Zimbabwe seeks to sell 76 tonnes of ivory

Government is seeking permission to sell stockpiles of elephant ivory and rhino horn worth over $12 million that it cannot sell due to an international obligation that bans trade in endangered species.

Zimbabwe subscribers to the Convectional on International Trade in Endangered Species of flora and fauna (Cites) a global wildlife monitoring body.

The minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Saviour Kasukuwere said Zimbabwe should lobby the international community to be given permission to sell its ivory.

Kasukuwere said in the past wildlife positively contributed to the country's economic growth through tourism and other initiatives such as the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources.