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Isdore Guvamombe Reflections
Back in the village in the land of milk, honey and dust or Guruve, it is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir. There, village elders with cotton tuft hair, say there is no sweet or nice death. Early this year, this villager, the self-taught wordsmith, innocently penned a factual story where National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority – created by an Act of Parliament to be the vanguard of our pristine wildlife – shot and killed three lions that had killed two people in Mahombekombe suburb in Ka- riba.

As a discerning scribe, this villager took the risk and joined the team that hunted down the man-eating lions. While others were armed, all I had was my camera and notebook. Soon after I published the story, detailing the hunt, Africa Albida Tourism usurped the powers of a semi-deity and immediately wrote to the villager, categorically stating it will no longer do any business with my publication. It was a baffling holier-than-thou attitude. My publication never killed the lions. All this villager did was write the story. All the publication did was let the gifted wordsmith be there when it happened and subsequently carry the story. Period!

The killing of the lions did not have an iota of connection with Africa Albida Tourism, which does not operate in the area. Not at all, except Africa Albida overplayed and exaggerated compassion for the lions and not the two people – the breadwinners killed by the lions leaving behind a total of 10 children exposed to the harsh world.

Surprisingly, while Africa Albida Tourism remonstrated against the publication of the story and the pictures of the shot lions, they did not care a hoot about the deceased people, not even a condolence message? Inhuman! This villager makes no apology for the story and naturally is not the kind of person who could hug a hyena to make peace. Never!

Today, Africa Albida Tourism is embarking on a project in Victoria Falls, dubbed the Santonga project – whatever that means – on two vast stands 1560 and 1561, designated by the out-of-sorts Victoria Falls Town Council and a slumbering physical planning department – on an animal corridor that serves as the main link between the tinder dry wildlife-infested land and the Zambezi River. What hypocrisy? Part of the project will be a zoo, disguised as an amusement park, where tourists will be tricked through an “almost invisible fence”, according to Africa Albida Tourism chairman Dave Glyn.

“We want it to appear to the visitor that there are no fences at all and the perimeter fence will be almost invisible,’’ says Glyn. Is that not a zoo in Victoria Falls?

Karitundundu, the ageless village autochthon of wisdom and knowledge, says the tourism and hospitality industry in Victoria Falls is behaving like the proverbial cow that enjoys being taken to the smartest and most expensive abattoir, until death beckons.

Africa Albida Tourism is trampling on the rights of the same animals they purport to so love by blocking that life-saving corridor that allows lions, scores of elephants, impala, kudu and hundreds of gnu among others, to have access to Zambezi River water. In the matrix of their project, the animals no longer have rights because the Santonga project lines the pocket of Africa Albida Tourism? My foot! Is this not akin to the devil peaching sanctity? Is this not akin to a devil running away with the Bible?

Africa Albida Tourism has already started destroying a natural salt pan where wildlife frolicked and according to the Santonga plan, the same wildlife will have to change their route to the Zambezi. And, here, we are not talking of only three lions like in Kariba, we are talking of hundreds of animals. Wildlife must not only be protected or disenfranchised when Africa Albida feels like. No. Africa Albida Tourism cannot claim to know more than national parks. Never!

Whatever the name and face Africa Albida Tourism wishes to paint, it cannot escape scrutiny for a project that threatens natural wildlife habitats, the livelihood of not only wildlife but many people and accompanies in Victoria Falls that rely on game drives.

There is need for all and sundry to relook at the project and the Victoria Falls Town Council and the Department of Physical Planning are culpable must also be investigated, forthwith, if details at hand are anything to go by.