Zim’s disregard of bilateral agreements reduce chances of co-hosting UNWTO
By Richard Chidza, Staff Writer
Thursday, 10 January 2013 10:59
HARARE – A repeated disregard of bilateral agreements may jeopardise
Zimbabwe’s chances of co-hosting the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly this year, German ambassador to
Zimbabwe Hans Gnodtke has said.
Gnodtke said public press reports last year seemed to insinuate the Germans
were involved in some sinister plot to secretly translocate animals from the
renowned Save wildlife sanctuary to Mozambique.
Germans are heavily invested in Save and some have lost their businesses to
cronies of President Robert Mugabe despite bilateral agreement protecting
the properties.
“Let there be no doubt, we have not made a decision on whether to
participate and at what level in the forthcoming UNWTO summit.
“If elements wishing to destroy wildlife and tourism infrastructure in
Zimbabwe protected by bilateral agreements succeed, this would seriously
affect Zimbabwe’s ability to host an international tourist conference and we
have told the authorities about our position. However, we hope that
responsibility will prevail,” said Gnodtke.
He said his country had been approached by an organisation on whose board
President Robert Mugabe sits to fund animal translocation.
“Germany was approached by an organisation called Peace Park Foundation
based in South Africa and co-founded by former South African President
Nelson Mandela. It has a honourary board of which President Mugabe and other
leaders in the region are members.
“They have suggested that since there is an overpopulation of some species
due to intelligent conservation in the Save Conservancy, translocation of
some of the animals to Gonarezhou is logical where there are decreases of
the same population species that can no-longer be sustained in the
conservancies,” Gnodtke said.
Zimbabwe is set to co-host the UNWTO with Zambia in August.