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George Maponga in Masvingo
Zimbabwe and South Africa are working closely to improve accessibility between Gonarezhou and Kruger National Parks to allow easy movement of tourists within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP).

Zimbabwe’s Gonarezhou, South Africa’s Kruger and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique constitute the GLTP which is arguably the world’s largest wildlife habitat in terms of land size and number of different fauna and flora species.

The mega park was founded by the three countries to allow uninterrupted movement of game and tourists under the ambit of regional integration.

Zimbabwe has been relentlessly working to improve infrastructure such as roads and lodges on its side of the mega park to make sure the country was not left behind by its other two partners.

This thrust is in line with Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy through exploiting its vast tourism potential hitherto identified as a low hanging fruit.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo yesterday said Zimbabwe and South Africa wanted to create a direct link between Kruger and Gonarezhou.

He said the absence of direct access between the two national parks was hampering efforts to derive maximum benefits from the tourism potential in the GLTP.

“At the moment there is no direct access between Kruger Park and Gonarezhou and we are working flat out to make sure that problem is addressed by creating a direct access road via Chikwalakwala, which is perched on the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa,” he said.

“The two countries will soon gazette Chikwalakwala as an access point between Kruger and Gonarezhou to allow movement of tourists from one Park to the other.”

Mr Farawo said plans were also afoot to coordinate anti-poaching operations culminating in joint patrols between the three countries which constitute the GLTP.

“In terms of infrastructure development there has been a lot of progress in rehabilitation and upgrading of roads and lodges on the Zimbabwean side of the GLTP and we will continue to improve.”

Recently, Government commissioned a US$500 000 causeway bridge linking northern parts of Gonarezhou and southern parts of the park which straddle into Sengwe communal lands.

The bridge, across Runde River, was inhibiting movement within Gonarezhou and was built with assistance from the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust, which is financed by the Frankfurt Zoological Society of Germany.

Mr Farawo said Zimparks would strengthen partnerships with organisations such as Gonarezhou Conservation Trust to upgrade infrastructure in the GLTP.

His organisation was also closely working with the surrounding communities in Sengwe to stem humans/wildlife conflict while at the same time making sure they benefit from the wildlife resource.

The GLTP has potential to be a major tourist attraction with calls for the three countries which are part of the habitat to work more closely in conservation and infrastructural projects.

Mr Farawo said there was scope to further harness the park’s tourism potential with plans afoot to introduce an annual bikers festival similar to what obtains annually in the Greater Mapungubwe Conservation Area bringing together Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.