Online Reporter
George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
The country is sitting on an ivory stockpile of more than 100 tonnes and over six tonnes of rhino horn, with the nation exploring ways of unlocking value from its wildlife heritage within internationally accepted frameworks.
Zimbabwe is working with other SADC member states to develop a trade mechanism that falls within the ambit of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to which Harare is a party.
The country has an estimated elephant population of between 85 000 and 100 000, meaning its ivory stockpile will continue to grow as some elephants succumb to natural mortality.
Zimbabwe, together with other elephant-rich SADC countries with substantial ivory stockpiles — Botswana, Namibia and Zambia — is hoping the next CITES Conference of the Parties will facilitate a parallel arrangement allowing the four Southern African countries to unlock value from their stockpiles.
Trade in ivory and rhino horn is restricted under CITES, limiting Zimbabwe’s ability to derive economic benefits from its wildlife resources.
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) director-general Dr Edson Gandiwa said the country was exploring ways of benefiting from its huge stockpiles.
“In terms of trade (of ivory and rhino horns), Zimbabwe is a member of CITES and there are mechanisms that are used to allow trade,” he said. “In the case of Zimbabwe, because of its healthy elephant population, we have elephants that die naturally and we recover ivory from these natural deaths.
“Currently, we are sitting on a stockpile of over 100 tonnes of ivory and over six tonnes of rhino horn, which is quite a very big stockpile, and every year this stockpile is growing.”
Dr Gandiwa said the country has an elephant population of between 85 000 and 100 000 and natural mortality is a common contributor to the growing stockpile.
He added that SADC had directed member states to develop a CITES trade mechanism that would allow countries with substantial wildlife stockpiles to derive value from them.
“We have been directed within SADC to develop a trade mechanism which will unlock value from our stockpiles,” he said.
“We know globally there are restrictions to trade on the basis that if you allow trade it will promote illegal hunting, but Zimbabwe has done so well and we are saying we cannot be punished for doing good.
“Hence, SADC is developing a CITES trade mechanism which will allow us to unlock value out of our stockpile and those efforts are ongoing.”
Zimbabwe is hopeful that by the time the next CITES Conference of the Parties is held in 2028, it and its SADC partners will have developed a mechanism to unlock value from their stockpiles.
Dr Gandiwa said Zimbabwe would continue complying with international conventions governing trade in wildlife products.
“We want to conduct our trade formally and Zimbabwe will continue abiding by international tenets and thrust and as the greater SADC community we are pushing so that we can unlock value and very soon we are hopeful that we will be able to start doing so,” he said.
While awaiting changes to international trade restrictions, Dr Gandiwa said domestic trading in ivory was allowed, with locals encouraged to explore value addition.
“We are also pushing locals that may be interested to come forward and value-add products. We are always challenged over why locals are not coming to utilise wildlife products and we are saying our doors are open for local trade.”
The push comes as Government intensifies its broader beneficiation drive to increase the value of locally available natural resources before export and support its target of attaining upper-middle-income economy status by 2030.
CITES regulates international trade in wild animals and plants through a system of permits and certificates, with the aim of ensuring such trade is legal, sustainable and does not threaten species in the wild.
