US embassy cable - 04HARARE579

UNCLAS HARARE 000579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR JFRAZER 
USDOC FOR AMANDA HILLIGAS 
TREASURY FOR OREN WYCHE-SHAW 
PASS USTR FLORIZELLE LISER 
STATE PASS USAID FOR MARJORIE COPSON 
 
E. O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, EAID, BTIO, EINV, ECON, PGOV, ZI, Land Reform 
SUBJECT: GOZ could nationalize conservancies 
 
1. Summary:  There is increasing worry the GOZ will 
nationalize nature conservancies.  Robert Mugabe's 
Government may view redistribution of wildlife assets as 
the logical next phase of land reform.  If mishandled, 
however, such a move could harm the Zimbabwe's wildlife 
and recovery prospects.  End summary. 
 
Proposed Scheme 
--------------- 
2. An internal but widely leaked report calls for the GOZ 
to acquire private conservancies, then divide the 
businesses into multiple shares.  Half the conservancy 
shares would go to current owners, the other half to new 
black owners - both would lease wildlife lands back from 
the GOZ.  During the following five years, former owners 
would gradually pass another 30 percent to new owners and 
end up with a 20-percent stake.  Since some conservancies 
are already black-owned, it is unclear whether the GOZ 
would also subject black-owned conservancies to this 
process.  In its redistribution of farms, the GOZ has 
generally left black-owned commercial farms untouched. 
(Note: We are aware of two nature conservancies with 
white American citizen-property owners that the plan 
would affect.)  The SAVE conservancy in Masvingo province 
has been attempting to work out an arrangement with 
Special Affairs Minister John Nkomo where owners would 
partner with an indigenous group and avoid 
nationalization of their assets. 
 
Comment 
------- 
3. For Zimbabwe, this is big business.  Wildlife areas 
comprise twenty percent of the country's farmland and 
five percent of its total area.  Ecotourism and hunting 
could easily generate several hundred millions U.S. 
dollars annually after political transition.  Chaotic 
fast-track land reform has already carried serious 
environmental and economic consequences.  While increased 
indigenous ownership in the wildlife industry makes sense 
in a country whose population is over 99 percent black, 
we fear a hasty and haphazard approach could harm 
wildlife and recovery potential.  It is unlikely existing 
owners would participate in a plan that makes them twenty 
percent minority shareholders in the new businesses. 
Many have already invested substantial resources to 
restock and protect wildlife.  Conservancies could 
rapidly become underfunded, subjecting wildlife to 
dangers such as poaching, fires, over-hunting, foot-and- 
mouth viruses, insufficient water access and poor fence 
maintenance. 
 
Sullivan