Zimbabwe gov to implement Wildlife-Based Land Reform Policy

The Zimbabwe government is now implementing the Wildlife-Based Land Reform Policy after five years of resistance from conservancy owners.

This will see 59 indigenous people getting leases from the Government or sharing conservancies with white for-mer owners.

The Government has promised to tackle any operational problems that might arise.

Thirty-nine indigenous people were allocated leases in Masvingo, 21 in the Midlands, and three in the Matabeleland region.

In an interview on Monday, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director-general Mr Vitalis Chadenga said: "Implementation of Wildlife-Ba-sed Land Reform remained one of the unfinished businesses of the country's land reform programme.

"The policy has been on our shelves for more than five years and for a variety of reasons, its implementation had remained elusive.

"We held 15 meetings over the years towards implementation of the Wildli-fe-Based Land Reform Policy with no tangible results.

"This time around, the implementation has taken off and Government has undertaken to solve any policy ope-rational problems that might arise."

He said the Parks Authority would like to see a viable and profitable wild-life sector.

The authority's role is confined to regulation and support for the private wildlife industry.

"However, while we held workshops and engaged in seemingly endless meetings, the resource base on farms was under severe threat as evidenced by habitat loss and relentless poaching, he said.

"Chiredzi Conservancy is a pale sha-dow of its past with the same story repeating itself in Bubiana and smaller game ranches throughout the country.

"Government remains committed to having wildlife managed by landow-ners themselves to promote commercial production and services.

"However, there is also the expectation that other players must be allo-wed on board."

Save Valley Conservancy represen-tative, Mr David Goosen, welcomed the development.

"The Save Valley Conservancy is pleased to be part of the process of furthering the interests of conservation and finding a way forward for genuine indigenous investor participation in the wildlife industry.

"The Save Valley Conservancy has always been proactive in including its surrounding communities in the benefits of conservation, which will set new standards of confidence for all and safeguard the wildlife heritage of Zimbabwe for future generations," he said.