ZIMBABWE: Does Air Zimbabwe Have Only One Working Aircraft?

Boeing 767-200ER, the Air Zimbabwe plane that spewed fire from its left engine shortly after take-off from OR Tambo International Airport on April 28, is the airline’s only working aircraft.

A statement released by the airline on March 7 claimed that, due to equipment constraints, the aircraft is used to service all routes.

The aircraft underwent an engine change on March 3, which resulted in rescheduled and cancelled flights at the time.

Destinations via the airline include Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and Harare, the Zimbabwean capital city.

Flight UM462 was en route to Harare shortly after 7pm on April 28 when it experienced a malfunction on one of its engines, which resulted in a brief tailpipe fire.

This malfunction did not threaten the continuation of the flight or the safety of the crew and passengers, the airline stated. The plane landed safely in Harare at 8.35pm, about one and a half hours after the ordeal started.

Our engineers have commenced the required investigation and a report will be issued in due course, the airline added.


Tourism Observer

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stops Admitting Expat Workers From 20 Countries

The Kuwaiti General Directorate of Residence Affairs recently announced a ban on recruitment of domestic workers from five African countries.

The latest ban raises the list to 20 countries.

According local media sources, the Kuwaiti ministry of foreign affairs issued a circular mentioning the names of the 5 countries, which include Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

Additionally, the other 15 African countries are Djibouti,Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Malawi, Chad, Sierra Leone, Niger, Tanzania, the Gambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.

The circular also included five other African countries whose domestic workers faced a temporary ban, including Cameroon, the Congo, Burundi, Eritrea and Liberia.


Tourism Observer

ZIMBABWE: Crocodile Invades Hospital Blocks Entrance

Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe shot dead a large crocodile that strayed into the northern town of Hwange and blocked entry to a hospital.

The crocodile took up position outside the main gate to St Patrick’s hospital and charged at anyone trying to enter or leave, creating panic among residents, local media reported.

Crocodile attacks are on the rise in recent weeks due to heavy rain, Parks and wildlife authority confirmed the incident

In Hwange there was a crocodile seen in the residential area and it had to be killed because it had become a threat to human life.

Because of the rains there have been several reports of people attacked by crocodiles.

The crocodile was outside the hospital in Hwange for about two hours on Tuesday evening, attracting a large crowd of onlookers, before it was shot.

It was unclear how the animal came to be outside the hospital as the nearest water was about 10 kilometres (6 miles) away.

In less than five minutes, I had received more than 10 phone calls from residents who were in serious panic mode, a local official said.

At first I thought it was a prank because crocodiles are found around water bodies and not in the middle of a suburb.

In the capital Harare, a woman was fatally attacked by a crocodile on Thursday as she crossed a stream, while a boy escaped with injuries in another attack in the south-eastern district of Chiredzi.


Tourism Observer

ZIMBABWE: Harare, Condition Of Roads Is Bad And Street Lights Are Lacking, Without A National Currency

Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe.

Harare is home to some two million people, with most in central Harare but some 500,000 in the surrounding districts of Rural Harare, Chintungwiza and Epworth.

Once a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens, it suffered from increasing disrepair thanks to Zimbabwe's economic downward spiral.

However, there have recently been a few signs of improvement as the decision of the country to adopt the US dollar as its currency has begun to facilitate some investments.

The capital city retained the name Salisbury until 1982.

The name of the city was changed to Harare on 18 April 1982, the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence, taking its name from the village near Harare Kopje of the Shona chief Neharawa, whose nickname was "he who does not sleep".

Prior to independence, Harare was the name of the black residential area now known as Mbare.

In the early 21st century Harare has been adversely affected by the political and economic crisis that is currently plaguing Zimbabwe, after the contested 2002 presidential election and 2005 parliamentary elections.

The elected council was replaced by a government-appointed commission for alleged inefficiency, but essential services such as rubbish collection and street repairs have rapidly worsened, and are now virtually non-existent.

Harare officially called Salisbury until 1982 is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe.

Situated in the north-east of the country in the heart of historic Mashonaland, the city has an estimated population of 1,606,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area.

Administratively, Harare is a metropolitan province, which also incorporates Chitungwiza town and Epworth. It is situated at an elevation of 1,483 metres (4,865 feet) above sea level and its climate falls into the subtropical highland category.

The city was founded in 1890 by the Pioneer Column, a small military force in the service of the British South Africa Company, and named Fort Salisbury after the British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury.

Company administrators demarcated the city and ran it until Southern Rhodesia achieved responsible government in 1923. Salisbury was thereafter the seat of the Southern Rhodesian later Rhodesian government and, between 1953 and 1963, the capital of the Central African Federation.

It retained the name Salisbury until 1982, when it was renamed Harare on the second anniversary of Zimbabwean independence.

Harare is Zimbabwe's leading financial, commercial, and communications centre, and a trade centre for tobacco, maize, cotton, and citrus fruits.

Manufactured goods include textiles, steel and chemicals, and gold is mined in the area.

The city's suburbs include Borrowdale, Helensvale, Greendale, Chisipite, Shawasha hills, Mbare, HIghfields, Kuwadzana, Marlboro, Marlbereign, Vainona, Mount Pleasant and Avondale, Glen View, Budiriro, Southly Park, Warren Park; the most affluent neighbourhoods are to the north.

The University of Zimbabwe, the country's oldest university founded in 1952, is situated in Mount Pleasant, about 6 km (3.7 mi) north of the city centre.

Harare is home to the country's main Test cricket ground, Harare Sports Club, and to Dynamos F.C., Zimbabwe's most successful association football team.

In May 2006 the Zimbabwean newspaper the Financial Gazette, described the city in an editorial as a sunshine city-turned-sewage farm.

In 2009, Harare was voted to be the toughest city to live in according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's livability poll.

The situation was unchanged in 2011, according to the same poll, which is based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

In May 2005 the Zimbabwean government demolished shanties and backyard cottages in Harare and the other cities in the country in Operation Murambatsvina or Drive Out Trash.

It was widely alleged by residents and politicians that the true purpose of the campaign was to punish the urban poor for supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and to reduce the likelihood of mass action against the government by driving people out of the cities.

The government claimed it was necessitated by a rise of criminality and disease.

This was followed by Operation Garikayi/Hlalani Kuhle or Operation "Better Living" a year later which consisted of building concrete housing of poor quality.

In late March 2010, Harare's Joina City Tower was finally opened after 14 years of on-off construction, marketed as Harare's new Pride.

Initially, uptake of space in the tower was low, with office occupancy at only 3% in October 2011. By May 2013, office occupancy had risen to around half, with all the retail space occupied.

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Harare as the world's least liveable city out of 140 surveyed in February 2011, rising to 137th out of 140 in August 2012.

During late 2012, plans to build a new capital district in Mt. Hampden, about twenty kilometres (12 miles) north-west of Harare's central business district, were announced and illustrations shown in Harare's daily newspapers.

The location of this new district would imply an expansion into Zvimba District. The plan generated varied opinions.

In March 2015, Harare City Council planned a two-year project to install 4,000 solar streetlights, at a cost of $15 million, starting in the central business district.

The city sits on the one of the higher parts of the Highveld plateau of Zimbabwe at an elevation of 1,483 metres (4,865 feet). The original landscape could be described as a parkland.

Harare has a subtropical highland climate. The average annual temperature is 17.95 °C (64.3 °F), rather low for the tropics, and this is due to its high altitude position and the prevalence of a cool south-easterly airflow.

There are three main seasons: a warm, wet season from November to March/April; a cool, dry season from May to August (corresponding to winter in the Southern Hemisphere); and a hot, dry season in September/October.

Daily temperature ranges are about 7–22 °C (45–72 °F) in July (the coldest month), about 15–29 °C (59–84 °F) in October (the hottest month) and about 16–26 °C (61–79 °F) in January (midsummer).

The hottest year on record was 1914 with 19.73 °C (67.5 °F) and the coldest year was 1965 with 17.13 °C (62.8 °F).

The average annual rainfall is about 825 mm (32.5 in) in the southwest, rising to 855 mm (33.7 in) on the higher land of the northeast,from around Borrowdale to Glen Lorne. Very little rain typically falls during the period May to September, although sporadic showers occur most years.

Rainfall varies a great deal from year to year and follows cycles of wet and dry periods from 7 to 10 years long. Records begin in October 1890 but all three Harare stations stopped reporting in early 2004.

The climate supports a natural vegetation of open woodland. The most common tree of the local region is the Msasa Brachystegia spiciformis that colours the landscape wine red with its new leaves in late August.

Two introduced species of trees, the Jacaranda and the Flamboyant from South America and Madagascar respectively, which were introduced during the colonial era, contribute to the city's colour palette with streets lined with either the lilac blossoms of the Jacaranda or the flame red blooms from the Flamboyant.

They flower in October/November and are planted on alternative streets in the capital. Also prevalent is Bougainvillea.

Harare has been the location of several international summits such as the 8th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (6 September 1986) and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1991.

The latter produced the Harare Declaration, dictating the membership criteria of the Commonwealth. In 1998 Harare was the host city of the 8th Assembly of the World Council of Churches.

In 1995, Harare hosted most of the 6th All-Africa Games, sharing the event with other Zimbabwean cities such as Bulawayo and Chitungwiza.

It has hosted some of the matches of 2003 Cricket World Cup which was hosted jointly by Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Several of the matches were also held in Bulawayo.

The city is also the site of one of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), which has featured such acclaimed artists as Cape Verdean singer Sara Tavares.

The public transport system within the city includes both public and private sector operations.

The former consist of ZUPCO buses and National Railways of Zimbabwe commuter trains.

Privately owned public transport comprised licensed station wagons, nicknamed emergency taxis until the mid-1990s, when they were replaced by licensed buses and minibuses, referred to officially as commuter omnibuses or Makombi.

The National Railways of Zimbabwe operates a daily overnight passenger train service that runs from Harare to Mutare and another one from Harare to Bulawayo. Harare is linked by long distance bus services to most parts of Zimbabwe.

The largest airport of the country Harare International Airport serves Harare.

Soccer is most popular among the people of Harare. Harare is home to Harare Sports Club ground. It has hosted many Test, One Day Internationals and T20I Cricket matches.

Harare is also home to the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League clubs Dynamos F.C., Harare City, Black Rhinos F.C. and CAPS United F.C..

Residents are exposed to a variety of sources for information. In the print media, there is the Herald, Financial Gazette, Zimbabwe Independent, Standard, NewsDay, H-Metro, Daily News and Kwayedza.

There has been an increase of online media outlets. These include ZimOnline, ZimDaily, Guardian, NewZimbabwe, Times, Harare Tribune, Zimbabwe Metro, The Zimbabwean, The Zimbabwe Mail and many others; however, a number of factors have combined to effectively eliminate all media except those controlled by the state.

Therefore, it is difficult to find a news source that is not bribed or influenced by the government.

The government controls all the electronic media, though Voice of America, Voice of the people and SW Radio Africa beam broadcasts into the country without the clearance of the regulatory authority.

Harare's airport is the major gateway for flights into the country. Air Zimbabwe also operated a small network of domestic flights before ceasing operations.

The National Archives has a priceless collection of maps, sketches, books, diaries and documents, as well as most of Thomas Baines' paintings.

The National Art Gallery holds frequent exhibitions of both indigenous and foreign works of art. The National Museum's specialty is the Story of Man and the Story of Animals in Mashonaland.

Ten minutes from the city you'll find Chapungu Kraal, in pastoral surroundings, where there is a magnificent collection of soapstone and verdite sculpture and an authentic 19th century Shona village complete with n'anga (traditional doctor).

Watersports of all kinds are available on the resort-filled north Shore of Lake Chivero, just a few minutes out of Harare, and the Lake's south shore is 2 023,4 ha of fascinating wilderness, where zebra, giraffe, sable, white rhino, tsessebe and eland roam.

Bird life is so prolific that, in one day, ornithologists recorded 200 species.

In the granite hills you can find many Bushmen paintings. Lodges and chalets on the lake shore are available.

Drive through the city for an appreciation of the Sunshine City’s historical buildings to Kopje hill for a 360-degree panorama of the city.

Bargain for exquisite hand-crafted souvenirs at the bustling Mbare Musika, and sample the swinging action at the Tobacco Auction floors in season.

Mukuvisi Woodlands - Call in on elephant, impala, ostrich and giraffe in a natural woodland reserve set aside and run by the Wildlife Society of Zimbabwe.

Only 15 minutes from the city centre.

Chengeta Safari Day Trip - Visit Mashonaland’s largest private game reserve with over 45 mammal and more than 180 bird species. Tailor-made safari options include horseback, canoe, game drives, walking and fishing. Unspoilt Africa at its best!

Kuimba Shiri Bird Gardens and Snake World - Here’s another aspect of Zimbabwe’s wildlife – 100s of exotic and indigenous birds at Kuimba Shiri.

At the nearby Snake World, you’ll face some of Africa’s most venomous vipers – all in one place. Definitely not something you’ll see anywhere else!

Lion & Lake Chivero Game Park - The wilds of Africa right on the city outskirts. Your chance to see the big cats and rare nocturnal species up close.

At Lake Chivero, free-ranging plains game abound and you may even catch a glimpse of the why white rhino.

Lake Manyame Recreational Park - Lake Manyame is one of the best angling environments in the world.

Challenge the staggering Bass fishing record of 18,4 pounds, experience stunning and breathtaking views of the lake from the dam wall and picnic sites, try out a variety of water sports or enjoy bird watching in this peaceful and tranquil environment.

Located 76 kilometres west of the capital city of Harare, Lake Manyame (formerly Darwendale) Recreational Park occupies a total area of 11,200 hectares.

Of this area, Lake Mayame water body swallows 8,100 hectares, just under three quarters of the parks total area.

The dam wall is 2 kilometres long and the maximum water depth is 226 metres. It took about three years to construct the dam, from 1973 to 1976. The park was established in 1973 but was officially opened in 1976.

The recreational park has a small area reserved for game. Here you can expect to see the less dangerous and smaller animals, mainly herbivores.

The most prevalent species are sable, kudu, waterbuck, bush pig, reedbuck, common duiker, warthog, baboon, vervet monkey, oribi and porcupine.

This park is a prime fishing destination attracting local, regional and international fishing enthusiasts. The major fish species within the lake are Mozambique and blue bream, Hunyani salmon, mud sucker, tiger fish, barbel, parrot fish, bulldog, spot tail, minnow bass and African mottled eel.


Fishing is the main attraction and bass fishing attracts thousands of enthusiasts annually. Fishing tournaments are held frequently with the most distinguished and world renowned being the Bass Masters Tournament.

The record catch on 25 July 2004 was a bass weighing 18,4 pounds.
The vegetation is well fed by the thick soils made fertile by humus derived from falling leaves and dying tall grass and other plants coupled with favourable rainfall.

The park is able to sustain a variety of tree species among them; musasa, munhondo, mukarati, ficus, capensis, dicyrostachys, cinera, pseudolachnostylls, maprononeifolia, euphorbia ingens, diopyros.

The park has two well sited lodges, camping sites, caravan sites, and picnic sites. Firewood for your braai and cooking purposes can be purchased from the main park office.

The park has 2 lodges situated less than 2 kilometres from the main entrance and 500 metres from the main park office. The lodges have views which overlook the water body, have 2 bedrooms each with 2 beds.

There is a dining room, kitchen and bathroom with hot and cold running water for each lodge. All cooking utensils are provided complete with cutlery and crockery.

The kitchens are fully equipped with refrigrators and four plate stoves with grills.

Each lodge has an open air braai point where visitors can catch the fresh water breeze rising from the sprawling lake. The lodges have electricity for lighting and for energy.

The camping site is situated close to the launching point for boats making it an ideal camping point for both fishing enthusiasts and water sport enthusiasts.

There are communal ablution blocks with bathrooms and showers providing both hot and cold running water.

Water points and braai points are dotted around the camping site, while the lake is only a stone's throw away for those who may need fresh untreated water.

For those campers who may need electricity for their sites, it can be sourced from the nearby ablution block.

In such cases the Parks authorities encourage you to carry long extension cables in the event that your site may be situated a few metres away from the ablution block.

The camp site and caravan site share the same ablution facilities. Firewood for your braai and cooking purposes can be purchased from the main park office.

The picnic sites are sprinkled along the north-western shore of the lake. The beauty of the lake can be savoured from the 10 rondavels at the picnic site.

Each picnic rondavel has its own individual braai point. There is also an ablution block in close proximity to all the rondavels.

The following are some of the main activities offered at Darwendale Recreational Park:

- Fishing, angling

- Boating, water skiing, yatching

- Camping

- Picnicking

- Walking

- Bird watching

Chinhoyi Caves - The Chinhoyi Caves consist of a system of tunnels, dark caverns & sunlit pools.

Explore The Wonder Hole, a large collapsed cavern whose walls drop vertically down into the depths of the unbelievably blue and crystal clear Sleeping Pool.

Historically, the first white man believed to have discovered the Caves was Frederick Selous, the famous European hunter, during his wanderings in 1887.

It was believed that prior to that the Caves were being used as a stronghold by an outlaw called Nyamakwere who murdered many victims by throwing them into the "Silent Pool".

The notorious Nyamakwere was eventually defeated and killed by a Headman called Chinhoyi who became a Mashona Chief, hence the name Chinhoyi given to the nearby town.

Chief Chinhoyi and his followers used the Caves as a refuge from raiding tribes such as the Matebele. Until a few years ago the remains of Chief Chinhoyi's grain bins could be seen in some of the underground passages.

The traditional name for the Caves is "Chirorodziva" which means the "Pool of the Fallen". The name was derived from an incident which took place in the 1830s when the Angoni Tribe, who were moving northwards surprised people living near the Caves and flung them into the pool.

The area close to the caves was first declared a National Monument and in 1957 it was declared a National Park with its existing boundaries. It was then redesignated as a Recreational Park in 1975.

The Caves consist of a system of tunnels and caverns. This system is a dying one (in geological time spans), in that they are slowly collapsing. These collapses can be noticed by the sink holes and depressions within the surrounding area.

The Wonder Hole, which is the main feature of the Caves, is in fact a "swallow hole" or a large cavern with a collapsed roof.

The walls or sides of the Wonder Hole drop vertically down for 150 feet to the Sleeping Pool. The pool is unbelievably blue and crystal clear which reflects great depth and non-flowing water.

Exploration by the Zimbabwe Sub-Aqua Spelaelogical Research Group has revealed that the depth of the water in the Sleeping Pool varies between 80 metres and 91 metres.

This fluctuation in depths is attributable to the amount of rainfall received in a particular season. Several under water passages have been found leading from the Sleeping Pool, but all those so far explored lead back into the Pool.

Near the end of the Dark Cave is a small cavern accessible only to diver known as the Blind Cave. A second one connects with the Sleeping Pool 58 metres below the surface and the third one is yet to be fully explored.

The Caves are composed mainly of the sunlit "Sleeping Pool" and the artificially lit Dark Cave.

The Sleeping Pool 46 metres below the ground level is accessible in two ways:

- Through the main entrance with an inclined passage, where the view of the water has been compared to the famous Blue Grotto of Capri

- Through the Dark Cave, which leads down steps and along a narrow passage to a point just above the water at the far side of the Sleeping Pool.

The exit from the Dark Cave is demanding, as the steps are very steep.

Therefore, less agile visitors would be well advised to avoid this latter option.

It seems probable that further caves remain to be discovered. Research suggests that the water in the cave is connected to an even bigger body of water in view of the fact that the temperature in the Sleeping Pool never varies from 22 degrees Celsius.

Excavations in and near the Caves have revealed that people have stayed around the area from early times. Pottery and human remains were unearthed from the area which radio-carbon dated around AD 650.

Although Chinhoyi Caves Recreational Park covers a large area only 20 acres of it in the vicinity of the actual Caves are used by the public. The remainder of the Park is largely taken up with dolomite mining claims and wooded scrubland.

The Picnic sites and camp sites are serviced by three ablution blocks with hot and cold water, baths, toilets and showers.

The Park's flora is made up largely of indigenous species and a few exotics. In the indigenous group, there are: Mukwa (pterocarpus angolencis), Cape Fig (ficus capensis), Combretum species, Terminalia species, Msasa (brachystegia), Violet tree (securidaca longipediculata), Yellow wood (monotas glaber) and Pink Jacaranda (stereospermum).

Although birds are not numerous, there is a wide variety of species, especially during the dry months of winter.

The Park's bird diversity includes the Arnot's Chat, Angola Rock Thrush, Mocking Chat, Large Striped Pipit, Woodpecker species, Black Tit, Redwing Starling, Batis, Flycatcher, Penduline Tit, Glossy Starling, Bat Hawk, Tree Creeper, Familiar Chat, Paradise Flycatcher and other species.

There are virtually no large animals in the Park. However, monkeys, baboons, bushpigs and rock hares can occasionally be sighted.

Activities

- Photographing - scenic photographs can be taken from the Viewpoint of the

- Wonder Hole

- Exploring the caves

- Leisurely strolls in the Park

- Picnicking

Amanzi Restaurant - Situated in the heart of the Northern Suburbs of Harare, Amanzi Restaurant is set well back from the road in 4 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.

An old farmhouse, architecturally converted to a stylish modern restaurant, Amanzi has the capacity to seat 100 people.

Its versatile interior, with rooms linked through open arches, guests can sit in one of 2 main rooms, a private function room or the large terrace surrounding the restaurant.

The décor is a sophisticated blend of interior styles created to form a backdrop for unusual collections of African antiquities and contemporary art. The water feature is stocked with koi carp, and is floodlit at night.

The property is noted for its collection of indigenous trees, predominately msasa, and colourful shrubs, which provide a cool, restful atmosphere.

Amanzi Restaurant has recently gone green! Lime, leaf, sage and avocado - the full range of the green palette, has given the interior décor a whole fresh new look.

A look in line with Amanzi's philosophy of eco-conciousness: many ingredients used in Amanzi's kitchens are organically grown in our own garden; kitchen scraps are composted; paper, glass and plastic are recycled; staff are trained in energy saving practices.

Amanzi offers its customers "fusion" cuisine - a combination of the best food taken from different countries & cultures around the world.

The concept behind the new A La Carte menu at Amanzi Restaurant is Fusion Cuisine. It is an exciting and creative blend of Eastern and Western elements, combined together on one plate.

Recipes created for the menu are inspired from spices and ingredients from Nigeria, Morocco, Thailand, Japan, Mexico, the Mediterranean and back again to Zimbabwe. The current new menu offers a wide variety of fusion tapas-style starters for the casual diner.

These can form the basis of a formal four-course meal when enjoyed with soups, main courses and a selection of delicious desserts. Or just pop in for a plate of tapas and a drink.

At Amanzi the choice is yours! they stock a comprehensive and unusual collection of both local and imported wines.

They are open for both Lunch and Dinner, and cater for cocktail parties, wedding parties and corporate functions.

Open Monday to Saturday from 12pm for lunch and from 7pm for dinner.

Seating

- Fire Room - 25 people

- Main Room - 25 people

- Private Room - 12 people

- Terrace - 38 people

Special Occasions: They will be happy to quote for weddings, cocktail parties, birthdays & Christmas parties.

National Herbarium and Botanic Garden - The 58-hectare National Botanic Gardens contain examples of the diverse plant life that thrive in Harare's pleasant climate.

Most Zimbabwean species are represented, as well as specimens from Southern Africa. It's a great place to spend the day. One can walk one's dog, have a light meal in the restaurant and generally enjoy the situation.

For anyone interested in Zimbabwe plants this is one definate place to visit.

The National Herbarium and Botanic Garden is a center for research and information on the indigenous plants of Zimbabwe. It s responsible for the study of Zimbabwe flora in order to promote its conservation, development and sustainable use.

Its mission is To Increase Knowledge and Appreciation of Zimbabwean Plants. It fulfills this mission by looking after the plant specimens that are the essential resource material required in studying plant characters in order to arrive at their identity and names.

The National Herbarium stores preserved plant specimens while the living specimens are grown in the National Botanic Garden.

The Herbarium has about 500 000 plant specimens. It is the main reference center for research on identifying and naming plants of the Flora Zambesiaca Region.

This region comprises Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and the Caprivi.

The Botanic Garden grows over 900 trees and shrubs of Zimbabwe in groups to show the associations that are found in various parts of the country. It has sections with trees of the Highveld, Lowveld and Eastern Highlands.

Also growing are a number of trees from other countries that have climatic conditions similar to Zimbabwe e.g. Asia and Australia.

The Education Centre disseminates information on the plants of Zimbabwe and the plant kingdom in general to educational institutions especially schools.

Aims and Objectives

To conserve, enhance and curate Zimbabwe's principal collection of botanical specimens for national and international reference and study.

To do scientific research and documentation on Zimbabwean plants and plant communities based on the herbarium collection and field surveys
To provide botanical services to Government Departments, NGOs, students, researchers and the public.

To provide a focal point for the international network of herbaria, in order to facilitate research on the flora of Zimbabwe and the region by national and international researchers.

To provide a pleasant and peaceful environment in which the Harare community can enjoy activities that are compatible with Botanic Garden management.

To raise revenue that will help in the development and maintenance of the National Herbarium and Botanic Garden.

Facilities

The Botanic Garden Restaurant / Teahouse
This is open daily from 0730 hours to 1800 hours.

Auditorium

This open-air-under-thatch building is hired out for meetings and workshops.

Venue for Photography / Films

The Botanic Garden is a popular spot for wedding photos, especially around the lake. It is also used by a number of companies in the shooting of films and adverts.

The Desert House

In this house are plants from the dry areas of Southern Africa.

Mazowe Botanic Reserve - This is a 48-hactare outstation of the National Herbarium and Botanic Garden. It is located some 30km North of Harare in Christonbank Township.

It provides a good example of the vegetation of the highveld (miombo). The Reserve has over 300 plant species representing about 70 families.

Kuimba Shiri Bird Park - Kuimba Shiri Bird Park is situated on the shores of Lake Chivero, in a National Park boasting over 460 species of indigenous birds in the wild.

Established over 20 years ago Kuimba Shiri Bird Park is the only bird park in Zimbabwe and is home to orphaned, injured and abandoned birds.

Kuimba Shiri Bird Park is situated on the shores of Lake Chivero, in a National Park boasting over 460 species of indigenous birds in the wild.

Established over 20 years ago Kuimba Shiri Bird Park is the only bird park in Zimbabwe and is home to orphaned, injured and abandoned birds.

The bird park was founded by owner and falconer, Gary Stafford, whilst he was training eagles for a number of BBC WILDLIFE documentaries including “Eagles “ and “The Life of Birds”.

Kuimba Shiri boasts the first free flying bird display in Africa. Their birds of prey are flown daily at 16:00hrs.

Visitors can enjoy waterfront chalets or the camp site and fish for carp, bream and bass to name a few. They hosted two Tri-Nations Bank Angling competitions in 2006 and 2009. In 2009 five international records were broken in three days of fishing.

Guests can enjoy game viewing by boat and a tasty meal at the Admiral’s Cabin Restaurant, whilst enjoying the spectacular view of the vast Lake. Sunday afternoons can be spent relaxing under the Msasa trees listening to live music. An ideal family venue, run by a family, for families.

Bird Park

Kuimba Shiri Bird Park is now enjoying a long overdue facelift, after nearly ten years of economic turmoil. They are home to an ever increasing number of orphaned and injured birds.

The bird park is important as it offers a home to birds that otherwise would have died, offering an opportunity to educate people and allow these birds to breed in captivity, where the offspring may be released.

The National Parks surrounding Kuimba Shiri Bird Park will keep birdwatchers busy marking off in excess of 460 species from their bird list including the “Spotted Creeper”.

Top recognised international Falconers have visited to enjoy flights with Peregrine and Lanner Falcons not to mention their African Goshawk, Ovambo Sparrow Hawk and African Hawk Eagles

Activities

Boating & Game Viewing

A cruise in a speed boat 7 kilometers across the lake brings you into the Game Park, where if you are lucky, you can sneak up to White Rhino grazing the water hyacinths only a few meters away.

Other game to be spotted along the lake shore are Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Ostrich, Eland, Waterbuck, Crocodile and a host of water birds.

Alternatively, guests can enjoy water tubing, or for those wanting to chill and relax, a late afternoon sunset booze cruise.

Fishing

Kuimba Shiri Bird Park hosted the Tri-Nations bank angling competition between Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia in 2006 & 2009. The largest fish caught, in this off season event, was a carp weighing in at approx. 9kg. Other fish caught were barbel, bream and bass.

Their favourite competition is the annual “Rapala Kid’s Classic” which last year attracted over 100 entrants. This competition epitomises commitment to family values, as it encourages fathers to fish with their children.

All the children are winners as they all receive a prize. The children may catch fish off the bank or from a boat. Favourite fishing spots on the lake are along ” Vorley Bay”, ” M.O.T.H Island ” or “Crocodile Creek”.

Horse Riding

An hour long outride can be arranged for an enjoyable hack through the old farmlands and along the stream that flows into Hippo Creek.

Marina

Admiral’s Cabin Marina is one of the oldest operating marina’s, with a concrete slipway and the deepest harbour on the lake. Their tractor will launch and recover your boat and they also have fuel, oil, drinks, ice and snacks available.

Live Music

Sunday afternoons can be spent relaxing under the Msasa trees listening to live music provided by their resident band “Cornerstone”.

Sunday’s are an ideal day out for the whole family. Whilst Mom and Dad are enjoying a meal from the Admiral’s Cabin restaurant, the children can play in the pool, ride a pony or fish in the harbour.

Cornerstone is a four-piece band and regularly perform at parties and weddings, entertaining with their unique style of music. Lead singer Stuart, an accomplished flutist and harp player, is joined by lead and rhythm guitarist Gerald, bass player Sidney and Steve on drums.

Conferences & Camps

The Conference facility is capable of hosting up to 20 delegates & has proved popular with groups wanting to get away from the City’s hustle and bustle. Overnight accommodation, meals, drinks and tea are available.

School groups book children’s camps in the five “barrack” rooms overlooking a ” Dare” (a campfire meeting place) where children visit the bird park, the National Park and enjoy all the other facilities available.

Kuimba Shiri has seven well appointed ”A” framed thatched chalets, comprising of en suite shower, wc and basin and power points. Each chalet has one double bed and up to three single beds per unit.

The chalets are 10 metres from the waterfront overlooking “Hippo Creek” and the magnificent Msasa covered Hunyani Hills in the back ground.

The Camping Site is situated alongside the chalets, nestled under the Msasa trees & has the same spectacular view as the chalets.

Ewanrigg Botanical Garden - Ewanrigg Botanical Garden is situated north-east of Harare. The most accessible road is the Shamva road.

Visitors to Harare should take the Enterprise road, passing through Newlands and Highlands, continuing on the highway until the Shamva and Mutoko road junction is reached approximately 29 km from Harare.

Take the left fork sign posted Shamva road and follow this road until you reach the sign post indicating a right turn, Christian Road, and drive 4 km to Ewanrigg Botanical Garden.

Christian is a loop road which links the Shamva road and the Mutoko roads, hence the alternative is to use the Mutoko road. The Muoko road should always be avoided during the rainy season, owing to a high flow of water over the low causeway at the Mvinzi River.

Generally, the roads are always kept in good condition throughout the year.

Ewanrigg Botanical Garden is noted for its wide collection of indigenous and exotic plants and is one of the world's largest aloe and cycad gardens. It has a calm and peaceful environment, scenic views and wide variety of plant species.

Ewanrigg Botanical Garden owes its origin to the late Mr. Harold Basil Christian. Mr. Christian came to the then Rhodesia in 1914 as a farmer. He later turned his attention to botany and horticulture.

It was in the field of botany and in the study of the genus aloe that he made many valuable scientific contributions.

Building on his success with aloes, he later turned his attention to a cycad collection.

In his garden which covered, 1,5 hectares, a very comprehensive collection of aloes, cycads and many species of small succulent plants was acquired - all of which were planted with considerable care and particular attention to their physical arrangement.

Some months prior to his death in 1950, he donated his garden with some additional land to the Governement. The cultivated area was very small, comprising some 1.6ha.

During the past 40 years, considerable development has been made. When the garden was eventually opened to the public and became widely known throughout the region, the need for expansion was identified in order to capture the interest of visitors throughout the year.

With this in mind many hectares of land were brought under cultivation incorporating several features that include spacious lawns with grouped trees and shrubs, a water garden and collections of cactii and bougainvillea.

Progress made over the past few years has brought 100 hectares under cultivation.

Ewanrigg has become widely known abroad and possibly the most favourable outcome of Mr. Christian's work has been the garden's capacity to create meaningful plant specie exchanges with other botanical gardens and numerous plant collectors as well as to create a richly endowed botanical habitat for both indigenous and exotic species.

Ewanrigg has now become one of the largest aloe and cycad gardens in the world.

The area is predominantly a habitat for the indigenous miombo wooodland, which is the most common in the garden, with brachstagia species and parinari species appearing here and there.

Exotic species have also been introduced in the landscaped regions of the Garden.

Picnic Site

The serene, calm and scenic environment of the gardens make Ewanrigg an ideal picnicking area. The sites are well serviced with ablution facilities, braai stands and water points.

For those that may need to sweat a little there is an open ground where visitors can play volleyball and many other ball games.

Activities

Garden viewing - aloe viewing is ideal from May to September when the aloes are in bloom

Winter time bird watching - aloes and cycads attract a wide variety of bird species.

When in bloom, aloes and cycads become a special fascination for sunbirds, which at times concentrate in large numbers to obtain nectar

Bird watchers should make this a key port of call

- Picnicking

- Photographing

- Walks - guided and unguided

However, an increasing number of foreign airlines are flying into Harare these days.

They include South African Airways with direct flights from Johannesburg. Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa, Kenya Airways from Nairobi, TAAG Angola Airlines from Luanda and Egypt Air from Cairo via Dar es Salaam and KLM from Amsterdam.

Taxis from the airport to the main hotels cost $25. This exhorbitant fixed price, given the relatively short distance and great age of the taxis, is attributed by the drivers to the high fees that they have to pay to the airport authority.

Bulawayo sees departures three times a week at 8PM, arriving next morning around 8AM. $12 for a sleeper and $10 for a seat.

Trains from Mutare at the border with Mozambique runs three times a week departing Mutare also at 9PM, arrival time in Harare is early morning at 6AM. $7 for 1st class sleeper. $5 for 2nd class sleeper.

There are currently no international trains to Harare except occasional cruise trains.

Harare railway station is located on Kenneth Kaunda Ave, just south of the city centre.

A good road from Johannesburg allows easy access. However, be careful of the sometimes frightening drops at the side of the roads, at the edge of the tarmac, particularly with oncoming trucks at night. In fact, night driving is not advised.

Buses from Johannesburg are easily available ranging from Eagle Liner (for R330). Greyhound (for R450) and Intercape (R420). The bus takes between 16-24 hours. Delays at the border are very common and typically range 3-8 h, but they can be as much as 20 h at Christmas time.

Intercape, which has the largest intercity network in southern Africa also have buses from Mutare, Masvingo, Gweru, and Bulawayo.

Most ordinary long-distance bus services arrive at the Mbare Terminal, located 3 km southwest of the Central district. The terminal itself is giant, hectic, confusing, and dangerous.

There are several disconnected regions of the terminal, and finding something as simple as a taxi can require walking over 500 m through markets and alleys.

Although minibuses to Mbare depart from the 4th Street Terminal in Central located at 4th and Mugabe, it may be worth taking a taxi, which will be able to find a bus to your destination for you.

Luxury buses including Eagle Liner/Greyhound/Intercape arrive and depart from the modern Roadport terminal at 5th & Mugabe.

Harare is very spread out. The best option to get around is by car, which is easier now that dollarization has made fuel shortages a thing of the past. Fuel is freely available at most outlets for cash or through a coupon system.

Most operators now import fuel by themselves and prices are independently set. Most service stations close at around p.m. although there are a number that offer 24-hour service.

Taxis: in 4+1 style taxis, it is very common to fit as many as 8 people inside. Rides around town should cost about $5 for the entire cab at night, typically $2 or $3 during the day, unless you are going to the suburbs. Make sure you negotiate the price before you get inside the car

Minibus taxis are readily available with frequent services between central and all suburbs. Ask around for the terminal for your destination. Typically the fare is about $0.50c.

There is a strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and a number of the older buildings have been preserved.

The Mining Pension Fund Building at Central Avenue and Second Street is one example and many more are to be found along Robert Mugabe Road between Second Street and Julius Nyerere Way.

National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Houses not only a valuable and interesting national collection but also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of some outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings.

National Heroes Arc.

National Archives. Houses a priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries, notebooks and reports of various origins. Some of the original works of some of the greatest names in African exploration and missionary can be viewed.

Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences. Formerly the Queen Victoria Museum.

Harare City Library. Formerly the Queen Victoria Memorial Library

The Kopje. A granite hill rising above the southwest corner of central Harare, is a great place to go for views of the city.

Chapungu Sculpture Park. The vast number of rocks of black serpentine stone found around Zimbabwe, and noticeable even as you drive in from the airport, have encouraged the development of stone carvings by Zimbabwe's talented artists.

This large area has exhibitions by numerous artists.

Harare Botanical Gardens, Sandringham Dr. 68ha and hosts more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country.

Mukuvisi Woodlands, Hillside Rd, 277 hectares of remarkably preserved natural woodland that straddles the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. A variety of bird and of wild animal species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessche, wildebeest, bushbuck, steenbuck, reed buck and eland can be viewed.

All purchases in larger stores are made with US dollars, which is the national currency.

Anything made locally is inexpensive. Packets of Zimbabwe cigarettes cost $0.50. Everything that is imported is relatively expensive compared to South Africa. Cans of Coca-cola typically cost $1, for example.

If you want to experience shopping the way it is traditionally done in many African countries, you could stroll around at the open flea-market at Mbare.

Here tourists could feast their eyes on a colourful array of baskets, food, clothing and other items.

ATMs give US dollars. The ATMs at Ecobank, Stanbic, Standard Charted will accept most international Visa or Master cards'

Eastgate Centre, Robert Mugabe Rd. One of the largest shopping malls in Harare, centrally located.

Spar Supermarkets. there are 64 Spar stores all over Zimbabwe.

TM-Pick N Pay Supermarkers. there are over 50 TM-Pick N Pay stores all over Zimbabwe.

OK Supermarkets. there are over 50 OK stores in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's staple food is Sadza: a thick white porridge a bit like mashed potato, that's made from corn (maize) meal. It's eaten at every meal, accompanied by vegetables or meat in some form.

In Harare there are many westernised restaurants serving European or American style food, but far more exciting are the outdoor cafes:

Cafe espresso on Cork Road, Avondale, Harare has a brilliantly landscaped garden and a wifi spot - excellent coffees
40 Cork Road, Avondale, Harare is an outdoor cafe, art gallery, and sculpture garden. Very much the place to be seen.

167 Enterprise Road, Chisipite, Harare - an old house converted into a restaurant with a huge garden with a pool, an art shop, gallery etc.

With the dollarisation of the economy, there has been a big increase in the number of restaurants and coffee shops in Harare. The Zimbabwe Tourism website has also recently been upgraded.

Amanzi Restaurant, 158 Enterprise Road, Highlands. Generally considered Harare's best restaurant, Amanzi is a long ($10-15 each way) drive out of town into the upmarket suburbs but worth it. A booking is essential, or you probably will not get past the gatekeeper.

2 Coimbra, 61 Selous Avenue, corner 7th St,$5 taxi ride from the main hotels. This Portuguese restaurant has invested little in the decor but that is no problem. You go for the food, not the wall decorations, and the food is very good. Quick Service - Half a Chicken and Chips only $10 $25.

Try Chibuku, a popular local beer. It comes in "scuds" - large 2 litre brown plastic containers. The beer is lumpy and opaque beige, but is good and painfully cheap.

Shake-shake is prepackaged sorghum beer brewed in the traditional African style and is very thick and filling, and comes in milk cartons.

The locally brewed Castle, Lion, Zambesi and Bohlingers are definitely worth trying.

Harare has a vibrant club scene that goes on until the early hours.

Stars, located next to the Rainbow hotel, is a high class bar/club/lounge that plays hip hop and house music. It can be expensive but a lot of fun.

Symphony is a hip hop club/lounge very similar to Stars.

Globe Trotters, also known as GT, is a much less expensive club.

Balcony is very similar to Globe Trotters.

Beverlino Restaurant, 100 Nelson Mandela Corner Fourth/Nelson Mandela (Opposite Quality International Hotel. Beverlino Restaurant, well known for its baskets, offered a wide range of food and beverages prepared to your taste.

Wherever, you are in town, the warm savoury food will be brought to your door step. Place an order for food now.

The city boasts an internationally recognized 5 star hotel (The Meikles Hotel), but also has a significant number of three to four star hotels that offer affordable accommodation without compromising on quality.

These include The Crowne Plaza Monomotapa, The Cresta Lodge and The Holiday Inn. There is now only one cheap backpackers lodge. Harare also has quite a number of bed and breakfast/guest houses, mostly set in former residential houses with extensive gardens.

Small World Backpackers Lodge, five avenue and Ninth street in down town Harare. and At the corner of Ridge and Argyle in Avondale.

It costs $12 per person in the dorm and $7 per person camping. some private rooms are available. the only backpacker hostel in Harare. $7/$12.

Bowood Lodge, est House, 8, Gu Bowood Road, Mount Pleasant, North Harare, has 4 double rooms. It is set in beautiful grounds and has internet and a pool.

Very peaceful. Costs are around $75 per night for bed & breakfast. Evening meals are also available.

Cresta Oasis, Nelson Mandela Way. Three-star hotel just to the east of the Central Business District (walkable during the day, not advisable at night). Around $100.

Simba Harare, est House, 522, Gu Westgate, New Adyllin, North Harare, has 8 double rooms, and a large swimming pool. Own water supply (borehole) and el (Solar energy). Internet. Safe.

Costs are from $20 per night (cabin) to $ 50(Main House) for bed & breakfast.Larger groups have been accommodated. Airport pickup arranged per request.

1 Crowne Plaza Monomotapa, 54 Park Ln, Northwest corner of the Central Business District. Backing onto the Harare Gardens park, this moon-shaped hotel provides comfortable accommodation.

2 Holiday Inn, Samora Machel Ave.

3 Meikles Hotel, Jason Moyo Avenue,Next to Africa Unity Square. Despite the problems experienced in Zimbabwe in recent years Meikles has managed to maintain its standards as one of Africa's best hotels.

All the usual amenities and excellent service. Prices start at $200 per night.

WiFi is available around the city provided by private from as little one as 1 USD

Walking around the town after dark should be avoided. If you leave your hotel to visit restaurants, take a taxi.

Epworth Balancing Rocks are located on Chiremba Road, 10km Southwest of Central. Looks for the signs on the left. 4th Street Terminal has frequent minibus services to the Balacing Rocks--the driver will know where to let you out.

Be careful of your personal safety inside the park. The cost is between $2 and $10 per person depending on the situation.

The condition of the roads in Zimbabwe has deteriorated dramatically in recent years since the government has failed to maintain them. Most of the country is now without street lights.

The main highways are still in a good state of repair outside of the cities: traffic is so light now that damage from trucks is minimal. You should be all right without a 4x4 unless you head into rural areas and game parks.

If you enter from South Africa, be sure that your insurance waiver is valid for travel in Zimbabwe.



Tourism Observer

BOTSWANA: San People Or Bushmen,

The Bushmen are the indigenous peoples of southern Africa. Largely hunter-gatherers, their territory spans several nations and they have called the region home for tens of thousands of years.

The tribes are well-known for the profound connection they have with their land, for their intimate knowledge of the natural world, and the delicate balance they have maintained for millennia with the environment.

The San people or Saan but also known as Bushmen, are members of various Khoisan-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer people representing the first nation of Southern Africa, whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa.

There is a significant linguistic difference between the northern people living between the Okavango River in Botswana and Etosha National Park in northwestern Namibia, extending up into southern Angola; the central people of most of Namibia and Botswana, extending into Zambia and Zimbabwe; and the southern people in the central Kalahari towards the Molopo River, who are the last remnant of the previously extensive indigenous San of South Africa.

The ancestors of the hunter-gatherer San people are considered to have been the first inhabitants of what is now Botswana and South Africa. The historical presence of the San in Botswana is particularly evident in northern Botswana's Tsodilo Hills region. In this area, stone tools and rock art paintings date back over 70,000 years and are by far the oldest known art.The San were traditionally semi-nomadic, moving seasonally within certain defined areas based on the availability of resources such as water, game animals, and edible plants. As of 2010, the San population in Botswana numbers about 50,000 to 60,000.

From the 1950s through the 1990s, the San switched to farming because of government-mandated modernisation programs. Despite the lifestyle changes, they have provided a wealth of information in anthropology and genetics. One broad study of African genetic diversity completed in 2009 found that the San were among the five populations with the highest measured levels of genetic diversity among the 121 distinct African populations sampled.

The San are one of 14 known extant ancestral population clusters. That is, groups of populations with common genetic ancestry, who share ethnicity and similarities in both their culture and the properties of their languages.

Despite some positive aspects of government development programs reported by members of the San and Bakgalagadi communities in Botswana, many have spoken of a consistent sense of exclusion from government decision-making processes, and many San and Bakgalagadi have alleged experiencing ethnic discrimination on the part of the government.The United States Department of State described ongoing discrimination against San, or Basarwa, people in Botswana in 2013 as a principal human rights concern.

The indigenous hunter-gatherer people of southern Africa prefer to be identified by the names of their individual nations, for example the:

Kung,
Xam,
Khomani,
Nusan (Nǀu),
Khwe (Khoi, Kxoe),
Naro,
Haiǁom,
Tsoa,
Auen,
Juǀ'hoan,
Kua and,
Gǀu (Gwi) and Gana.

Various terms—including San, Bushmen and Basarwa—have been used to refer to them collectively. Each of these terms has a problematic history, as they have been used by others to refer to them, often with pejorative connotations.In the 1970s, many Western anthropologists adopted the term San or Saan to refer to the people collectively, although some later switched back to the term Bushmen.

Historically San was a derogatory term meaning foragers, applied to them by pastoralist Khoikhoi rivals.The term became associated with people without cattle or people who stole cattle, and is still an ethnic slur in the central Kalahari.The term Bushmen is still widely used by others and to self-identify; however, opinions vary on whether it is appropriate as it is sometimes viewed as pejorative.

The consensus of delegates representing the people at various meetings held in the 1990s was in favour of using the term San to refer to them collectively, as it was considered the most neutral term.These meetings included the Common Access to Development Conference organised by the Government of Botswana held in Gaborone in 1993,the 1996 inaugural Annual General Meeting of the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA) held in Namibia,and a 1997 conference in Cape Town on Khoisan Identities and Cultural Heritage organised by the University of the Western Cape.

According to anthropologist Richard Borshay Lee, the term San was in general use by the people themselves by the late 1990s. Representatives of the people from WIMSA and the South African San Institute attending the 2003 Africa Human Genome Initiative conference held in Stellenbosch reiterated that they prefer to be described by either their individual group names or the collective term San.

There are regional variations in acceptable nomenclature:

The term most commonly used for them in Botswana is Basarwa,where it is accepted reluctantly. Being a Tswana word meaning those who do not rear cattle, it also has negative connotations. The term is in a noun class representing people who are accepted while an older variant Masarwa is considered offensive now.

In 1996 the different San language groups of Namibia met and agreed to allow the term San to be used externally to refer to them collectively, and the term has been used in Namibia since then.

There are no official terms for them in Angola, Zambia or in Zimbabwe. In Angola they are sometimes referred to as mucancalas,or bosquímanos (the Portuguese term for Bushmen). The terms Amasili and Batwa are sometimes used for them in Zimbabwe.

The term San has become favoured in South Africa, and is used in the blazon of the national coat-of-arms. The South African San Council representing San communities in South Africa was established as part of WIMSA in 2001.The people are also referred to as Twa by Xhosa people and Baroa by Sotho people.Bushman is considered derogatory by many South Africans, regardless of their race.A 2008 Equality Court ruling nevertheless found that the use of the Afrikaans equivalent boesman by Die Burger newspaper did not amount to hate speech in the context used.

The San kinship system reflects their interdependence as traditionally small mobile foraging bands. San kinship is comparable to Eskimo kinship, with the same set of terms as in European cultures, but also uses a name rule and an age rule. The age rule resolves any confusion arising from kinship terms, as the older of two people always decides what to call the younger. Relatively few names circulate approximately 35 names per sex, and each child is named after a grandparent or another relative.

Children have no social duties besides playing, and leisure is very important to San of all ages. Large amounts of time are spent in conversation, joking, music, and sacred dances. Women have a high status in San society, are greatly respected, and may be leaders of their own family groups. They make important family and group decisions and claim ownership of water holes and foraging areas. Women are mainly involved in the gathering of food, but may also take part in hunting.

Water is important in San life. Droughts may last many months and waterholes may dry up. When this happens, they use sip wells. To get water this way, a San scrapes a deep hole where the sand is damp. Into this hole is inserted a long hollow grass stem. An empty ostrich egg is used to collect the water. Water is sucked into the straw from the sand, into the mouth, and then travels down another straw into the ostrich egg.

Traditionally, the San were an egalitarian society.Although they had hereditary chiefs, their authority was limited. The San made decisions among themselves by consensus,with women treated as relative equals.San economy was a gift economy, based on giving each other gifts regularly rather than on trading or purchasing goods and services.

Villages range in sturdiness from nightly rain shelters in the warm spring when people move constantly in search of budding greens, to formalised rings, wherein people congregate in the dry season around permanent waterholes. Early spring is the hardest season: a hot dry period following the cool, dry winter. Most plants still are dead or dormant, and supplies of autumn nuts are exhausted. Meat is particularly important in the dry months when wildlife can not range far from the receding waters.

Women gather fruit, berries, tubers, bush onions, and other plant materials for the band's consumption. Ostrich eggs are gathered, and the empty shells are used as water containers. Insects provide perhaps 10% of animal proteins consumed, most often during the dry season.Depending on location, the San consume 18 to 104 species, including grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, moths, butterflies, and termites.

Women's traditional gathering gear is simple and effective: a hide sling, a blanket, a cloak called a kaross to carry foodstuffs, firewood, smaller bags, a digging stick, and perhaps, a smaller version of the kaross to carry a baby.

Men hunt in long, laborious tracking excursions. They kill their game using arrows and spears tipped in diamphotoxin, a slow-acting arrow poison produced by beetle larvae of the genus Diamphidia.

A set of tools almost identical to that used by the modern San and dating to 44,000 BCE was discovered at Border Cave in KwaZulu-Natal in 2012.

Historical evidence shows that certain San communities have always lived in the desert regions of the Kalahari; however, eventually nearly all other San communities in southern Africa were forced into this region. The Kalahari San remained in poverty where their richer neighbours denied them rights to the land. Before long, in both Botswana and Namibia, they found their territory drastically reduced.

Various Y chromosome studies show that the San carry some of the most divergent (oldest) human Y-chromosome haplogroups. These haplogroups are specific sub-groups of haplogroups A and B, the two earliest branches on the human Y-chromosome tree.

Mitochondrial DNA studies also provide evidence that the San carry high frequencies of the earliest haplogroup branches in the human mitochondrial DNA tree. This DNA is inherited only from one's mother. The most divergent oldest mitochondrial haplogroup, L0d, has been identified at its highest frequencies in the southern African San groups.

In a study published in March 2011, Brenna Henn and colleagues found that the ǂKhomani San, as well as the Sandawe and Hadza peoples of Tanzania, were the most genetically diverse of any living humans studied. This high degree of genetic diversity hints at the origin of anatomically modern humans.

Recent analysis suggests that the San may have been isolated from other original ancestral groups for as much as 100,000 years and later rejoined, re-integrating the human gene pool.

A DNA study of fully sequenced genomes, published in September 2016, showed that the ancestors of today's San hunter-gatherers began to diverge from other human populations in Africa about 200,000 years ago and were fully isolated by 100,000 years ago, well before the first archaeological evidence of modern behaviour in humans.

Much aboriginal people's land in Botswana, including land occupied by the San people or Basarwa, was lost during colonization, and the pattern of loss of land and access to natural resources continued after Botswana's independence.The San have been particularly affected by encroachment by majority peoples and non-indigenous farmers onto land traditionally occupied by San people.

Government policies from the 1970s transferred a significant area of traditionally San land to White settlers and majority agro-pastoralist tribes.Much of the government's policy regarding land tended to favor the dominant Tswana peoples over the minority San and Bakgalagadi.Loss of land is a major contributor to the problems facing Botswana's indigenous people, including especially the San's eviction from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

The government of Botswana decided to relocate all of those living within the reserve to settlements outside it. Harassment of residents, dismantling of infrastructure, and bans on hunting appear to have been used to induce residents to leave.The government has denied that any of the relocation was forced. A legal battle followed.The relocation policy may have been intended to facilitate diamond mining by Gem Diamonds within the reserve.

Hoodia gordonii, used by the San, was patented by the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1998, for its presumed appetite suppressing quality. A licence was granted to Phytopharm, for development of the active ingredient in the Hoodia plant, p57 (glycoside), to be used as a pharmaceutical drug for dieting.

Once this patent was brought to the attention of the San, a benefit-sharing agreement was reached between them and the CSIR in 2003. This would award royalties to the San for the benefits of their indigenous knowledge.During the case, the San people were represented and assisted by the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA), the South African San Council and the South African San Institute.

This benefit-sharing agreement is one of the first to give royalties to the holders of traditional knowledge used for drug sales. The terms of the agreement are contentious, because of their apparent lack of adherence to the Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing, as outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).The San have yet to profit from this agreement, as P57 has still not yet been legally developed and marketed.

The San of the Kalahari were first brought to the globalized world's attention in the 1950s by South African author Laurens van der Post. In 1955, Van der Post was commissioned by the BBC to go to the Kalahari desert with a film crew in search of the San. The filmed material was turned into a very popular six-part television documentary a year later. Driven by a lifelong fascination with this "vanished tribe", Van der Post published a 1958 book about this expedition, entitled The Lost World of the Kalahari.

It was to be his most famous book. In 1961, he published The Heart of the Hunter, a narrative which he admits in the introduction uses two previous works of stories and mythology as "a sort of Stone Age Bible", namely Specimens of Bushman Folklore' (1911), collected by Wilhelm H. I. Bleek and Lucy C. Lloyd, and Dorothea Bleek's Mantis and His Friend. Van der Post's work is largely discredited, as it is the subjective view of a European in the 1950s and 1960s.

His opinions branded the San as simple "children of Nature" or even "mystical ecologists". That record was set straight in 1992 by John Perrot and team with the publication of the book "Bush for the Bushman" - a "desperate plea" on behalf of the aboriginal San addressing the international community and calling on the governments throughout Southern Africa to respect and reconstitute the ancestral land-rights of all San.

There are 100,000 Bushmen in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Angola. They are the indigenous people of southern Africa, and have lived there for tens of thousands of years.

Map of the Bushmen's land, Botswana

In the middle of Botswana lies the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a reserve created to protect the traditional territory of the 5,000 Gana, Gwi and Tsila Bushmen (and their neighbours the Bakgalagadi), and the game they depend on.

In the early 1980s, diamonds were discovered in the reserve. Soon after, government ministers went into the reserve to tell the Bushmen living there that they would have to leave because of the diamond finds.

In three big clearances, in 1997, 2002 and 2005, virtually all the Bushmen were forced out. Their homes were dismantled, their school and health post were closed, their water supply was destroyed and the people were threatened and trucked away.

Those who have not returned to the reserve now live in resettlement camps outside the reserve. Rarely able to hunt, and arrested and beaten when they do, they are dependent on government handouts. Many are now gripped by alcoholism, depression, and illnesses such as TB and HIV/AIDS.

Unless they are able to live on their ancestral lands, their unique societies and way of life will be destroyed, and many of them will die.

Although the Bushmen won the right in court to go back to their lands in 2006, the government has done everything it can to make their return impossible, including cementing over their only water borehole; without it, the Bushmen struggled to find enough water to survive on their lands.

The Bushmen launched further litigation against the government in a bid to gain access to their borehole. Although their application was initially dismissed, in January 2011 Botswana’s Court of Appeal ruled that the Bushmen can use their old borehole and sink new ones in the reserve as well. The judges described the Bushmen’s plight as ‘a harrowing story of human suffering and despair.’

Bushman woman Xoroxloo Duxee from the Metsiamenong community, died of dehydration and starvation in 2005 after the government blockaded the reserve and armed guards prevented her people from hunting, gathering or obtaining water, Botswana.

At the same time as preventing the Bushmen from accessing water, the government drilled new boreholes for wildlife only and allowed safari company, Wilderness Safaris, to open a tourist camp in the reserve.

The Kalahari Plains Camp was opened after Wilderness Safaris entered into a lease with the government. However, the lease made no provisions for the rights of the Bushmen on whose ancestral lands the camp sits, nor were they consulted about the venture.

While Bushmen nearby struggle to find enough water to survive on their lands, guests can sip cocktails by the camp’s swimming pool.

In addition, the government has:

Refused to issue a single permit to hunt on their land (despite Botswana’s High Court ruling that its refusal to issue permits was unlawful),

Arrested more than 50 Bushmen for hunting to feed their families,

Enforced restricted access to the reserve for the majority of Bushmen, who must now apply for a one-month permit to visit their families.

Its policy is clearly to intimidate and frighten the Bushmen into staying in the resettlement camps, and making the lives of those who have gone back to their ancestral land impossible.

Court case

In 2002 the Bushmen took the government to court. They wanted the court to rule that their eviction was illegal. Due to procedural wrangling, evidence did not start to be heard until 2004.

Although the Bushmen are Botswana’s poorest citizens, the case became the longest and most expensive in the country’s history.

239 Bushman adults put their names to the case, and another 135 adults asked to be added to it. Together with their children, they represented around 1,000 people. (Of the original 239 Bushmen, 12% died awaiting justice.)

While the case continued, many Bushmen tried to return to their homeland in the reserve. Nearly all were evicted again by the government, some of them for the third time. During the case, the key clause protecting Bushman rights in Botswana’s constitution was removed by the government.

Through the generosity of its supporters, Survival helped the Bushmen bring their case.

On 13 December 2006 the Bushmen won an historic victory. The judges ruled that their eviction by the government was ‘unlawful and unconstitutional’, and that they have the right to live inside the reserve, on their ancestral land.

The court also ruled that the Bushmen have the right to hunt and gather in the reserve, and should not have to apply for permits to enter it. Read more on this landmark ruling.

Although the government quickly announced that it would not appeal the judgment, it has since done everything it can to obstruct it.

In 2010 the Bushmen took the government to court again in a bid to access water inside the reserve. The judge dismissed their case, but in January 2011 Botswana’s Court of Appeal overturned the decision and condemned the government’s ‘degrading treatment’ of the Bushmen.

Lawyer barred

Two successful court cases have not deterred government attempts to uproot the Bushmen from their land. In 2013, the Bushmen again returned to the court to demand free access to the reserve, abolishing the government’s one-month permit policy.

But at the last minute, the Bushmen’s long-standing lawyer, British barrister Gordon Bennett, was barred from Botswana. Their case was subsequently dismissed, and the Bushmen are now left without the legal representative of their choice, in stark contravention of international law.

Diamonds

The Bushmen, Survival and many other observers believe that the Bushmen were evicted because their land is rich in diamonds.

Their reserve lies in the middle of the richest diamond-producing area in the world. There is known to be at least one major diamond deposit in the reserve, at a Bushman community called Gope. Many other ‘kimberlites’ (volcanic rock in which diamonds are found) are present in the reserve.

In May 2007 De Beers sold its deposit at Gope to Gem Diamonds, for $34 million. Gem Diamonds’ chief executive called the Gope deposit ‘a problematic asset for De Beers’ because of the Bushmen campaign.

The Botswana government approved the mine, and previously stated that Gem would not be allowed to provide the Bushmen with water. The government has, however, reserved the right to use water boreholes drilled by Gem for wildlife. Gem Diamonds claims that the Bushmen are in favour of the mine, but the Bushmen have had no independent advice on its probable impact.

Gem Diamonds has stated publicly that the Gope mine (now renamed ‘Ghaghoo’) contains a diamond deposit worth an estimated $4 billion.

The mine officially opened in September 2014.

Other companies are also involved. Petra Diamonds is exploring throughout the reserve and has identified the Gope and Kukama areas as priorities.

Tourism

Tourism is Botswana’s most important market, after diamonds.

Glossy images of Bushmen hunters are unashamedly used by Botswana’s Tourism Board to promote tourism to the country, while government authorities are doing everything they can to wipe out any last trace of the tribe.

Tourists are openly encouraged to enjoy a ‘Bushman experience’, taking trips with Bushmen to learn about their hunting and gathering survival techniques and watch them perform ‘trance-dances’. At the same time, the Bushmen are prevented from hunting and the majority are forced to live outside their ancestral land.

Survival is calling on tour operators and tourists across the globe to show their support for the Bushmen by boycotting tourism to Botswana.

Public pressure is the only way to ensure the government respects the Bushmen’s rights.

Reaction to the tourism boycott

Former Robben Island prisoner, Michael Dingake, accuses President Khama of despotism, calling on him to stop the ‘genocidal’ war against the Bushmen.
Mmegi, 12 November 2013

Richard Madden, sponsored by Wilderness Safaris, comes out against the boycott.
Daily Telegraph, 1 November 2013

Christopher Booker describes the ‘ruthless persecution’ of southern Africa’s original inhabitants.
The Spectator, 26 October 2013

The BBC’s John Simpson asks why an otherwise enlightened government treats its Bushmen so obscenely.
The Independent, 25 October 2013



Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com

RWANDA: More Destinations For RwandAir

RwandAir has now launched its seventh West Africa destination, Abidjan, as part of the airline’s continued rollout of new countries important to its strategy to connect Africa via Kigali.

This follows the start of commercial flights on Rwanda Air a month ago to Cotonou and both new destinations are expected to begin feeding traffic into the WB network via Kigali to Eastern and Southern Africa, Dubai and soon to India’s commercial capital of Mumbai.

The recently acquired first Airbus A330-200 by Rwanda Air is meanwhile making yet more maiden appearances across RwandAir’s network with the most recent deployment taking the new bird to Cotonou, Libreville and Douala, where travel agents, corporate clients, invited guests from government, diplomatic corps and the business community were able to tour the aircraft while it was on the ground in the respective cities.

Named ‘Ubumwe‘, a Kinyarwanda word for Unity, will the aircraft now commence commercial flights four times a week to Dubai first before the arrival of a second Airbus A330-300 in November will then pave the way to launch operations to Mumbai.

The airline is banking on the aircraft’s superior inflight comfort and three class cabin configuration which offers Business Class, a dedicated cabin for 21 Premium Economy Seats and an Economy Class with 18 inch seats, the widest presently on offer by commercial airlines.

RwandAir will put several schedule changes into place, aimed to make travel to and from Southern African countries faster and easier, and offering seamless connections into their trans-Africa network and to their new intercontinental destinations.

Johannesburg will revert to nonstop flights, with several traffic days earmarked for a second daily service between Kigali and South Africa’s commercial hub. This change will also facilitate onward travel to Cape Town or Durban – and vice versa – which the current schedule makes difficult at best.

Come January next year, RwandAir will put several schedule changes into place, aimed to make travel to and from Southern African countries faster and easier, and offering seamless connections into their trans-Africa network and to their new intercontinental destinations.

Johannesburg will revert to nonstop flights, with several traffic days earmarked for a second daily service between Kigali and South Africa’s commercial hub. This change will also facilitate onward travel to Cape Town or Durban – and vice versa – which the current schedule makes difficult at best.

New destination Harare, Zimbabwe will, when launched in mid January, be combined with Lusaka, Zambia in a standalone triangular service routing KGL – LUN – HRE – KGL. Flights will in fact be raised from the present three times a week to LUN to five flights a week at that stage January.

The introduction of long haul services to Mumbai and later in 2017 to London will see RwandAir tap into the market of connecting passengers with yet greater determination, to make sure that they can fill their new Airbus A330’s but also carry more traffic into their Eastern and West African networks.

All flights to South Africa will be operated on Boeing 737 aircraft and, while no confirmation has been received as yet, there is speculation that the flights from Kigali to HRE and LUN will see the Bombardier CRJ900 deployed on that route.

The lack of slots for flights from Kigali to London Heathrow is seen as the key reason why RwandAir is now eying Gatwick, the UK capital’s second busiest airport.

The airline’s CEO Mr. John Mirenge, while speaking in Abidjan / Ivory Coast after the official inaugural flight to RwandAir’s latest African destination, gave the clearest indication yet that by 2018 Europe will be on the map for Rwanda’s national carrier.

During the runup of the delivery ceremony of the airline’s first Airbus A330 in Toulouse a few weeks ago did Mr. Mirenge also mention that London may be combined with another European waypoint but would not commit if that could be Frankfurt or another European gateway. At present does RwandAir only operate in codeshare with Brussels Airlines to the European capital.

Following the delivery of two additional aircraft in November, a brand new Boeing B737-800NG and a larger Airbus A330-300 variant is a widening of destinations expected in both Africa and beyond with Mumbai the first intercontinental target of the airline’s relentless expansion drive, fully backed incidentally by the Rwanda government.

In a related development are results due to be announced very soon of the IATA audit on Safe Ground Operations, in short ISAGO, which will certify RwandAir’s ground handling unit to be compliant with global best practice and standards.

BOTSWANA: 6.5 Magnitude Earthquake Visits Botswana, Tremors Felt In South Africa

Botswana was hit Monday evening by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hours after South Africa recorded a tremor.

The 29.0 km depth quake struck at 7:40 pm local time and was felt 132km west of Moijabana in central Botswana, the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) earthquake data recorded.

The Botswana government said there were no reports of casualties in the earthquake which experts say is the largest since 1952 when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit the country.

Tremors were reportedly felt in neighbouring Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland.

ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Airlines Jets To 98 More Destinations

Mrs Hanna Atnafu, Manager Corporate Communications Ethiopian Airlines, said the airline will outdoor seven new destinations between February and June, to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Antananarivo (Madagascar), Conakry (Guinea), Oslo (Norway), Chengdu (China), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Singapore.

“With the addition of these stations, Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline group would have increased its service from Addis Ababa to 98 different international cities located across the world,” Mrs Atnafu stated in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday.

Ethiopian Airlines envisages reaching 120 international destinations worldwide by the year 2025.

According to the statement, Mr. Tewolde Gebre Mariam, Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines said: “Africa’s share of the Global Aviation is the smallest which is only around three per cent and as the largest airline group in the continent.

“We are highly concerned on the low base of air connectivity in the continent and we are setting record expansion to enable Africans enjoy safe, reliable and economical air connectivity both within the continent and between the continent and the rest of the world.”

He said looking beyond the current economic slowdown especially in the oil export dependent economies of Africa, the Airlines firmly believed that the continent would become the magnet for foreign direct investment, trade and tourism, which were the engines of air travel growth and in turn efficient air connectivity also drives socio economic development.

He said in 2016, new flights to Moroni (Comoros), WindHoek (Namibia) and Newark (United States) were launched, as well as three cities in Ethiopia: Hawassa, Kebridahar and Dembidolo.

Botswana, Zimbabwe And Zambia Resume Univisa Or KAZA Visa

In time for the peak season of travel, over the Christmas and New Year holidays have Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana resumed issuing their UniVisa, or KAZA Visa.

The signing ceremony between the three countries was used to promote culture and heritage and common transboundary conservation areas, which can now be visited by foreign tourists under one Visa regime, to be issued at the airport of entry either being Harare, Lusaka or Gaborone.

The move is expected to provide a major incentive for foreign tourists to visit more than just one of the countries in the region, helping boost visitor numbers to the parks and key attractions like the Victoria Falls.

Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Swaziland and even South Africa are due to join the KAZA UniVisa in due course, opening up a large part of SADC for foreign tourists to enter and travel under one single Visa arrangement.

This form of Visa regime was first launched for the jointly hosted UNWTO General Assembly meeting allowing attendees to cross the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia at the Victoria Falls with complete ease.

In East Africa a similar modus operandum is in place between Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya whereby tourists can at their airport of entry ask for a common tourist Visa at the cost of 100 US Dollar, saving 50 US Dollars for those who intend to travel across all three countries.

But Tanzania does not participate in these arrangements, citing the need to capacity build first, raising acid questions what they have been doing over the past decades if they still lack the capacity today to integrate into the regional EAC bloc.

Elephants In Africa.

It took two years, 81 aircraft and 286 crew flying 494 000 kilometres across 18 countries and the support of 90 scientists to count Africa’s savanna elephants. The final tally was an extremely worrying 352 271.

The team was led by Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders and supported by a $7-million grant from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and his sister, Jody, and was the largest African wildlife survey ever undertaken.

The results of the Great Elephant Census (GEC) are a wake-up call. Elephant numbers in all but a few African states are declining, some alarmingly. In the countries surveyed, savanna elephants are dropping by eight per cent a year, mainly due to poaching. The population in the countries surveyed now stands at an estimated 352 271.

Between 2007 and 2014, in 15 countries where reliable previous counts were available for comparison, populations were found to have declined by 144 000 or 30%. In Tanzania the population has plummeted by a shocking 60% in five years, in Mozambique by 53% over the same period.

The GEC forms the crucial backbone of an elephant status report to be issued by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Hawaii on Friday. [Subs Sept 2] Two counts will probably be added: Namibia with 22 711 and South Africa with an extra 9 000 (only Kruger Park and Tuli enclave were included in the GEC survey).

Forest elephants counts are unreliable varying from 50 000 and 190 000 following a 2011 census. Since then poaching has escalated dramatically. If taken at 50 000, that would put Africa’s elephant population at around 434 000.

According to the GEC report to be issued in the PeerJ Journal tomorrow [Subs: Sept 1], Africa is estimated to have been home to around 20 million elephants before European colonization. As recently as the 1970s this stood at around one million. A wave of poaching in the 1970s and 1980s decimated populations in many areas and a renewed outbreak beginning around 2005 led to the deaths of a further 30 000 elephants a year.

When the GEC census began, elephant counts in many areas were out of date or mere guesses. Its goals were to discover the number and distribution of savanna elephants over most of their range and provide a continental baseline for future surveys.

The count excluded forest elephants which require labour-intensive ground tallies. Their numbers there are not encouraging. A forest survey was done in 2013 and found that between 2002 and that year the forest elephant population declined by 62%, losing 30% of its geographical range.

Important findings by the survey team were that:
– Across the entire research area, elephant deaths are exceeding the birthrate.
Poaching in Niassa (Mozambique) and Selous (Tanzania) reduced the elephant population by 75% in 10 years.

– Populations in the West Zambezi ecosystem in Zambia plummeted from 900 to just 48 elephants between 2004 and 2015.

– Elephants are likely to become locally extinct in Mali, Chad and Cameroon if current trends continue.

– Protected areas are failing to shield elephants from poaching. And 16% of savana elephants (50 000) are not in protected areas.

– Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are the good news, with relatively large elephant populations which are increasing or declining only slightly.

– Of the total African savana population counted by the GEC, Botswana has 37%, Zimbabwe 23%, Tanzania 12% and South Africa 8%.

– According to the PeerJ report, the census recorded 201 poacher’s camps and 3.39 million head of cattle in the survey area. ‘This suggests that conflict between humans and elephants is widespread. In elephant range areas, human populations are projected to double by 2050.’

According to the report, it is ‘hoped that this survey will encourage people across Africa and around the world to protect and conserve elephant populations.

‘The future of savanna elephants depends on the resolve of governments, conservation organizations and people to apply the GEC’s findings by fighting poaching, conserving elephant habitats and mitigating human-elephant conflict. With populations plunging in many areas, urgent action is needed to reverse these ongoing declines.’

SOUTH AFRICA: South African Tourists In Zimbabwe Decline,Weak Rand To Blame

Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi

South African tourist arrivals in Zimbabwe have declined sharply by about half — and the weak rand was to blame, Tourism minister Walter Mzembi has said.

Mzembi at the African Union summit in Kigali, Rwanda, over the weekend said that Zimbabwe used to have about 2,1 million tourists arrivals in the country, of which almost 1,5 million were South African.

“It went down by almost 50%, and that is not assisting the struggling economy,” he said of the economic situation in the country.

“The bullish United States dollar has made Zimbabwe as a destination uncompetitive for South Africans and anyone not using US dollars,” he said.

Mzembi said Zimbabwe’s economy “has been gliding through a recession some time” on the back of declining productivity as well as the “bullish” US dollar — which is the main currency in use in Zimbabwe.

He said 70% of Zimbabwe’s imports were from South Africa, and 77,8% of its exports went through the country and about two million lived in South Africa “as part of our Diaspora”.

“You can’t disregard or wish away umbilical relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe,” he said.

Mzembi said recent measures by Zimbabwe to curb imports from South Africa were adopted to arrest the country’s decline in productivity, but he admitted the measures “could have been conceived better”.

He said, for instance, the ban on the importation of South African goods that were also being manufactured in Zimbabwe also counted for ordinary travellers carrying household goods, and these have now been exempted.

“You want to allow space for the travelling public to be able to import within duty remit,” he said.

Other issues related to the ban, including the concerns raised by small traders who protested against it earlier this month, would be discussed “on a bureaucratic” level with South Africa’s trade and industry department, he said.

Asked how the country would deal with traders exporting goods from South Africa to other countries via Zimbabwe, Mzembi said the implementation of this still needed to be finalised.

“All the unintended consequences have been acknowledge. The current exercise is to review and smoothen the implementation,” he said.

“If there are any issues that need to be escalated at a political level, politicians will be engaged,” he said, adding that it wasn’t at this stage yet.