Online Reporter
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
TOURISM operators and wildlife conservationists have expressed reservations over the proposed road detour that would redirect heavy traffic through the Hwange National Park buffer zone, saying this poses a threat to years of environmental management progress, wildlife safety, and tourism-driven local economy.
The contested route from Cross Mabale through Mpofu Turn-off to Dete Shops and Cross Dete is being developed by Asphalt Products to facilitate the rehabilitation of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, one of Zimbabwe’s busiest highways.
The plan has been condemned by key tourism and conservation stakeholders, who say it cuts through one of the region’s most sensitive wildlife corridors.
In a letter dated October 17, 2025, Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) executive director, Mr Peter Blinston, said the detour project would have adverse effects on their operations
“This area forms part of a critical wildlife corridor and buffer that supports the safe movement of animals between Hwange National Park and surrounding communal lands,” he wrote.
Mr Blinston said PDC and its conservation partners have “invested significant time and resources” to protect both wildlife and local communities in the area, and warned that introducing commercial truck traffic through the zone would undermine the conservation gains.
“It poses a grave risk to wildlife, particularly species such as the endangered painted dog, elephant and other large mammals that frequently traverse the area,” he said.
Mr Blinston also expressed concern that no consultation had been conducted with key stakeholders prior to the detour decision. He called for immediate suspension of all preparatory works to pave the way for a comprehensive environmental assessment, and inclusion of conservation organisations in all future planning processes.
“This issue not only has ecological implications but also threatens the economic sustainability of tourism and conservation operations that rely heavily on the protection of Hwange’s unique wildlife heritage,” said Mr Blinston.
In a separate correspondence dated October 16, 2025, Chrysalis trading as Amalinda Safari Collection, which operates Khulu Bush Camp, Sable Valley, and Ivory Lodge, echoed similar fears.
Chief executive officer, Mrs Sharon Stead, said while her organisation supports national infrastructure development, the selected detour “poses disproportionate and potentially irreversible risks to the ecological integrity of the area and the viability of the local tourism industry.”
She argued that the proposed 45-kilometre extension through minor district roads “channels high-volume, heavy traffic through narrow, poorly constructed routes” not suited for commercial vehicles.
“These secondary roads were never designed to handle heavy trucks. The result will be accelerated degradation, delays and possible accidents involving villagers, livestock and tourist vehicles,” Stead said.
The detour also passes directly through Dete, the main access point for Hwange National Park, threatening to disrupt guest transfers, safari activities and logistical supply chains that sustain tourism in the area.
Mrs Stead warned the decision would jeopardise “substantial tourism revenue that supports local conservation and employment efforts,” and undermine the conservation work that tourism finances.
“Past incidents of vehicle-animal collisions in the area underline the gravity of this threat,” she said, urging Asphalt Products to review the detour plan and consider adopting the existing commercial route as a less harmful alternative.
Adding to the chorus, the Association for Tourism Hwange (ATH), which represents safari operators, conservation organisations and community-based projects, expressed concern in a detailed letter also dated, October 17, 2025.
ATH noted that the proposed route crosses an area teeming with wildlife- elephants, zebras, antelopes and impala that move freely between the park and communal lands.
The group warned that “increased heavy vehicle movement at high speeds poses a serious risk of collisions, disturbance to animal behaviour and habitat degradation.”
The association also flagged community and tourist safety risks, pointing out that the route is “narrow, with limited visibility and infrastructure,” making it unsuitable for high volumes of heavy trucks and buses.
It further cautioned that the detour would damage existing infrastructure, as the Mpofu-Dete and Dete-Cross Dete roads are not engineered for heavy traffic. Increased dust, litter, noise and roadside waste from parked trucks, ATH warned, would “undermine Hwange’s image as a pristine tourism area.”
Quoting national engineering and environmental standards, ATH said detours are normally required to remain within 5-10 kilometres of the main work area, not the 45 kilometres proposed.
The association proposed alternative solutions such as constructing a temporary 16-kilometre detour parallel to the highway, or using existing dirt roads northeast of the A8, which traverse populated areas rather than wildlife corridors.
ATH co-ordinator, Miss Shamah Mawoko, said the coalition, which includes groups like Painted Dog Conservation, Soft Foot Alliance, Panthera, Friends of Hwange, and several tourism lodges, remains ready to collaborate with authorities to find “a practical, responsible and sustainable path forward.”
“Progress must not come at the cost of coexistence. Hwange’s story is one of collaboration, and that spirit must guide development decisions.”
Responding to the growing uproar, ZimParks acting spokesperson Mr Tami Mudzingwa confirmed that the Authority had received letters of concern from tourism and conservation stakeholders.
“ZimParks values the partnership and open communication shared with the tourism sector, which remains a critical stakeholder in the sustainable management of our protected areas,” he said.
Mr Mudzingwa said the Authority recommends that all stakeholders be consulted to ensure mutually beneficial alternatives are explored, emphasising that protecting Hwange’s ecological integrity remains central to ZimParks’ mandate.
Efforts to obtain comment from Asphalt Products were unsuccessful, as company phones went unanswered and messages were not returned. Likewise, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona did not respond to questions sent to him regarding the growing outcry over the proposed detour.
For now, conservation and tourism stakeholders await official engagement from the Ministry and the contractor, hoping their voices will help prevent what they describe as an avoidable collision between development and conservation in one of Zimbabwe’s most treasured ecosystems.
