MAIN PICTURE: Entrance to Buffalo Range Airport. INSERTS: From left: Tongaat Hullet CEO Sydney Mutsambiwa, The Malilangwe Trust director Mark Saunders, CAAZ CEO David Chawota handing over a key to the Deputy minister for Transport and Infrastructural Development Eng Michael Madanha at the commissioning of Buffalo Range Airport (left) and Crew and passengers departing from the Airport (right).
WHENEVER the name Tongaat Hullet attracts mass media attention, one is tempted to think of sugar cane related news. The company is one of the sugar producing heavyweights in Southern Africa with interests Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Swaziland. In September 2015, the Zimbabwean interest scored a double in social and business circles. Firstly, its Triangle male football team which plays in the Premier Soccer League ended the 2015 season on an impressive position four after Bulawayo based fast-food chain Chicken Inn, Dynamos of Harare and Zvishavane based miners FC Platinum. Secondly, the company was a key partner in a tripartite public-private partnership between Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), The Malilangwe Trust and Tongaat Hulett that saw the refurbishment of Buffalo Range airport. It is the later gesture by Tongaat that brings news which is sweeter than cane to the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe. The region boasts of Gonarezhou National Park. The vast wildlife reserve is part of the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park which amalgamates Gonarezhou National Park, Limpopo National Park and Kruger National Park of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa respectively. Presenting a review of the period 2014 going backwards at the Great Limpopo Cultural Fair Business Forum held in July this year, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority's Head of Planning and Investments Mr Reason Machigere outlined that among challenges that affected the Lowveld’s tourism were: poor air access, less accommodation, lack of conferencing facilities, poor road network, a tired tourism product and poor marketing. On the air access challenge Mr Machigere pointed out that the Lowveld airport required refurbishment. Said Mr Machigere: "The region's main airport is generally under serviced probably due to the decline in the tourists visiting the area." On how to confront the air access challenge Mr Machigere added: "The challenge can be addressed if intensive marketing of the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park is carried out so as to attract more tourists, hence bringing business to the region." For an airport that was built in 1965, repairs to it were long overdue. CAAZ Chief Executive Officer Mr David Chawota in his speech at the handover ceremony referred at the state of the airport as resembling a war-torn zone. Said Mr Chawota: “Time and weather had taken their toll on the terminal building to an extent that the facility looked as disused and situate in a war-torn zone. The last two summer seasons had heavy storms that brought down the Fire Station twice. Yet it is the very same facility that handles some of our valued tourism and business clients.” A total $212 000 was injected in the refurbishing of Buffalo Range airport. To admire its value, we should measure the potential the airport has in the economic development in the tourism sector with regards to the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park linkage. CAAZ revealed that to October 2015, the airport has enjoyed a 4% increase in aircraft traffic as compared to same period last year. An average of 80 aircrafts and 250 passengers per month are utilising the facility. The airport can proudly present itself as one of the recipients of world renowned billionaire and computer icon Bill Gates of Microsoft Corporation when he landed there in a private jet in December 2012 during a private family tour of Malilangwe conservancy. Buffalo Range airport contributes to wildlife conservation. The Malilangwe Trust scored a first in the protection of rhinoceros which is an endangered species in Zimbabwe. With the help of defense forces mid this year, The Trust managed to relocate eight of its rhinos to Botswana using air transport. It was none other than Buffalo Range airport where the rhinos were airlifted from. The government as the public partner is working towards ensuring international standards, safety and security of aviation in Zimbabwe. In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Eng Michael Madanha, minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Dr Joram Gumbo said: “The Government of Zimbabwe has engaged in progressive liberalisation of air transport markets with the aim of enhancing destination connectivity, by permitting airlines operational flexibility." The Lowveld business community and The Great Limpopo tourism players can now benefit from the commissioning of Buffalo Range airport. After descending from the air transport, tourists have to access The Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park using road transport. How is the road transport networked in the region? The forthcoming article shall discuss the question.