Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Livingstone, Zambia
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is expected to join other regional leaders at the 2024 Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (Kaza TFCA) Summit here today where the ban on ivory trade is likely to be a major point of discussion.
Technical teams comprising conservationists from governments and the private sector began meeting on Saturday to discuss the state of Kaza.
Ministers responsible for wildlife, natural resources, and tourism in the Kaza region joined the technical teams on Wednesday, ahead of today’s official Heads of State Summit featuring all five presidents.
The Kaza TFCA is a vast conservation area spanning five Southern African countries — Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
It encompasses a population of over two million people and an estimated 227 900 elephants, centred around the Caprivi-Chobe-Victoria Falls corridor.
Encompassing a total of 520 000 square kilometres, roughly 70% of the land is under conservation. Kaza boasts 103 wildlife management areas, 85 forest reserves, and three world heritage sites.
A key topic at the meetings and likely to be presented to the Heads of State is the overall state of Kaza.
This includes the need for harmonised policies and activities, a borderless region, community involvement in conservation efforts, implementation of the Kaza Uni-Visa, continued discussion on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ivory trade ban and capacity building for rangers across all member states
CITES’ down listing of Southern African range countries to Appendix I restricts trade in ivory and related products, resulting in stockpiles.
Kaza member states are reportedly holding a combined stockpile valued at US$1 billion. President Mnangagwa was previously quoted saying Zimbabwe alone has stockpiles worth around US$600 million. The country boasts the second-largest elephant population after Botswana, which holds the top spot globally. Kaza itself harbours the largest elephant population overall.
In an interview, Environment, Climate, and Wildlife Minister Dr Sithembiso Nyoni said all is set for the Heads of State Summit.
“It has been a busy programme as we were taken through presentations where officials gave us an update on what has been happening in Kaza. We all agreed that this summit has been well supported by all the five countries and all the ministers without fail were able to attend.
“The support from our national offices is overwhelming and now we need to take it to the people to make sure that collectively we support Kaza. So we expect the Head of State to attend the Summit on Friday,” said Dr Nyoni.
She said member states agreed to move Kaza forward with the strong participation of ordinary citizens and communities.
“All of us, we said we need to take this programme from the State to the ground and we agreed that these Kaza programmes have to benefit our people. Without the participation of our people, this programme will not succeed.
“We also had discussions about the Uni-Visa so that if a country issues a visa to anybody, for 30 days that person can visit any country with that visa. I think that is progressive and we had a trial run which worked between Zambia and Zimbabwe,” she said.
The theme for the summit is: “Leveraging Kaza’s natural capital and cultural heritage resources as catalysts for development of the eco-system.” — @ncubeleon
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter