Safari players await US decision on ivory banMay 19, 2017
THE Safari Operators’ Association of Zimbabwe (Soaz) is awaiting a decision by the United States over an ivory ban which has crippled its operations and severely reduced its revenue base, businessdigest has learnt. By Kudzai Kuwaza The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a suspension on imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies taken in Tanzania and Zimbabwe during the calendar 2014 year which resulted in business slumping by as much as 30%. “In Zimbabwe, available data, though limited, indicates a significant decline in the elephant population. Anecdotal evidence, such as the widely publicised poisoning last year of 300 elephants in Hwange National Park, suggests that Zimbabwe’s elephants are citing under siege,” the organisation said, citing the reason of the ban. “Given the current situation on the ground in both Tanzania and Zimbabwe, the Service is unable to make positive findings required under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) and the Endangered Species Act to allow import of elephant trophies from these countries.” “We have gone as far as satisfying their requirements for the information they requested,” Fundira said. “We are now awaiting a decision when they meet in the next indaba. We are expecting some form of response from them by the end of June.” “Republicans are more pro-sustainable development which is a positive sign for a favourable outcome,” he said. He said business has improved as their efforts to create alternative markets in areas such as Eastern Europe are starting to bear fruit.
Spotted hyenas rarely die from disease: we set out to discover why
For instance, my father was one of 11 kids. Anyone late for dinner ran the risk of not getting enough food to eat. The same principle applies to spotted hyenas, although they use a different language. Hyena social groups, or clans, are highly organised and the complexity of social interactions rivals that of most primate societies. Their communication repertoire – such as their laugh – includes many types of vocalisations that help to maintain social order without the need for actual fights. But there’s another attribute that renders these species remarkable: they rarely die from infectious disease. Periodic outbreaks of rabies and canine distemper viruses have killed vast numbers of lions, wild dogs, and other carnivores. But not hyenas. This is well documented in a 25-year long project led by Professor Kay Holekamp which involved intense monitoring of spotted hyenas in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. Questions about how and why spotted hyenas are able to survive exposure to pathogens that kill other species drove my research on their immune system. Immune system
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MARCH 2017
Zimbabwe has been blessed with prolific and widespread rains this summer. Dams have filled and the countryside is looking magnificent.
In Hwange National Park, the bush is thick and lush. The camel thorns (Acacia Erioloba) sport a bountiful crop of nutritious pods, prized by wildlife for their protein content. They ripen and drop in the dry, winter months when food is scarce, and are greatly relished by many herbivores, especially elephants. The teak forests (Baikaeia Plurijuga) are a picture, the deep green leaves a beautiful foil for multitudes of pretty pinky-purple blooms on the trees. The grass is very tall, full of fat seedheads waving in the wind and already it is changing from vibrant green to beautiful muted shades of amber and gold, a sign of the changing of the season.
Many natural hollows and dips throughout the park are filled with water. For the first time in decades, we stand ready to start the dry season with pans full and all the solar water pumps in great working order.
A major recent achievement by FOH has been a reliable water supply in Main Camp. While our focus is primarily on animals, it is important too to look after the people on the ground, most of who do a good job under difficult circumstances. The entire staff complex as well as the facilities for visitors now have plentiful water powered by a solar pump. We extend gratitude to The Phatisa Foundation who funded this project.
We have supplied the Main Camp clinic with essential drugs and supplies thanks to funds donated specifically for that purpose. Sister Mhlanga is responsible for the National Parks clinics from Victoria Falls in the north to Tuli in the South – 19 stations in all. She will soon be on her way to visit the rural districts to administer necessary care and treatment. We are much indebted to the donor who has made this possible.
There is still much to be done. There are two solar projects to tackle and complete. Jambile pan needs another borehole with a solar water pump as the one it has at present cannot supply sufficient water for wildlife at the height of the dry season. And we would like to install a solar pump system in the south of the park at Beaver that is an important station for rangers and drinking point for wildlife.
Of major concern this year due to such abundant vegetation are firebreaks. We plan to burn proper, effective firebreaks throughout the park as soon as it is dry enough to do so. We intend to ramp up animal rescue work with particular regard to anti-poaching and snare removal. We would like to help improve the main road from Main Camp to Sinamatella that has long been a source of much concern.
We extend thanks to ZOL who sponsor our Internet links in Main Camp and enable us to reach may people through social media. We do need ongoing support in our endeavours to conserve the wildlife of Hwange. We make sure that every dollar counts.
Trustees: D.C. Dell; B. Edwards; B. Wolhuter; D. St Quintin; Dr. K. Jenkins; G. J. Brebner Copyright © 2017 The Friends Of Hwange Trust, All rights reserved The trust sends out irregular newsletters about the work done by the trust and fund raising events. Our mailing address is: The Friends of Hwange Trust, 66 Nelson Mandela Ave, Harare, Zimbabwe Add us to your address book |
SOME GREAT WORK HAPPENING IN ZAMBIA
Coffee time ...
https://thelivingstoneweekly.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/tlbw19apr17-compressed.pdf
Inside:
This is why we should all buy COMACO products in Zambia. COMACO products are sold under the name It’s Wild.
https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/videos/10154313742456479/
Alexander Amuli M'betti Makanga to Central African Wilderness Safaris
During a boat safari at Mvuu camp an Elephant had a lucky escape from crocodile jaws on 10.04.2017
https://www.facebook.com/alexander.makanga/videos/10154418653681517/
07 May 2017
Clement Uwiringiyimana
Poachers wiped out Rwanda's rhino population. Now a new set from South Africa is expected to help the economy.
Tourism is a key foreign exchange earner in East Africa. (AFP)
A decade after poachers wiped out its native population of rhinos, Rwanda has reintroduced the animals to its national parks after flying up a group of 10 from South Africa on Tuesday.
The group will live at Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, protected by rangers trained in anti-poaching, and an electric fence.
Rhino horn, used as daggers and in traditional Asian medicine, is more expensive than gold or cocaine. It can sell for more than $50 000 per kilo.
“With rhinos reintroduced in Akagera National Park we now actually have a Big Five definition. Definitely, that’s going to attract the attention of tourists,” she said, referring to Africa’s famous Big Five animals – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard.
Tourism is a key foreign exchange earner in East Africa. Rwanda, which is still heavily dependent on foreign aid after the 1994 genocide tore the nation apart, has been seeking to boost the sector.
Tourism generated $404-million from 1.3m visitors in 2016, and revenues are expected to climb 14 percent to 460-million in 2017.
Jes Gruner, the Akagera National Park manager, said the park was expecting nine more rhinos next week. The rhino arrivals follow the successful reintroduction of lions into the park in 2015. The number of lions has increased from seven to 17.
“Right now we are going to focus on lions and rhinos but another species that was wiped out from Akagera is the wild dog, so that is something to be considered in the future,” Gruner said.
Endangered gorillas on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains are Rwanda’s main tourist attraction, generating 90 percent of tourism revenues through trek permits, travel and accommodation.
Last year Akagera earned $1.3-million from 36 000 visitors.
Rwanda has to compete for tourists with regional heavyweights Kenya and Tanzania, both far bigger countries with a much more established tourist industry. – (Reuters)
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Trophy hunting of large carnivores in southern Africa is a hotly debated topic. This was evident after Cecil the lion was shot and killed in Zimbabwe last year.
One argument in support of trophy hunting is that, if done sustainably, it can benefit conservation by providing much needed funding.
But how do we know which populations of animals can sustain trophy hunting? In South Africa there has been a temporary moratorium on trophy hunting of leopards since 2016.
This is because there is “uncertainty about the numbers”, according to John Donaldson, director of research at the South African National Biodiversity Institute.
There is every reason to argue that leopards should be managed very carefully. They are of increasing conservation concern, and have recently been uplisted to vulnerable on both the global and South African national Red List assessments.
Working in South Africa’s Soutpansberg Mountains, we set out to fill in some of the gaps in our understanding of this vulnerable species.
In 2008 the mountains had one of the highest recorded population densities (the number of animals per 100 km²) of leopards in Africa outside of protected areas. But our new study shows that since then leopard density has declined by two thirds. Unless things change they will disappear from the area by 2020. The biggest threat to these animals appears to be illegal human activity such as shooting without permits, snaring and poisoning.
Based on our findings we believe that trophy hunting isn’t responsible for the precipitous decline in numbers. Nevertheless, it’s important that the moratorium is extended while researchers such as our collaborators at Panthera assess whether these results are representative on a broader scale. We also propose stepping up efforts to mitigate the impacts of illegal human activities to protect the remaining leopards.
Our findings demonstrate that although trophy hunting isn’t the cause of the leopard’s problems, it’s a luxury in this area that it cannot afford. We recommend that if the moratorium on leopard hunting in South Africa is lifted, hunting should not be permitted in zones where leopards are in rapid decline, as this would not be sustainable.
Sound management of trophy hunting is incredibly important, but our study shows that conservationists also need to increase their efforts to reduce the effects of illegal human activities on wildlife. This could have a bigger impact on enhancing the conservation status of large carnivores. We recommend helping to educate and engage with communities to reduce levels of human-wildlife conflict.
There are an array of non-lethal techniques available to manage predation, such as using livestock-guarding dogs, building robust enclosures, and herding livestock, that can be more effective at reducing predation than killing predators.
We hope that more countries follow South Africa’s lead in basing wildlife management policies on the best available scientific evidence. And if government authorities and non-profit organisations can provide greater support to communities to enable them to adopt predator-friendly practices this could be just what the leopard needs to bounce back.
WTM Africa is coming soon. This 3 day event was established as part of Africa Travel Week. It will be held in the Cape Town International Convention Centre [CTICC] from 19-21 April. It is the only inbound and outbound B2B travel show in Africa. ZTOA has been accorded Association Partner status. This event is the meeting place for the African travel industry and offers many opportunities for professional networking and research into new products and services. Nearly 5000 travel professionals are expected to attend. More than 500 exhibitors will participate in WTM Africa:
A full programme of educational events will run concurrently with the fair. Experts will share their knowledge and perspective on trends in the industry, from technology development to sustainability and much more. All paid up members are invited to drop 10 business cards into the Mukuvisi office to be distributed on your behalf. If your subs are not up to date please refer to the office to determine your outstanding balance. Cards will be collected on Thursday morning this week. Business Reporter Fastjet has increased the number of flights on its route between Harare and Victoria Falls in response to strong passenger demand. The airline, which previously operated three weekly flights on the route on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, has added a Friday flight from 7 April 2017 to provide passengers with a convenient weekend away service. Tickets for the additional flights are already on sale, with fares starting from $20 one-way, exclusive of all relevant government taxes of $18. http://www.herald.co.zw/fastjet-increases-number-of-flights/ Min of Transport Dr Joram Gumbo receives EthiopianAirlines MD to Zimbabwe - March 2017 Fantastic touchdown! Vic Falls comes alive. Ethiopian Airways' inaugural flight from Addis Ababa has arrived here. A Boeing 737-700. Matilda Simboti - from AIR ZIM VIC FALLS who is doing a great job
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One of the two stray lions that killed 12 cattle and four donkeys in Hurungwe West over the past five weeks, has been gunned down.
Nairobi National Park is on the southern edge of Kenya’s capital The killer lion was shot dead around 9pm last Friday after Hurungwe Rural District Council (HRDC) engaged a professional hunter to kill the elusive predator that had imposed a “curfew” on villagers in Ward 24.
The lion is one of adult males that strayed into Deve Point 4 area (Ward 24) last month before killing nine cattle and a donkey in the space of two weeks. HRDC organised a joint operation with the National Parks and Wildlife Authority to kill the cats. The team of rangers only managed to kill one lion, while the other escaped.
The runaway lion continued to terrorise the area and killed three cattle and two donkeys by last Friday. The shooting of the cat was accompanied by wild celebrations in Deve Point 4 where villagers said order and normalcy had been restored.
Of late, in Deve Point 4 where both lions were gunned down, some villagers had resorted to penning their cattle and donkeys in kitchen huts and tobacco barns, to secure them from the ferocious cat.Noah Pito —
For five weeks between February and March this year, villagers of Deve Point 4 in Hurungwe West had to relive the chilling Ian Smith-regime era of curfews after two male lions — believed to have strayed from a national park in Gokwe — seized control of the area. Upon slipping into the area, the villagers say the cats spent two nights of continuous roaring with only elders with knowledge about lions recognising that the kings of the jungle had besieged the area.
Chrispen Mangena (45) of Marecha Village and Honest Mashoko (49) of Gono Village, who assist the Hurungwe Rural District Council in monitoring problem animals in Ward 24, last week narrated how the lions imposed a gruelling five-week curfew on the villagers while feasting on their livestock.
“The signal they gave on their arrival was continuous roaring during the night. Most of the people here had never heard the sound of a lion. It was through elders with knowledge about lions that most villagers came to realise that the sounds were from lions in our midst,” said Mangena.
Regis Bakasa of Tafirenyika Village lost a cow to the cats. His cattle pen was destroyed as the cattle tried to stampede to safety. What was to be recovered the next morning was a small piece of the backbone, some entrails and the head. The cats also devoured the foetus in the womb of the cow.
“We also discovered that most of the cattle targeted by the lions were pregnant ones, maybe because of the little resistance they would give. When one of the lions was shot during a joint operation between Hurungwe Rural District Council and National Parks and Wildlife Authority, we thought peace had prevailed but the death of the lion ignited a new era of terror as the remaining lion continued to patrol the villages roaring almost every night. This time the cat seemed more aggressive,” added Mangena.
Mashoko chipped in saying soon after the first lion was shot, villagers in Mudyanadzo, Gono and Tafirenyika did not find sleep as the remaining lion roared all the night at the spot where its partner had been shot down. Most children stopped going to school. The area had turned into the lion’s territory, roaring for nights on end and leaving its prints all over. A donkey was killed in Gorekore Village, followed by a cow in Marecha Village. Villagers realised that the only way to protect their animals was by penning them in the tobacco barns, kitchen huts or even bedrooms.
“Since the arrival of the lions, our local schools had to dismiss children as early as 2pm. The freedom of coming home late from beer drinks also stopped. There was no more going to the bus stop for travelling early in the morning. Most people had to have their supper and barricade their doors as early as 6pm,” said Mashoko.According to Mashoko, during the night of March 20 — four days before the second rogue lion was shot down, the cat visited Gono village where it pounced on penned cattle belonging to one Muzvazva. “When Muzvazva heard the sounds from the disturbed cattle, he shouted out to neighbours for help, it was around 11pm. We rushed there and we were about 20 men. It was a few moments after the lion’s usual nocturnal roaring. We burnt thatch grass we pulled from our huts.
“We gave the lion no chance to kill the cow it had targeted. Some wielded axes, some had spears and knobkerries while some threw stones at it. Those with torches in hands flashed at it, as others beat tins to scare it away. We finally chased it before it killed its target, although the cow sustained serious injuries.
“Despite disturbing it that day, it killed an in-calf cow the next day from a kraal in Tafirenyika Village. This is why people resorted to using kitchen huts, barns, or even spare bedrooms while others without such option had to sleep close to their cattle pens with bonfires to scare away the cat,” said Mr Mashoko.
Ward 24 councillor Faro Kuyerukani said the killing of the second lion by a professional hunter brought peace to Deve Point 4 area. Councillor Kuyerukani, who was distributing grain under drought relief programme at Deve Bussiness Centre last Wednesday, said before the second lion was killed it had become difficult for him to assemble villagers as people feared the dangerous cat. “We could not assemble as people were afraid of being attacked. The animals had really imposed a curfew on the villagers. Parents who stay far from the schools had since stopped their children from going to school. Business has returned to normal. People are now working on their tobacco without any fear. Today I just received a report that some animals that survived attacks in pens are now refusing to move back into the pens from the barns, huts etc where they had been temporarily sheltered,” said Councillor Kuyerukani.
After the lions had killed nine cattle and a donkey during their first two weeks in Hurungwe council organised a joint operation with National Parks and Wildlife Authority to kill the cats. The team of rangers managed to kill one of them as the other one escaped. The runaway lion continued to roam the area and later killed five cattle and two donkeys by the time it was shot down by a professional hunter around 9pm on March 24.
This brought the total number of cattle and donkeys lost to the cats to 14 and three respectively since the arrival of the lions in the area. Hurungwe RDC CEO Joram Moyo said, “It is our mandate as council to ensure that problem animals are quickly dealt with each time they stray into communities. It is our responsibility to protect life and property from dangerous animals. People must enjoy their peace and freedom as usual.” To some people, the straying of the lions into Deve Point 4 had opened them an opportunity to see a real lion for the first time. A teacher at Deve Primary School said, “Tourism has come to our doorstep.
I have seen what could have demanded a bit of some fortune and time to visit Mana Pools or Hwange National Park.”
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KUALA LUMPUR. – Malaysian authorities have seized about $3,1 million worth of rhinoceros horns flown in from Mozambique via Qatar, the latest seizure in Asia of products from endangered species to feed demand for traditional remedies, officials said yesterday.
Malaysia is a major transit point for the trade in endangered species to other Asian countries, although a customs official told Reuters Malaysia was believed to have been the final destination of the 18 horns.
Customs officials at Kuala Lumpur International Airport found the more than 51kg of horns last Friday, after a tip-off, packed in wooden crates in a cargo warehouse, airport customs director Hamzah Sundang told a news conference. The horns had been shipped to Malaysia via Doha, Qatar, on a Qatar Airways flight, using false documents and declared “Obra de arte” or “objects of art”, Hamzah said.
“The address of the consignee and the agent of the recipient didn’t exist. All the documentation used for the shipment were false,” Hamzah told the news conference at the airport customs complex.
No suspects had been detained and investigations were continuing, he said. – Reuters.
Garikai Mazara recently in Mlibizi, Binga
For over a fortnight between March 27 and April 15, hippopotamuses in the Mlibizi River, which feed into the Zambezi River, were dying one after another.
To the villagers from the surrounding areas, the dead hippos were manna from heaven, which meant free meat for them. Though the Zimbabwe National Parks Authority officially puts the number of dead hippos at 15, villagers said the number could have been more than 20.
“When the rangers from Parks were investigating the deaths of the hippos, they used some unorthodox means of getting information and in turn the villagers did not disclose all the information,” said Sandas Mwinde, a fisherman based in the mainly fishing settlement.
“From what we saw, the number of dead hippos could have been more than 20.”
The Parks authority, whilst putting the figure at 15, said investigations conducted with the assistance of the Department of Veterinary Services had concluded that an anthrax outbreak had claimed the lives of the hippos.
Consequently, those who ate the dead hippos contracted the disease, with two people having been said to have died from the disease. Though the Parks authority could not deny nor confirm the health impact of the anthrax outbreak on people, saying the Ministry of Health and Child Care would be better placed to comment, two people are suspected to have died, with several receiving treatment.
Nursing staff at Siansundu Clinic, where most of the affected villagers were treated, confirmed attending to several villagers and even conducting awareness campaigns to educate them on the dangers of eating dead wildlife.
However, they could not give exact figures, as they are not allowed by protocol to release such information. Efforts to get a comment from Dr Mlilo, the district medical officer for Binga were fruitless.
According to a statement released by ZimParks, the authority strengthened awareness campaigns in the entire Binga district after the mishap.
“A team involving the traditional leadership including ZimParks, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Chief Saba, the local councillor, Binga rural district council and the Forestry Commission conducted awareness campaigns educating communities on the dangers of consuming meat from the dead hippos as well as encouraging the people in the affected area to quickly seek for medical assistance once they suspected any symptoms of anthrax.
As much as the cause of the hippos have been put to natural causes, the deaths of the hippos bring to memory similar wildlife catastrophes in the country, notably the gunning down of a herd of elephants in the Gonarezhou National Park in 2010 in a smartly crafted poaching syndicate.
The deaths of the hippos also mirror the almost similar nature of deaths of elephants, this time in the Hwange National Park in 2015, in what was concluded to be another smart poaching technique using cyanide poisoning.
Whilst the official explanation has been an anthrax outbreak, what has left wildlife biologists baffled is why only a certain group of hippos were affected yet there are other groups living in the same area, seemingly unaffected – and thriving.
A wildlife biologist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is confusing that these hippos were exposed to the same conditions and only a certain group was affected.
“There could be a number of factors, from the rate of exposure to the difference of immunity, variables which cannot be ruled. So if one group has better immunity or was less exposed, the chances of contracting the disease would be minimal.”.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT FACILITATION COMMITTEE HELD ON 10 APRIL 2017 AT 1430HRS IN THE CAAZ COMMITTEE ROOM EXCOM
- all SOAZ
- all ZTOA
- all ZPGHA
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www.radiovop.com/index.php/national-news/15520-govt-orders-10km-radius-for-roadblocks.html
Government has directed police to mount only one roadblock within a 10-km radius and to submit monthly schedules on their road traffic operations countrywide.
Stations have also been ordered to harmonise such operations under a one-stop-shop arrangement, with deployment of officers being closely scrutinised.
These innovations are tailored to reduce the huge number of roadblocks which has previously been cited as an encumbrance to tourism and ease of doing business.
ZIMBABWE Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke has urged the government to urgently order the police to desist from mounting countless roadblocks on major highways, saying they were tarnishing the country’s image and frustrating foreign visitors.
By Brezhnev Malaba in Victoria Falls
Speaking at a ceremony for Kenya Airways’ inaugural flight to Victoria Falls yesterday, the ZTA chief said the roadblocks were making it difficult to market Zimbabwe as a competitive tourist destination.
Kaseke complained that on a 21-kilometre drive from the resort town to the newly-refurbished Victoria Falls International Airport, he encountered four police roadblocks.
“The Vice-President himself, when I talked to him, he said that he was going to call the Home Affairs minister [Ignatius] Chombo, to really talk about this issue. The police roadblocks are making this destination unattractive. We cannot be attractive when, from Victoria Falls town to the airport, you have four roadblocks,” Kaseke said.
Looking directly at Transport and Infrastructure Development minister Joram Gumbo at the high table, who was the guest of honour, Kaseke remarked: “I know, minister, you were not stopped, but you saw the police, you saw them standing by the road. But I am not a minister; I was stopped four times. What were they [police] asking me? They were asking me about things that are not normally asked by any policeman anywhere else in the world. And I am simply saying that this is a big, big challenge.”
Victoria Falls mayor, Sifiso Mpofu, acknowledged the problem of countless police roadblocks.
“I was hoping you would say that the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority is going to relocate its headquarters to Victoria Falls, so that we fight the roadblocks together,” Mpofu said.
Kaseke hailed the Department of Immigration, saying its efforts were contributing to the development of tourism, noting that tourists from more than 50 countries, who previously needed to apply for visas before visiting Zimbabwe, could now be issued with visas at the ports of entry.
“The principal director of immigration, the head of immigration at the moment, is doing wonders. He has worked very closely with tourism and he has moved, during the previous year, more than 50 countries from category C to category B, meaning that these countries are now getting visas at the port of entry. We are working very closely.
Transport minister Gumbo commended Kenya Airways for introducing the direct flight to Victoria Falls, whose international airport was recently upgraded at a cost of $150 million, enabling the resort town to attract world-class airlines.
“These newly introduced flights by Kenya Airways will go a long way in further boosting confidence in our country and easing the travel challenges of tourists and investors from Africa and other parts of the world. This is indeed welcome, given that the government of Zimbabwe has declared Victoria Falls a Special Economic Zone,” Gumbo said.
Kenya Airways group chief executive Mbuvi Ngunze, who arrived on the inaugural flight, said it would enhance connectivity, convenience and African integration.
“In addition to enhancing African integration, this new route will provide a boon for Zimbabwe’s tourism industry as it establishes vital links between the majestic Victoria Falls and the tourism source markets in our global network,” Ngunze added.
Victoria Falls becomes the airline’s 52nd destination and its second city in Zimbabwe after Harare, where it operates 21 flights weekly.
The direct route is serviced by a 90-seater Embraer E-190 jetliner and connects Nairobi, Victoria Falls and Cape Town. On its way back from Cape Town, the plane returns to Victoria Falls before proceeding back to its Nairobi base.
Kenya Airways becomes the third major international carrier within a month, after South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, to introduce direct flights to Zimbabwe’s premier tourist destination. Although SAA has been flying to Victoria Falls for years, it recently launched a 200-seater Airbus 330-200, the largest plane to ever land at the resort.
3 MAY 2017
https://thelivingstoneweekly.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/tlbw3may17-compressed.pdf
COFFEE TIME:
Inside
Game Rangers International
The three orphans having a thorough frolic in the mud
https://www.facebook.com/ElephantOrphanageProject/videos/1224459467665122/
African Parks
Back in the 1970’s, more than 50 black rhinos thrived in Akagera National Park, but their numbers declined due to wide-scale poaching. The last rhino was seen in Rwanda in 2007.
Until today.
https://www.facebook.com/AfricanParks/videos/971146329688039/
Red-crested Khoraan
https://www.facebook.com/africa.geographic/videos/10154250994711400/
Drones keep elephants away from people in Tanzania
PBS Newshour
https://youtu.be/p6wRFXikNVY
Africa Moyo
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has slapped hoteliers with a US$3,8 million tax bill from outstanding obligations that accrued from the 15 percent value added tax (VAT) on food sold to foreigners as part of their accommodation package, including withholding tax on commissions charged on foreign tour operators.
The new tax became effective in January 2015, but was backdated to 2010, which hoteliers naturally rejected.Hospitality players claim the added tax is an unwanted cost to business since it makes the local tourism product uncompetitive.The decision to charge VAT retrospectively it being challenged on the basis that it contravenes Section 41 (Liability for Tax in respect of certain past supplies or importations) of the Value Added Tax Act.
Last week, Zimra told The Sunday Mail Business that the taxman is owed in excess of US$3,8 million by the sector. Some companies have, however, since grudgingly thrashed out payment plans to settle the outstanding dues.Zimra board secretary and director for legal and corporate services Ms Florence Jambwa last week said, “Some of the clients have negotiated for payment terms with the Authority in order to liquidate the tax due over an agreed period.
“Zimra is also making follow ups with clients who have not negotiated for payment terms to ensure the full recovery of the VAT due in accordance with the laws of the land.” By the end of last week, the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) and the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism (ZCT) were trying to identify members that have been caught up in the dragnet. ZCT claimed last year that the Victoria Falls Hotel and Victoria Falls Lodge — both based in the country’s premium resort town — had been given a bill worth US$5,3 million.
The 113-year-old Victoria Falls Hotel, owned by Emerged Railway Properties — a joint venture between the National Railways of Zimbabwe and Zambia Railways — and jointly managed by African Sun and Meikles Africa, was said to be owing the bulk of the bill at US$4,1 million.
On the other hand, the Victoria Falls Lodge, a privately-owned lodge in the Zambezi National Park, is said to owe Zimra US$1,3 million in unpaid taxes.Listed hospitality group African Sun Limited reported in financials for the year ended December 31, 2016 that the Authority is claiming US$1,6 million on VAT and US$290 000 on withholding taxes, inclusive of interest and penalties.“The Group has contingencies relating to VAT on food and beverage sold to foreign guest before the introduction of VAT on all foreign guests revenues and withholding taxes on foreign tour operators for which, in the opinion of management and its legal counsel, the risk of loss is possible but not probable and therefore no provisions have been recorded.
“The tax matters involve inherent uncertainties including, but not limited to, court rulings, negotiations between affected parties and governmental actions,” said ASL.ZCT has been lobbying the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), which is spearheading the ease of doing business reforms, to “instruct Zimra to stop killing the already bleeding tourism industry before it is too late”.“Since July 2016, the Zimra has unleashed terror on the tourism operators particularly those in Victoria Falls for what they deem as ‘unpaid taxes’ dating back from 2010 to 2015.“Victoria Falls Safari Lodge was given a bill of US$1 260 000 (while) Victoria Falls Hotel was given a bill of US$4 100 000.
“Other industry players are currently under examination and they may also be slapped with huge bills,” said ZCT in a report last year.Currently, ZCT — the representative body for the hospitality sector — is planning to engage Government through the Ministry of Finance, to scrap the VAT and zero-rate tourism products given that the industry is already struggling to make ends meet.“We are engaging them now; they (players in the hospitality sector) have given them 90 days extension for the release of Zimra taxes and the 90 days are due to expire soon. “So we are trying to secure an appointment (with Government),” said Dr Taka Munyanyiwa, a ZCT consultant, last week. The hospitality sector wants the allegedly inconvenient taxes to be scrapped in order to afford them a chance to invest in sprucing up the local tourism product. But Zimra says levies are standard practice “and Zimbabwe is no exception”. “As you appreciate, one of the tenets of taxation is that tax laws should be applied fairly and equitably for the benefit of the country,” explained Ms Jambwa. ZCT argues that Zimra is wrongly interpreting the law by assuming that the difference between a rack rate (recommended or guiding price) and a net rate (amount invoiced by the hotel) is commission. However, according global practices, where there is a different pricing structure for wholesalers, retailers and the final consumer, the difference between the rack rate and net rate is earned by tour operators and has nothing to do with the hotel.In 2010, Zimra raised the same case with tourism players and dragged them to the Fiscal Appeals Court.It then withdrew the case in January last year.
A similar case was also preferred against the hunting sub-sector in 2003 and Zimra lost the case in the High Court.The tourism sector further claim that they sought and got written confirmation from Zimra indicating that food to foreigners as part of accommodation package was zero-rated.But Zimbabwe is not the only country charging VAT on foreign accommodation.
Countries such as Angola charge 10 percent, Malawi (16,5 percent), Mozambique (17 percent), Tanzania (20 percent), South Africa (14 percent) and Zambia (16 percent). South Africa exempts VAT on accommodation and has a tax reimbursable policy for all tourists on departure. Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Dr Walter Mzembi has previously said while other countries charge VAT, Zimbabwe needs to waive it since the industry is emerging “from a different background of debilitating EU economic sanctions applied over the last 15 years” that were only repealed in November 2014.
The US’s Zimbabwe Democracy and Recovery Act (Zidera) is however still in force.The 1988 Sales Tax Act recognised tourism as an exporter and zero-rated accommodation services in Zimbabwe to encourage effective foreign direct investment and enhanced arrivals.In 2003, the Ministry of Finance also exempted the sector when VAT was introduced to grow tourist arrivals into the country and benefit the downstream industries.
Zimra rediscovers teeth
Market watchers say the new guard at Zimra has made the Authority very aggressive.The new board, which is led by Mrs Willia Bonyongwe, is currently exploring ways to broaden the country’s tax base, especially in an environment where the informal sector is gradually eclipsing formal businesses.Zimra has since introduced electronic cargo tracking to foil unscrupulous businesspeople who were depriving the country revenue by smuggling goods on the pretext that they were in-transit.
Several fuel tankers have since been intercepted.Last week, the African Development Bank (AfDB) floated a tender for the supply and delivery of cargo tracking seals.
The project will tap from funds provided through AfDB’s Capacity Building for Public Finance and Economic Management (CBPFEM) project. Recently, Zimra also reactivated a 10 percent withholding tax on tobacco farmers without valid tax clearance certificates.Although Government later convinced Zimra to rescind the 10 percent withholding tax following protests by farmers, the law is not new since it is in line with Section 80(2) of the Income Tax Act Chapter 23:06.Similarly, Zimra has also asked small and medium enterprises to take advantage of a moratorium that lapses at the end of June, to register their operations for VAT without being charged penalties and interest for late registration. Almost 6 000 SMEs have since registered with Zimra from January to March 31, 2017. The move will see Zimra pushing up revenue collection. Given the revenue collection initiatives, Zimra announced on Friday that gross revenue collections for the first quarter of 2017 at US$862,47 million were about US$50 million more than the targeted figure.
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National Complaints Desk 04 – 703631
http://www.rbz.co.zw/assets/press-release--direct-access-to-cepecs-by-exporters-.pdf
http://www.herald.co.zw/sustainable-tourism-for-development/
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