Zim honoured to host UNWTO general assembly

Zimbabwe and Zambia will host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly as part of President Mugabe’s dream to showcase the country as a world of wonders, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said. Speaking during a public lecture at the University of  Zimbabwe

Scramble for Zim’s mineral wealth at the expense of the environment

In fact, without mining, we would be taken back to the Stone Age and I doubt if there is anyone who would honestly want that! The harnessing of the locally available minerals should indeed see an economically-struggling nation like Zimbabwe getting itself out of the poverty cycle, something that no one should wish to deprive the country of.
My only gripe is how the environmental impact of mining is being given very little, if any, attention.
Mining often involves the excavation of the minerals from the earth, processes that often involve a lot of activities, all differing in extent according to the mineral being mined and the mining method being employed.
These range from open-pit, placer, strip to artisanal mining among others.
Some of the general impact of mining on the environment include high energy consumption, reduction in the quality of air, water contamination and great damage to the landscape.
Most mining companies would no doubt like us to believe that these are necessary evils that are bound to come with the wealth, a mentality that we should dispel.
The issue of mining and its impact on the environment has been a subject of contention between mining companies and environmentally-conscious individuals the world over.
Although there has been general consensus on the fact that we cannot do without the mining industry, we need to agree that the activities should be undertaken in a manner that is friendly to the environment.
Yes, mining companies carry environmental impact assessment studies before starting their activities, but there is little on the ground that shows they carry through their plans.
Like all other environment-conscious countries, Zimbabwe should enforce the Mining Act, which emphasises the rehabilitation and reclamation of mines, requiring mining companies to present rehabilitation plans before they can be granted mining rights.
Mining companies should agree to contribute to decreasing the negative impact to the environment without necessarily disrupting the supply of minerals by engaging in what is called “Sustainable Mining”.
Government should grant mining rights only after a company has signed a contract stating that it would implement sustainable mining practices, among other conditions.
The country faces the problem of companies that occupy mineral-rich lands, and after having cleared the areas of vegetation, damaged the landscape and extracted  all minerals, abandon them in search of more virgin lands to explore.
Mining should not be considered complete until the process known as Ecological Rebuilding has been completed.
The process involves reclaiming the land to make it suitable for usage in the future by returning the land as much as is possible to its original state. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see trees flourishing at a spot previously mined?
Many might feel that the gains derived from mining outweigh the environment, an ignorant and rather irresponsible way of looking at the problem that faces us and urgently needs a sustainable and viable solution.
What if minerals were to be discovered all over the country?
Would we then choose to do without trees and all that nature has to offer because we are more concerned about self-enrichment?
Maybe the most unfortunate part is that, although experiencing first-hand the effects of mining activities on their environment, villagers in the Marange area where the Chiadzwa diamonds are coming from, are not benefitting in any significant way.
In fact, they have been relocated from the diamond-rich area, leaving mining companies to enjoy the wealth in the land of their birth.

Bulawayo water crisis

However, I would like to argue that the water situation in Bulawayo betrays a deeper crisis which lies at the heart of the city’s woes and indeed those of the nation. The crisis, as far as I am concerned, is more reflective of a leadership crisis than a water one.

The solutions to the city’s water woes are well known and well documented through platforms, structures and forums such as the City Council’s Future.

Water Supplies Committee, Habakkuk Trust and Bulawayo Agenda, among others. Both civil society and the Bulawayo City Council have over the past ten years propounded short, medium and long-term solutions bracketed into the following:
 

In spite of this, nothing concrete has been done resulting in a crisis situation caused by both a government which has planned to fail by failing to plan.

If indeed they planned, there has been a failure to act and if any action has been taken it has been painstakingly slow. Somebody somewhere has to accept responsibility for this crisis instead of the constant blame apportioning and “ostrich mentality” that we have seen.

While the Finance ministry claims it has released money for various interventions and has blamed the City Council for not acting decisively and swiftly, the council has denied this while the ministry has been perpetually touting the completion of the Mtshabezi Pipeline Project for the past two years, albeit to no avail. Leadership is not about apportioning blame, but accepting responsibility, taking action and creating a unity of purpose and action.

Surely, it is a monumental scandal that the government of the day has failed to build and connect a major dam to Bulawayo for the past 35 years — almost two generations! Most of the water infrastructure was built by the Ian Smith government. Surely our so-called liberators should be hiding in shame just to think that Bulawayo, which now has a population of well over a million people ,is still using the same quantity of water as it used when it had less than 400 000 people.

Since the burden of water supply lies with Zinwa, the government should take the blame for the current crisis.

Resolutions have been passed by forums and platforms such as the Habakkuk Trust Water Indaba (2007), Habakkuk Trust/Nango (Water Summit 2011) and the MDC-T provincial executive and yet the Water minister has remained intransigent about declaring Bulawayo a water crisis area. If a city is to go for up to six days without water in a week, this merits a crisis.

I am acutely aware that the situation is similar in Harare, but for different reasons, as it has been caused not necessarily by a shortage of water, but by a combination of the water reticulation system and the shoddiness of the purification process.

Bulawayo cries out for proactive and visionary councillors, legislators and leaders who do not sleep in chambers of council or get lost in the corridors of power.

How many of our sofa Parliament members have spoken out about this water crisis and attempted to provide leadership?

What are the councillors doing in meetings with residents and soliciting strategies of conserving water and avoiding disease? Every single year for the past fifteen years we have waited for the rainy season to come knowing all too well that our catchment area lies in the semi-arid region of Matabeleland.

Every year the budgetary process is struck by inexplicable inertia when it comes to capital water projects such as Mtshabezi, Gwayi-Shangani. We are told either the money that has been allocated has not been disbursed, or the money that has been disbursed is not adequate, or the money has been disbursed but the contractors have failed to deliver.

It’s the same story every year. This is clearly a problem of leadership, a problem of vision, capacity and lack of political will. Come next elections, we should not be afraid to elect new leaders with the capacity to drive the city forward. Leaders who have required acumen, spine, integrity, maturity, energy and enterprise to make the City of Kings indeed the City of Kings.

Would Sydney Malunga, Charles Mpofu, Nick Mabodoko, Micah Bhebhe have kept quiet while such a crisis persisted? We do not need more committees to solve our water situation since the solutions are there for everybody to see. We have a crisis of leadership!

Fireflies/Lighting bugs

I RECENTLY encountered a “burning bush” that had tonnes of fireflies in Kariba and it made me remember my days as a child, watching characters in cartoons trap the fireflies into a bottle and use it as a “lamp”. I stood there for several minutes staring at the spectacular sight and I could not help but be inspired to write this article and share a few facts about these unique creatures.
There are about 2 000 firefly species in the world. These insects live in a variety of warm environments, as well as in more temperate regions. Fireflies, also called lightning bugs, are actually beetles.
They’re in the insect family Lampyridae, meaning “shining ones” in Greek and like little lamps; they usually come out only at night. Fireflies have a brief “shining light” moment and that light is the firefly’s last “good job”. This is because they live for three years, and for the first two years there are in the form of a larvae better known as glow worms then in their last summer, they emerge as full-fledged adult fireflies that live only for about two weeks depending on the species.
Everyone knows how fireflies got their name, but many people don’t know how the insects produce their signature glow. Fireflies have specialised cells that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen inside these special cells and combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat. This type of light production is called bioluminescence.
Why do fireflies glow?
One reason that fireflies glow is to attract a mate. Males and females of the same species will flash signals back and forth as a way of communicating. Each firefly species has its own particular pattern. For example, the fireflies of one species will fly around in the night sky and dive steeply just as the flash begins and turn upward to make a distinctive J-shaped pattern of light. Female fireflies hang out on a tree branch or in the grass while the males fly around showing off their best flashes. When a female recognises the flash from a male of the same species, she will answer with her best flash.
Another reason that fireflies glow is to avoid predators. Fireflies are filled with a nasty tasting chemical called lucibufagens, and after a predator gets a mouthful, it quickly learns to associate the firefly’s glow with this bad taste! So not only does the flashing help attract a mate, but it also warns predators to stay away. A firefly that can’t make this chemical acquires it by eating other species that can make it. They do this by mimicking the flash pattern of another species and luring them in close. The unsuspecting male firefly thinks he is going to find a mate, but instead becomes a tasty treat to the crafty firefly.

khanondo Safaris on expansion drive

 KHANONDO Safari and Tours has embarked on a massive renovation and expansion drive in preparation for the forthcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly to be held in the country next year.

The quality-oriented safari company, based in Victo­ria Falls, said it has invested in world-class services in a bid to meet international standards.
“We are excited about the assembly hence we have stepped up preparations for it. We want to provide excellent services that meet international standards and we hope this will contribute significantly to the econ­omy,” said Khanondo's marketing manager, Mr For­ward Mutero.

He said the company has successfully opened a state-of-the-art lodge in Bulawayo and has also commenced taking bookings for the Victoria Falls Deluxe Suites, a five-star facility in Victoria Falls.
“Khanondo has successfully built the High Mount Lodge in High Mount suburb in Bulawayo. The lodge tops the accommodation rankings of Bulawayo due to its beauty and exclusivity plus personalised service. It is also a few minutes’ drive away from the central business district humdrum. The place is serene and its comfort matches the demands of every traveller from business to leisure.

Meet one of zimbabwe's seven wonders

Great Zimbabwe Empire- Stone Monument

Was Great Zimbabwe the capital of a vast Gold and Ivory trading empire. Visit the largest stone structure in Africa outside Egypt

Slideshows Lodge at the Ancient City | Great Zimbabwe

Maps Great Zimbabwe map

There are some 18,000 zimbabwes or stone ruins recorded in Southern-Central Africa 100 Kilometres of ancient canals Terracing covering 5,000 Square Kilometres 2,000 stone pits 2,000 known ancient mines Wars were raged, art and architecture flourished, dynasties reigned and were overthrown Was it the capital of a vast gold and ivory trading empire ? Lost civilization of the world Was it's wealth founded on cattle and subsequently trading gold, copper and ivory to Arab Merchants on the Indian Ocean coast in return for ceramics and cloth Was it built by Indians who sailed here in catamarans using the favourable monsoon trade winds Was it built by the ancestors of Venda / Lemba Tribes (now further south) or the resident Karanga By the 15th century the city had fallen into irreversible decline Then the civilization disappeared and left no record of a written language behind, which makes Great Zimbabwe one of the truly lost civilizations of the world, inspiring wild and romantic speculations linking it with the Queen of Sheba and King Solomons Mines. Nobody knows for sure Two main areas of stone wall enclosures The Hill Complex The Hill Complex, sits atop a granite dome that overlooks the rest of the site and consists of small enclosures separated by narrow, twisting passages View of the granite hill from where the Valley Enclosures and the Great Enclosure are situated - photo right The Great Enclosure is the most impressive and extraordinary of the stone remains and is a large stone enclosure with a maximum diameter of 89 meters. The wall is 244 meters long and, at its greatest, 5 meters thick and 10 meters high, capped by turrets and monoliths, where carved birds once perched. Inside is a large tower, the purpose of which is still a mystery. Long after the buildings and cathedrals of Europe have fallen, the Great Tower will still stand as a testimony to a long dead civilization Getting There Coach service: Translux and Greyhound luxury coaches go nightly from Johannesburg through Masvingo to Harare - return

World Heritage site Today, Great Zimbabwe ruins is a World Heritage site and its massive curving walls, constructed from millions of granite blocks fitted together without mortar, remain the largest ancient stone structure in sub Saharan Africa Lofty, majestic, and timeless the quality of the building in places is outstanding 30 kilometers from Masvingo this amazing complex is formed of regular, rectangular granite stones, carefully placed one upon the other, without the use of mortar Great Zimbabwe is the name given to hundreds of great stone ruins spread out over a 320 square kilometers area within Zimbabwe, which itself is named after the ruins Masvingo Centre of an active mining district producing a large variety of minerals (asbestos, chrome, lithium, tin, tungsten and gold). Asbestos is mined at Mashava and Zvishane, gold at Renco and Bikita. The region has the largest source of lithium in the worl

Masvingo faces drought

MASVINGO — The prolonged dry spell that has hit Masvingo province for the past weeks has led to moisture stress resulting in most crops wilting, provincial Agricultural Extension (Agritex) officer Paul Poshai has revealed .
Poshai told NewsDay in an interview yesterday that most crops were likely to fail unless more rains fell in the next fortnight, sparking fears of hunger in the region.
“The situation is not very pleasing. Most crops are experiencing moisture stress and have wilted, although they are not yet a write-off. But if the situation persists for two weeks, we will be doomed,” he said.
Affected districts include Gutu, Chivi, Mwenezi and Bikita, Poshai said.
He also said the late and inconsistent rainfall experienced in the province had led to a reduction in the hectarage under crop cultivation.
“Although I do not have figures at hand, I can confirm that the provincial hectarage put under crop cultivation decreased from that of last year.
“Cereal production is drastically reduced, the same with legumes and cash crops. This was because of the late rains we got in January. As if that was not enough, the rains were inconsistent,” he said.
Masvingo province is susceptible to drought and many communal farmers have been facing food shortages for the past decade, making them perennial candidates for food aid

deforestation

 In Chivi deforestation is taking place at a large scale, that left the residents in a shock. the destruction of vast areas of land for agriculture ares purposes and exploitation of wood as a source of fuel are the major causes of deforestation.Chivi area is now a true replica of the Namib desert due to excessive cutting down of trees without replacing them.

Masvingo  is the oldest city in Zimbabwe and boasts the country's historic ancient town Great Zimbabwe, from which the country gets its name.In terms of travel Masvingo is currently located and is almost equidistant between Harare, Mutare, Beitbridge and Bulawayo making it a transit nerve centre.