US embassy cable - 05HARARE1301

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 001301 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR BNEULING 
NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVILLE 
USDOC FOR ROBERT TELCHIN 
TREASURY FOR J. RALYEA 
STATE PASS USAID FOR MARJORIE COPSON 
USDOI/FWS FOR RICHARD RUGGIERO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, ETRD, ECON, KIDE, ZI, Environment 
SUBJECT: TRANS-FRONTIER PARK UPDATE 
 
REF: HARARE 1238 
 
SUBJECT: TRANS-FRONTIER PARK UPDATE 
 
Ref: Harare 1238 
 
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Summary 
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1. (SBU) Since assuming the coordinating role in the Great 
Limpopo Trans-Frontier Park (GLTP) in January 2005, the GOZ 
has neither coordinated with stakeholders nor taken adequate 
steps to develop the infrastructure in Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou 
National Park.  While fast-track land reform and land tenure 
uncertainty stymie Zimbabwe,s active participation in the 
tri-country initiative, South Africa and Mozambique are 
pressing ahead.  Save Valley Conservancy (SVC) and the 
Malilangwe Trust (each of which include U.S. citizen 
principals) have offered to use their international contacts 
and access to capital to help finance the Park,s 
infrastructure development through a Public Private Community 
Partnership.  In return, the conservancies want secure land 
title and GOZ assistance in resettling squatters off the 
protected land.  The passage of the Constitutional Amendments 
Bill on August 30, however, further jeopardizes the 
conservancies, property rights and creates an environment of 
uncertainty around public private initiatives to develop the 
Trans-Frontier Park under GOZ leadership.  End Summary. 
 
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As Zimbabwe Stalls, South Africa and Mozambique Act 
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2. (SBU) The Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, along with 
the Kruger National Park in South Africa and the Limpopo 
National Park in Mozambique, comprise the 100,000 square 
kilometer GLTP ) one of the biggest wildlife sanctuaries in 
Africa.  Chairman of the National Parks and Wildlife 
Authority George Pangeti told Econoff on August 18 that 
infrastructure development at Gonarezhou was progressing 
rapidly.  The Authority had a GLTP coordinator in place who 
was consulting with stakeholders.  In addition, the GOZ had 
decided to move settlers out of the Park after their harvest 
season.  Pangeti stated categorically that the GOZ had 
decided to include the SVC and Malilangwe Trust in the GLTP. 
He dismissed the Trusts, concerns about land tenure security. 
 
3. (SBU) According to University of Zimbabwe Environment 
Professor David Cummings, Zimbabwe has not built adequate 
tourism infrastructure for the development of the GLTP. 
Continued confusion over land tenure rights and the failure 
of the GOZ to move settlers out of Gonarezhou have frustrated 
any significant progress.  Raoul DuToit of the World Wildlife 
Fund told Econoff in August that formal local and national 
structures and institutions were in place for effective 
development of Gonarezhou but the GOZ had failed to 
coordinate, make decisions, or push the process forward. 
 
4. (SBU) In the same vein, Giuseppe DaConto of CESVI (the 
Italian counterpart to USAID, which has been funding 
development projects in Gonarezhou) complained to Econoff 
that the GOZ had not consulted with stakeholders adequately, 
a concern echoed by Cummings, DuToit, and Clive Stockil of 
the SVC.  All three compared the Zimbabwean coordinator,s 
inaction unfavorably to the steady dialogue that took place 
under Mozambique,s leadership in 2004. 
 
5. (SBU) Cummings told PolOff (and DaConto later confirmed) 
that South Africa and Mozambique were moving ahead with their 
GLTP development plans.  The two countries have recently torn 
down fences and opened a bridge between the Kruger and 
Limpopo National Parks. 
 
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Zimbabwe Private Sector Willing to Assist . . . 
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6. (SBU) Weldon Schenck, an American investor in the SVC, 
told Econoff on August 23 that Environment and Tourism 
Minister Francis Nhema had approved a Public Private 
Community Partnership (PPCP) Trust including the National 
Parks, SVC, Malilangwe, and the local communities living in 
and around Gonarezhou.  The Trust could tap the private 
conservancies, access to capital and international 
connections to finance tourism concessions in the GLTP. 
Tourism would generate a return on private investment and an 
income stream for local communities in exchange for their 
commitment to refrain from subsistence poaching.  Schenck and 
Stockil told Econoff they hoped to leverage their willingness 
to help the GOZ with GLTP infrastructure development to gain 
secure land tenure. 
 
7. (SBU) As part of this plan, DuToit explained to Econoff, 
the GOZ would allocate ten concessions in Gonarezhou to 
develop tourism facilities.  The PPCP Trust would be 
guaranteed two of these concessions and could bid on more. 
However, DuToit expressed concern that the GOZ would hand out 
the tenders within its patronage network rather than to 
parties dedicated to sustainable tourism development.  There 
were some indications that this had indeed happened, he said, 
although tender winners had not yet been named officially. 
Pangeti, in a separate meeting, adamantly denied that the 
National Parks would grant concessions to anyone but 
conservation minded individuals. 
 
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. . . But Might Have Lost Bargaining Power 
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8. (SBU) On August 30, the Parliament of Zimbabwe passed the 
Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bills (reftel) that, among 
other things, granted title to the government of all 
agricultural properties previously designated for acquisition 
by the GOZ.  Since all the properties in the SVC and 
Malilangwe Trust have received notices of designation for 
acquisition, the GOZ could acquire them at any time.  As a 
practical matter, however, whether or how quickly the GOZ 
will act to remove or take control over privately held 
wildlife areas remains to be seen. 
 
9. (SBU) According to Stockil, the SVC,s property rights are 
unclear.  Although designated for agriculture, the GOZ is 
re-categorizing the area for tourism/wildlife use but had not 
yet confirmed the change.  Stockil planned to move forward 
with the Public Private Community Partnership Trust and 
present it to the highest levels of the GOZ.  He said the SVC 
had nothing to gain by forcing an immediate GOZ decision on 
the status of its land tenure but could indirectly influence 
the outcome if the GOZ agreed to the conservancy,s proposal 
to develop the GLTP and help the local rural communities. 
 
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Comment 
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10. (SBU) Land tenure insecurity and an extremely unfavorable 
investment climate are driving international investment away 
from an otherwise exciting regional wildlife park. 
Nonetheless, private conservancies with an established stake 
in the Park have been willing to help the GOZ attract 
investment in exchange for secure land tenure.  Passage of 
the Constitutional Amendment Bill, however, has cast yet 
another layer of uncertainty over the conservancies, 
property rights and their ability to engage the GOZ in an 
effective development partnership.  The GOZ,s instincts to 
allocate resources through its patronage system and its 
penchant for taking self-destructive action do not bode well 
for its vibrant participation in this regional wildlife park. 
 Perhaps the best hope is that the GOZ may recognize the 
potential for increased tourism revenue and allow a rational 
approach to developing the park to prevail, but the evidence 
thus far does not favor an optimistic outlook. 
DELL