TENDAI BHEBHE IN BULAWAYO
Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister, Mangaliso Ndlovu, says the long standing conflict between Lodzi and Matupula Safaris is negatively affecting the operations of Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) programmes.
Government established the CAMPFIRE programme in the early 1980s to ensure that communities benefit from wildlife resources in their areas.
The programme is managed through rural local authorities which after generating funds, distribute them to wards for development programmes after a needs assessment.
Seven years ago, the government granted Lodzi hunters a hunting license which encroached on boundaries that existed resulting in the two camps taking each other to courts.
“There have been some disputes between the hunters [Lodzi and Matupula Safaris] here in Tsholotsho. They have been getting concessions within Tsholotsho under the CAMPFIRE programme.
There are some legacy issues that happened a few years ago 2015 /2016 that in our view were getting into the way of the efficient operations of the campfire programme,” Ndlovu said.
In some communities, schools, clinics, and roads have been built using CAMPFIRE funds.
Ndlovu urged the two hunters to work together.
“There were issues of territorial space, with some feeling that others encroached into other’s space. And they ended up taking the matters into court to try and resolve which is their right but we
felt that let’s work together as a family, “he said.
Ndlovu said his ministry will soon launch a revised CAMPFIRE programme manual to ensure that communities fully benefit.
“We still see councils using these funds at their discretion.
These funds are for communities and are not necessarily to run council budgets. So, we will be very strict on that issue and there has to be transparency in terms of how the funds are used,” he said.
