Stories

A United States embassy official had to spend two days at Hammond Ranch in the Save Valley Conservancy area after the owner, George Hulme, a United States citizen, said his farm was under threat.

(134 VIEWS)

The manager of the Save Valley Conservancy, the largest private conservancy in Zimbabwe, went to lengths to dispel the government’s impression that Save Valley was a cash cow eight years ago.

(71 VIEWS)

The leader of the opposition in Mozambique Afonso Dhlakama arranged for Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai to meet former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and current President Armando Guebuza during the political stalemate following the indecisive 2008 elections.

(74 VIEWS)

The government threatened to nationalise the Save Valley Conservancy reported to be the largest private wildlife reserve in Africa and had even recommended an indigenous partner for the owners.

(139 VIEWS)

Zimbabwe’s economic future was tied to a large extent to wildlife preservation in national parks and conservancies so as settlers moved onto national park and conservancy lands, the space for wildlife decreased and the flora and fauna required for their survival disappeared. 

(78 VIEWS)

There were fears that the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front wanted to increase its political patronage when The Herald reported that the government intended to abolish title deeds and replace them with 99-year leases with wildlife and game conservancies being limited to 25-year leases.

(95 VIEWS)

Debate about how Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front bigwigs from Masvingo are trying to cash in on the Save Valley Conservancy is not new but European countries are threatening to withhold aid over the issue. The debate about the Save Valley Conservancy, the biggest private conservancy on the continent, has been going on for more than a decade. Like anything else, it is a fight for wealth, immense wealth. Here The Insider tries to bring the subject into perspective through what was written by the United States embassy in Harare up to 2010. There are 26 Wikileaks cables on the Save Valley Conservancy. Here they are:

(65 VIEWS)

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has been unable to attract foreign investment despite the economic stability that the country has enjoyed since the establishment of the inclusive government three years ago but investors were scrambling for business opportunities at the height of turmoil in the country.

(144 VIEWS)

The Movement for Democratic Change parallel voting centre which was set up to counter vote-rigging by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front in the 29 March elections did not have the intended impact because the party waited too late to get it going.

(183 VIEWS)

Special Affairs Minister John Nkomo left United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Joseph Sullivan baffled when he dodged all the key issues that the American envoy wanted to know.

(88 VIEWS)