Zimbabwe, Godfrey Mtare, said they were hoping to come up with strategies to curb poaching during the conference.

“The KAZA TFC is set to promote a culture of peace and encourage wildlife tourism. We are set to come up with strategies to fight poaching of wildlife as well as conservation programmes which are needed to educate communities on the need to protect our wildlife,” he said.

Wildlife is under threat from poaching activities compounded by drought according to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

Zimbabwe has been grappling rampant poaching some involving the use of cyanide to poison animals. The government has since roped in security forces to fight poachers and many have appeared in court following the deployment.