Zimbabwe sitting on stockpile of ivory worth US$700 million which it cannot sell

In most human wildlife conflict hot spot areas, elephants are second to buffalos in terms of human animal conflict.  We derive a lot of benefits from our big five in terms of tourisms revenue. However, the communities that live close to national parks face tragedy from the increased wildlife population.  To give you a vivid picture Madam Speaker, in Matabeleland North, the elephant population has increased from 49 310 to 61 531.  This was from 2021 to 2022 an increase of 12 221 and this was based on an aerial survey.

Most of the elephants are in Hwange National Park and regularly destroy people’s crops.  They kill people when they are irritated or encounter people.  Government is setting a human wildlife conflict relief fund that will provide relief for the remaining family members of those killed and relief for those injured and maimed.  The fund will be managed by ZimParks, our entity with the involvement of the communities.  In this regard, we have a programme of community consultation on how they want this fund to be structured, how it will be managed and the design of the necessary modalities for evaluations and technical assessments.

Let me point out Madam Speaker that as we provide this relief, we must not forget the challenges we have as a nation and African States as a whole with the only global biosphere with growing wildlife populations.  Otherwise other countries allowed their wildlife to disappear.  

I thank the people of Hwange and other areas as they are the reason why we are setting this fund as Government.  Zimbabwe has an ivory stockpile of 166 221.18kg from 26 906 pieces from inside and outside the parks and wildlife estate.  We have been responsible for keeping these and eliminating poaching at a very high cost which has allowed wildlife to grow.  The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITIES banned the international ivory trade in 1989.  In 1997 and 2008 recognising that some Southern African Elephant populations were healthy and well managed.  It permitted Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe to make a one-off sale of our ivory.  However, as I speak, we have a whole pool of ivory with a stock net worth of USD 700 million that we are not allowed to sell.  

As an international law abiding country we have complied and are being pushed to keep this stock.  I am glad Hon. Speaker that the Parliament of Zimbabwe, the Senate, the Traditional Leaders from Hwange and other areas, civil society organisations and progressive development sector players have joined Government in fighting this unjustified ban from CITES.  CITES allow us to trade within the guided international law.  If we all do this, we will be able to ensure that people of Hwange and other estates, especially the hot spots are protected while we engage in sustainable wildlife management.  I thank you.

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