PICTURE: Malilangwe’s baby white rhinoceros with its mother in Botswana. Insert: The Spokeswoman for ZimParks Miss Caroline Washaya (top) and the Director of the Malilangwe Trust Mr Mark Saunders (bottom)
THE Malilangwe Trust, a Lowveld based non profit making organisation which runs The Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Chiredzi has proved itself a pillar as far as tourism partnerships are concerned in South East of Zimbabwe. Barely a month after it made headlines in November last year with the commissioning of Buffalo Range Airport in Chiredzi, the Trust returned in the spotlight with a video twin Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project titled “Zimbabwe South East”.
The Malilangwe Trust’s first PPP for 2015 was in June when it focused on the protection of rhinoceros. White and black rhinoceros are an endangered species in Zimbabwe and other African countries. With the help of Botswana Defense Forces, the Trust managed to safely move eight black rhinoceros from Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve to Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta on a country-to-country agreement. The octet mammals were airlifted from Buffalo Range Airport.
In September last year, news reached the country that one of the black rhinos gave birth to a healthy calf. The mother black rhino had been pregnant by the time of its relocation. Gestation period for a rhino usually takes up to 16 months.
Concerning the new baby rhino, the director of The Malilangwe Trust Mr Mark Saunders when asked by the master of ceremony at the commissioning of Buffalo Range Airport in November last year whether people should name the rhino calf “Zimbabwe” or “Botswana,” he sent delegates in stitches when he named the baby rhino “Malilangwe.”
The organisation’s second PPP in 2015 was concerned with the refurbishment of Buffalo Range Airport. The Malilangwe Trust was an associate in a tripartite PPP with Tongaat Hulett as co-private partner and Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) as the public collaborator. Buffalo Range Airport which was built in 1965 was in dire need of renovation. CAAZ highlighted that the airport’s Fire Station had been brought down twice by storms in previous rainy seasons.
The Malilangwe Trust and Tongaat Hulett injected $212 000 in the landing field’s refurbishment. The airport gesture has enabled an increase in air traffic in the South East Lowveld of Zimbabwe with CAAZ reporting an increase of 4 percent as of October 2015 as compared to October 2014.
In the third and recent video PPP project, the Trust twined Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) in the promotion of four south east Zimbabwe tourism destinations. “Zimbabwe South East” is a 17 minute movie produced by Ralph Stutchbury which gives an insight into what tourists can experience if they choose the aforesaid region for vacation.
Three of the destinations, Gonarezhou National Park in Chiredzi, Chimanimani National Park in Chimanimani and Mutirikwe (Kyle) Recreational Park in Masvingo are managed by ZimParks. The fourth is Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Chiredzi which is managed by the Trust itself.
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve is neighbouring Gonarezhou National Park. The first entrance to the conservancy is approximately 25km from Chiredzi town, thus 35km from Buffalo Range Airport. Gonarezhou National Park’s first entry point is 34km further off road than that of Malilangwe.
If Malilangwe had no spirit of partnership, it would have posed as serious contender of Gonarezhou since its advantages include easy accessibility using the Ngundu-Tanganda highway and its proximity to Chiredzi town among others. Instead, The Malilangwe Trust decided to partner Gonarezhou National Park in marketing the region.
According to the Trust’s official website, malilangwe.org, the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve is home to small five and big five game as well as undisturbed nature. The reserve adopted a scientific approach to wildlife conservation. Species like white and black rhinos, wildebeests, sable and roan antelope have been introduced in the game reserve to help boost endangered species.
Another partnership that The Malilangwe Trust is proud of has much to do with culture. The Trust is protecting and documenting the reserve’s rich archaeological heritage. The reserve is surrounded by Tsonga communities who are officially recognised as Shangani people in Zimbabwe. The Tsongas also constitute most of the game reserve’s workforce.
Malilangwe partnered a local village of Tsonga people who allow tourists who visit under the Trust’s Singita Pamushana flagship to enjoy the rich Tsonga culture. The partnership has enabled the Tsongas to share their cultural experiences with guests visiting Singita Pamushana lodges.
Which tourism sector doesn’t require more of Malilangwe’s partnerships?
When this publication contacted both The Malilangwe Trust and ZimParks in the first week of January this year to obtain how the latest “Zimbabwe South East” video PPP project has impacted on the destinations being marketed, both partners confirmed receipt of our questions send via email and promised to respond to them.
Director of The Malilangwe Trust Mr Mark Saunders confirmed: “Good to hear from you and I will respond as soon as I'm back in the Lowveld.” Spokeswoman for ZimParks Miss Caroline Washaya responded: “Compliments of the season, your questions are receiving due attention.”
By the time of going to print, the follow up responses had not been received.