15 armed rangers for Marondera
By Isdore Guvamombe
National Parks and Wildlife Manage-ment Authority has deployed 15 armed rangers to Marondera Conservancy to protect over 2 000 plains game wild animals from landless youths who have been making frantic efforts to invade the sanctuary.
The youths from Hwedza want to turn it into farming land.
Private security guards have been manning the conservancy, where impala, eland, zebra and other plains game, roam wild and free.
Marondera Rural District Council owns the conservancy that stretches from the border of Marondera Town to the south, Murehwa to the north and Macheke to the east under the Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire).
The conservancy has in the past three weeks been under siege from landless youths from Hwedza District.
Ironically, Hwedza District is far away from the conservancy, which is closer to Murehwa than any other district.
“National Parks has seen it fit to deploy its rangers to Argosy Farm which is part of Domersville Estate, a joint venture wildlife sanctuary between Marondera Rural District Council and Mr David Worswith under Campfire. Parks public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo said her organisation has a mandate to protect wildlife regardless of who occupied the land, as long the wild animals are under threat.
“The authority’s mandate there is to secure wildlife and ensure the safety of wildlife within and outside protected areas, regardless of who occupies land.
“Any settlement on farms with wildlife must be consistent with the provisions of the wildlife-based land reform programme, which is administered by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management.