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ZCTF report October 2010
Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF)
October 11, 2010

Wildlife slaughtered for Zanu PF rally

Last Thursday, 7th October 2010, in Gokwe, President Robert Mugabe held a ZANU PF rally combined with the official opening of the Women's Empowerment Bank.

In order to entice people to attend this event, 3 elephant, 3 buffalo and a number of smaller animals were shot and cooked. It is common knowledge that under the current economic climate, many people in the rural areas are starving and will make an effort to attend any function where free food is available.

Villagers resort to eating baboon meat

The baboon population in Mwenezi is in danger of being wiped out as villagers in the area have resorted to eating them in an effort to avert hunger and starvation.

Prior to the Land Reform Programme in 2000, Mwenezi had an abundance of wildlife but everything was slaughtered by the land invaders shortly after 2000. Baboons are now the only animals left there.

Mwenezi is a very dry area, suitable only for game farming and the villagers say they are now killing the baboons in desperation in order to feed their families. Under normal circumstances, humans would not dream of eating baboon meat but the villagers feel they have no option since their appeals to the government for assistance have fallen on deaf ears.

26 suspected rhino poachers arrested in South Africa

We would like to congratulate the South Africa Police, National Parks and the Hawks for their sterling efforts in trying to combat the rhino poaching problem in South Africa. In the past few weeks, 26 suspected rhino poachers have been apprehended.

Amongst those arrested was a large group of 11 suspects, including well known South African businessman, Dawie Groenewald and his wife, Sariette. The Groenewalds own Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris - an outfit that has frequently been linked to illegal hunting and poaching. The 11 poachers were released on bail pending the court case in April 2011. Dawie Groenewald wasted no time paying his bail of one million rand.

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