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AFRICAN INDABA

News From Africa

CAR

The US State Department has renewed its Travel Warning on the Central African Republic, recommending against all non-essential travel outside of the capitol of Bangui. The warning even addresses big game hunters, stating armed poachers pose a threat in north central CAR and in and around the Parc National de Bamingui-Bangoran. Travelers are told to stay out of northwestern and northern CAR, particularly areas bordering Chad. Download the warning at State Department's travel web site.

Namibia

The global credit crunch threatens to impede the short- to medium-term development of trophy hunting in the country. Local operators are reporting an increase in the cancellation and postponement of advance trophy hunting safari bookings for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.“The prospects for the international safari industry have been negatively affected by the current global economic challenges. At most conventions the attendance by potential buyers, and bookings, were drastically down,” said Marina Lamprecht.in an interview reported by New Era on April 22.

Namibia 

The auction of eight big game concessions and three black rhino permits took place on April 22^nd and raised a total of 13.6 million Namibian Dollars (ca 1.4 million US$). One black rhino permit went for N$ 1.7 m and two for N$ 1.5 each. Only one black rhino per year will be hunted, however. The Mahango concession in Bwabwata National Parks was sold for N$ 3.4 m and includes amongst other game 10 elephant and 4 buffalo. The eastern Kavango concession with 8 elephant amongst other game went for N$ 2.1 m. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, said this was the first Ministry auction and the money generated from the auction will be put into the Ministry’s Game Products Trust Fund, which funds conservation work in Namibia.

South Africa/USA

Rowland Ward closed the office in Dallas, Texas. “Unfortunately, the global financial crisis and particularly its effect on North America has left us with no choice”, said Jane Halse, Managing Director of Rowland Ward. “Being a proud company with a long history of actively supporting the hunting and shooting fraternities over many years, it was with great reluctance that Rowland Ward has been obliged to face the inevitable. We are aware that, in doing so, we will have not only inconvenienced many of our loyal supporters and customers but have let them down as well. We apologize, most sincerely. We will also do our level best to minimize the inconvenience and, to this end, will ensure that deliveries to North America will be airmailed from our Johannesburg office at no additional cost than had they been shipped from the Dallas offices. As soon as the conditions allow, we fully intend to re-establish a North American presence. Our office in Johannesburg remains as active and enthusiastic as ever and, after the positive results of the AIM Show in a Johannesburg, southern Africa’s premier hunting show, are cautiously optimistic that, in Africa at any rate, hunters and the hunting industry are starting to come to terms with the changed worldwide economic circumstances” the statement of Rowland Ward concluded.

Tanzania

As global recession continues to bite, some tour operators here have started laying-off workers one of them being Thomson Safaris. The firm recently laid off 45 employees out of its 140 Arusha staff. The remaining ones will endure 10 percent cut from their usual monthly salary packages.The company's confirmed tourists bookings had dropped by as much as 40 percent. Mustafa Akonaay the executive for Tanzania Association of Tour Operators said firms whose customer bases were in either United States or United Kingdom, countries badly hit by recession, were bound to experience high declining number of visitors than other companies.

Tanzania

The High Court of Tanzania has ruled that the Tarangire Safari Lodge were negligent in ensuring the safety of a seven-year old French boy killed by a leopard on October 1, 2005 within the precincts of the lodge. In his judgment Justice Kasukulo Sambo ruled that Tarangire Safari Lodge whose operations are inside the wildlife park did not care to beef up the security of its guests after noticing that a leopard frequented a barbecue area outside the lodge's dining hall. According to Tanzania National Parks rules and regulations, security of the people in any particular lodge was the responsibility of lodge operators. Witnesses told the Tanzanian Court during hearing process that the leopard frequented the lodge premises Wednesdays and Saturdays during barbecue dinners and has been a good attraction to lodge visitors.

Zambia

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala has dissolved management boards for Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB). Ms Namugala said at a media briefing in Lusaka on April 22 that the ministry would soon reconstitute new boards once consultations have been concluded. She said the reason for the dissolution was to streamline the management of the two institutions in the quest to reorganise the tourism sector as a key driver of the country's economic development. Ms Namugala said the tourism sector was facing numerous challenges and there was need to reposition the boards to assist the Government address the issues effectively. She said Permanent Secretary Teddy Kasonso would be managing the two institutions on behalf of the president and the country.

Zimbabwe

Rhinoceros poaching has been increasing throughout Zimbabwe including in the Lowveld Conservancies in the south of the country, home to three-quarters of the country’s surviving rhinoceroses. About 20 rhinoceroses have been shot in the area during 2008. For more than a decade, the Lowveld Conservancies have been host to a rhinoceros conservation project involving WWF, the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe, the private sector and several other conservation agencies including the International Rhino Foundation. Recent conservation work has led to the expansion of both species of African rhinoceroses in the Lowveld region, to current totals of 400 Black Rhinoceroses Diceros bicornis and 150 White Rhinoceroses Ceratotherium simum (of an estimated total, respectively, of 500 and 300 in Zimbabwe as a whole). According to Raoul du Toit of WWF, Lowveld rhinoceros conservation project manager, approximately 70 rhinoceroses have been killed in the area since 2000, where previously there had been no rhinoceros poaching at all for a period of seven years.

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Last modified: 02/15/11