Poor salaries threatening wildlife conservation

Calvin Manika

HWANGE-Wildlife in the Hwange National Park is under threat from poaching due to poor remuneration of rangers manning the country’s flagship national park, investigations by Community Podium have revealed.

Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is home to the big five (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinoceroses and buffalos). However, rampant poaching has resulted in the big five dying under unclear circumstances as game rangers, whose duty is to protect the wildlife are increasingly becoming perpetrators and accomplices in poaching owing to underpayment and poor working conditions. 

During patrols, the rangers allegedly kill animals especially buffaloes and elephants for meat to sell in nearby villages and towns.

An insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said poor working conditions have forced rangers into poaching. “Improved conditions could reduce poaching for food and profit. Recently a ranger and police officer were arrested for illegal dealing in ivory…Staff morale is low and salary delays are prevalent due to decreased tourism as a result of the Covid restrictions after-effects,” he added.

Charles Moyo (not real name) a former Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority employee stationed at Hwange National Park for years said the biggest challenges facing rangers were armed poachers who posed a threat to life and the rangers’ own temptations to indulge in poaching due to the employer paying them very little while they protect wildlife of high value.

Community Podium travelled to Tsholotsho, near the border with Botswana which is part of the Hwange National Park where poaching is also rife in spite of Zimparks bases in the area, namely Makona and Whitehilla. One Pfende (not real name) who spoke on condition of anonymity remarked that due to their isolation, these bases have become poaching havens for officials within the wildlife conservation system. 

However, Pfende exonerated some of the Zimparks employees for their honesty in shunning corruption. “Not everyone is involved in rogue deals or poaching. Some of the Park rangers are trying their best to eke out an honest living under adverse conditions,” he said.

In 2014, two Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers Shepherd Mukombwe (32) and Chrispen Tungwarara (30) stationed at Zambezi Camp appeared in court for violating the Parks and Wildlife Act after they skinned a bushbuck that had been run over and killed by a car and proceeded to share the meat. They were fined $70 each or seven weeks in jail. 

The following year in 2015, Mascot Mbabavi a police officer (35), stationed at Fairbridge near Bulawayo and a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Support Unit Delta Troop, Anymore Sikuka (37), a soldier stationed at 1.2 Infantry Battalion in Hwange, Kissmore Munsaka (32), a ranger as well as Victoria Falls hospital staffers Vester Chimidzi (43) and Buuya Sikuka (48) were also arrested after a tip-off for selling a lion’s head and its skin.

In December the same year, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority carried out massive transfers and redeployments of rangers who were operating at Hwange National Park. The then acting spokesperson, Tawanda Gotosa confirmed the transfers, and was quoted as referring to it  as a routine transfer. However, sources privy to the matter revealed that the transfers were effected soon after then Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri had registered her lack of confidence in park rangers after five rangers were arrested in Hwange National Park for allegedly poisoning 11 elephants with cyanide.

In 2018, a secret police operation in Dete which is home to Hwange National Park’s Main Camp exposed rangers who were spying for poachers. “…they would monitor deployment and movements of their colleagues and communicate them to poachers in their syndicate,” said a former ranger.

On 11 January 2020, Munashe Marumisa (32), a ranger was arrested at his compound at the Zimparks’ Katombora Camp on suspicion of poaching after police searched the house following a tip-off and discovered three rifles and wire snares in his house. He was suspected to be part of five others who included a soldier, police officer and another ranger that were arrested in November 2019 after they were found in possession of firearms and various wildlife trophies for different animals.

In April this year, a Zimbabwe National Parks ranger at Sinamatela Camp in Hwange National Park and a police officer stationed at the Police Support Unit barracks at Chikurubi in Harare were arrested along with an ex-police officer after they were allegedly caught selling elephant tusks in Greendale, an upmarket suburb in the capital, Harare.

Simibio Kakomo and Shepherd Musiniwa appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court where they were jointly charged with unlawful possession of elephant tusks. Detectives from CID Minerals, Fauna and Flora Unit Harare, acting on a tip-off pretended to be buyers in order to nab the two. The detectives recovered eight pieces of ivory weighing 28,35kg valued at US$4 819.50, equivalent to $703 574 at the time. A source disclosed that the ranger picked up the ivory while on patrol and instead of handing it over to the office, he took it to Harare for selling where he was arrested.

A visit to the Hwange National Park by Community Podium revealed that some rangers were also involved in fish poaching especially at Ngwehla Dam.

“Hunting a buffalo is now treated as a sport. Almost all rangers on patrol illegally hunt buffaloes as a supplement to daily relish in the bush, in homes and for sale to supplement their insufficient salaries,” Moyo said. 

At one time Zimparks was forced to sell hunting licenses for about 500 elephants hunts to pay salaries and meet maintainance expenses for national parks. Game rangers are earning around ZWL$29 460 per month which translates to US$58,92 on the widely used parallel market. 

 When contacted for comment on the poaching by rangers on several occasions, Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo promised to revert to this reporter but did not. He also did not answer questions sent to him. However, in a recent interview with a local publication Farawo said as an organisation Zimparks since 2017 had to think “outside the box” to meet its conversation obligations.