Stockil: Knight in shining armour

Zimbabwe is a respected conservationist and ardent spokesman for the rural communities adjacent to the Save Valley Conservancy, Mr Clive Stockil.
Mr Stockil (pictured left) – who is also a Zimbabwe Tourism Authority board member and owner of River Lodges of Africa – was recently awarded the French National Order of Merit for his contribution to conservative tourism in Zimbabwe.
This is an award given to individuals bestowed with outstanding military or civil virtues and whose purpose, above all, is to serve – serve their country, serve their values and also serve in favour of other people.
Mr Stockil’s award is a mere reflection of the man’s contribution to the conservation tourism in Zimbabwe, and especially his engagement with the Tangerine community.
He grew up south-east of the country, where he quickly developed a passion for wildlife, beginning his career as a guide and professional hunter.
Soon after this he became responsible for wildlife management at Hippo Valley Estate.
However, his real awareness of the problem of wildlife conversation came in 1982, with the conflict between the Tangerine and the National Parks Authority.
The Tangerine, a traditional group living in the south-east of the country, had been moved off their land in the 1970s to allow the creation of the Gonarezhou National Park.
This group, which used to hunt wildlife for subsistence, was then forbidden to kill animals.
They began to see wildlife as a nuisance, damaging their homes and destroying their crops, and as result they were forced to poach and many of them were arrested.
Mr Stockil then came in to mediate between the Shangaani and the National Parks Authority.
“My knowledge of the Shangaani language (he is also fluent in the Shona language) and appreciation of the local environs were critical factors in my mediating role during that crisis,” he says.
To the extent of his contribution, an agreement between the National Parks and the Shangaani was reached that allowed the local community to use the benefits of wildlife for the development of their community.
This gave them an incentive to preserve the animals on their land and those in the national park.
The success of Mr Stockil’s mediation drove him to create a programme called Campfire (Communityl Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources), which seeks to empower rural communities for conservation and sustainable development through a number of different activities, in particular harvesting natural resources.
Currently, Mr Stockil is involved with the Save Valley Conservancy, which has been evaluating land use and sustained production of natural resources in the marginal rainfall areas of south-east Zimbabwe.
This, he said, especially applies to the local conservation tourism destinations.
The Save Valley Conservancy presently covers an area of 3 400 square kilometres and is one of the most successful conservancies in the country.
Its main achievement is arguably the protection of endangered species from extinction, particularly the black rhino and the painted dog.
He has also contributed to the linking of the Save Valley to Gonarezhou National Park, and beyond to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
Mr Stockil wants African states to establish how many rhino horns that the end-users in China, Vietnam and North Korea require so that they can provide that number themselves, and use the proceeds to protect the world’s last black rhinos before they vanish forever.
“You would stop poaching, raise money for conservation, increase the rhino population, do away with the illegal trade and provide a legal product that for centuries has been used by cultures that say they need it,” he said.
His passion for tourism and conservation work is unmistakable whenever he is granted an opportunity to speak.
“Tourism provides the necessary funding to meet the costs of maintaining these valuable conservative areas, the survival of these unique ecosystems and the wildlife that live within should not be seen as only national assets but ultimately must be recognised as global assets.
“When the last wilderness disappears or the last rhinos is butchered for its horn, this will be a loss to the entire world,” he said as he accepted his honour.
He has also called for the country to improve on engagement with external tourism operators and international airliners so as to enhance local conservative tourism destinations’ visibility and accessibility.
His parting words (a Changana proverb): “Ha hi ndleleni . . . pfuka wa ha lehile. (We are on track, the journey is long).”