PICTURES: Chilonga Bridge (left) and Jack Quinton Bridge (right) are two of the bridges that network The Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park from Buffalo Range airport (Jack Quinton Bridge picture by Donette Reed Kruger)
COMMISSIONING of Buffalo Range airport last two weeks was hailed as one of the most welcome news to be perceived by tourism operators in and around the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park in Zimbabwe. It was a timely solution to the challenge of poor air access in the region. Zimbabwe Tourism Authority considers the refurbishment of Buffalo Range airport as one of the greatest achievements the Government has done for tourism in the South Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe. ZTA Area Manager for the Lowveld Mrs Marvelous Sengwe pins tourism hope on the airport refurbishment. Said Mrs Sengwe: "Air access is very pivotal in tourism development of any country. We hope that the ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development shall identify a low cost and reliable air transport operator for the Lowveld region. We expect an increase in tourist arrival starting now."
From Buffalo Range Airport, tourists would use road transport to access Gonarezhou National Park or any other wildlife conservancy that is part of The Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park like Malilangwe Conservancy, Chiredzi River Conservancy, Save Valley Conservancy, Bubiana Conservancy and all the CAMPFIRE areas around Gonarezhou. The airport is just 10km from Chiredzi town.
In this article, I shall put much focus on Gonarezhou National Park itself.
Gonarezhou National Park has two entry points, Chipinda Pools and Mabalauta camps. Chipinda Pools camp is approximately 60km from Chiredzi town (Chiredzi-Malilangwe Turn Off - 24km, Malilangwe Turn Off-Chipinda Pools - 36km). A visitor to this entry point has no much hustle during and off the rainy season since he/she crosses no major river from Chiredzi town. Chipinda Pools is accessed before Runde River and is the gateway to world renowned Chilojo Cliffs.
A safari lodge is operational at Chipinda Pools thanks to the twin public-private partnership between Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and Frankfurt Zoological Society. Another lodging option for Gonarezhou tourists who use Chipinda Pools entry is Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge at Mahenye in Chipinge district.
To access Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge, one has to cross Zimbabwe’s biggest inland waterway, Save River, which demarcates Chiredzi and Chipinge districts. Chilo Gorge is approximately 108km from Chiredzi town (Chiredzi-Jack Quinton Bridge - 55km, Jack Quinton Bridge-Mahenye - 53km) and is near the confluence of Runde River and Save River.
Being Zimbabwe’s longest overpass, Jack Quinton is a standard bridge and boasts the 277km long Tanganda-Ngundu highway. The bridge hasn’t suffered any weather disasters and the road still commands a nice tarmac surface.
Challenge comes for tourists who would need to access Gonarezhou National Park using Mabalauta entry point from Buffalo Range airport during the rainy season.
For a short trip from Chiredzi town to Mabalauta camp, one has to use the Chilonga route crossing Runde River after 38km. The trip would be approximately 135km (Chiredzi-Chilonga - 38km, Chilonga-Chibwedziva - 22km, Chibwedziva-Boli/Mhlanguleni - 40km, Boli/Mhlanguleni-Mabalauta Turn Off - 12km, Mabalauta Turn Off-Mabalauta - 23km).
Unlike Jack Quinton Bridge, Chilonga Bridge is low lying and resembles a causeway. After each rainy season, the bridge is left with a lot to be desired even for 4x4 trucks.
Before the year 2000, people used to cross Runde River using Chipinda Pools Bridge at the 36km peg along the Malilangwe-Boli/Mhlanguleni earth road. The bridge was severely damaged by Cyclone Eline floods which hit the country in that year. Since then, the Chipinda Pools Bridge is in a dilapidated state.
Chilonga Bridge had its toll in January 2013 when four people aboard a minibus drowned trying to cross the flooded Runde River while being towed by a tractor. Unfortunately both the tractor and the minibus got washed away. Since then, Civil Protection Unit in Chiredzi has been barring people from crossing Runde River whenever it is flooded although locals defy the orders and keep crossing the watercourse using canoes.
Speaking at the commissioning of Buffalo Range airport last Friday District Administrator for Chiredzi Miss Clara Muzenda requested the relevant ministry to permanently alleviate the Chilonga Bridge crisis. Said Miss Muzenda: “To compliment the airport commissioning, we ask ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development to consider building a new bridge at a new site we have identified near Chilonga or rehabilitate the Chipinda Pools Bridge. As for now, we encourage people to avoid using Chilonga Bridge at all costs when the river is flooded.”
What it simply means is that it is safe for tourists to Mabalauta camp to use the route via Mbizi of which they will cross the Runde River at Mpapa in Triangle. The Mpapa Bridge is better than Chilonga Bridge. The trip via Mbizi is 178km (Chiredzi-Mzembi - 36km, Mzembi-Mbizi - 52km, Mbizi-Boli/Mhlanguleni - 55km, Boli/Mhlanguleni-Mabalauta Turn Off - 12km, Mabalauta Turn Off-Mabalauta - 23km).
Despite the challenges the road network might pose on travelers during the wet, rainy season, tourists are guaranteed a memorable experience in the undisturbed nature of the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park.