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ZIMBABWE

Robert Mugabe: ‘I do not want French girls’

In making a plea to France on Thursday Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe insisted that he "did not want your girls" and that he "did not want to visit France for romantic reasons".

Published: 11 October 2013 08:35 CEST
Robert Mugabe: 'I do not want French girls'
Robert Mugabe: 'I do not want French girls'. Photo Getty/AFP

President Robert Mugabe on Thursday called on European nations to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe in order to boost trade ties.

"We do no want to visit France. I do not want your girls. I do not want to visit France for romantic purposes. I want to develop relations between us," he said.

Speaking while he met new  the new diplomats from France, Germany and Holland, the 89-year-old urged France to consider whether sanctions should be kept in place.

"Can France have a national introspection and see whether it's right to continue to pursue the policy of sanctions against Zimbabwe," he said.

EU countries imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Mugabe, his inner circle and linked companies, following elections in 2002 which western observers said were rigged to hand him victory.

"We must now look at the future and the need for sanctions to go," Mugabe said.

The EU lifted most of its sanctions earlier this year, yet an asset freeze and travel ban remains for the veteran leader.

"We want the removal of economic sanctions so we can export beef to Europe. Let's get to trade," said Mugabe, whose 33-year rule was extended in July polls,said.

"Let our flowers find home in the Netherlands. Let our greens find their way into the Dutch market but for as long as there are sanctions, this will be difficult."

The EU and US, which also has sanctions in place, rejected the recent vote on grounds that the polls were not credible.

Mugabe has threatened western countries with retaliation over the sanctions.

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HUNTING

Fury as German hunter kills massive elephant

A German hunter has reignited Zimbabwe's hunting debate after shooting dead one of the largest elephants ever seen in the country – but the company behind the hunt wants to remain anonymous.

Published: 16 October 2015 14:31 CEST
Fury as German hunter kills massive elephant
File photo: DPA

The enormous elephant was shot on October 8th in Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park, reports telegraph.co.uk.

A German national paid £39,000 (€53,000) for the 21-day hunt, which was led by a private hunting group and accompanied by a local professional.

It's not certain where the elephant came from – never seen before in Gonarezhou, it was speculated that the large bull may have wandered into Zimbabwe from the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

However, William Mabasa of South Africa’s National Parks was quick to quell these rumours.

“If this elephant came up from the Kruger, he would have had to go through all the communities on the edge of Gonarezhou and someone would have seen him,” he told the Telegraph.

“It’s not possible.”

Kruger’s elephant experts are looking into the case, Mabasa said.

Hunters celebrate kill

The kill was celebrated on hunting forums, where readers congratulated the unnamed German and speculated that a similar elephant might not be seen in Zimbabwe for years to come.

Screenshots: www.africahunting.com

Forum users also disputed The Telegraph's report that the elephant's tusks had a combined weight of 120lb.

“120 and 122 pounds is what they weigh,” claimed Adriaan Wepener of Pro Hunt Safaris, while Erik Grimland of Texas Hunting Done Right ventured: “That elephant has to be well over 100lb each side.”

Screenshots: www.africahunting.com

A completely legal hunt

In both Zimbabwe and South Africa, African Elephants to be hunted legally by those with appropriate permits – like the one paid for by the anonymous German hunter.

“Nothing illegal was done,” Anthony Kaschula from Private Guided Safaris told The Local.

“There should be no witch hunt for this man,” he said, “because nothing was done wrong from a legal perspective.”

There would have been benefits to keeping the elephant alive though, he said.

“Animals like this are a major tourism draw for the whole of Zimbabwe,” he explained, “and keeping them alive shows that true conservation can work in Zimbabwe.”

'Just for somebody's ego'

This type of hunting is “simply terrible, and it should be stopped as far as we're concerned,” a spokesperson for Johannesburg-based tour operator Safari With Us told The Local 

“Trophy hunting isn't like normal hunting,” he said. “We're not against hunting in general but we don't support this.”

“It's cruel to animals,” he continued, adding that  game isn't used for food.

“It's just for somebody's ego”

The news of the elephant's death was “horrifying,” added Jessica Lohmann, marketing and social media consultant at Safari With Us.

The elephant is just “another Cecil,” she told The Local, referring to the lion infamously shot by American dentist Walter Palmer in July.

Trophy hunting doesn't just hurt businesses who “want people to go, be informed and look at animals in their natural environments,” she said – they also hurt “whole African animal conservation programmes.”

Twitter fury

The hunter's actions been criticised by both Safari With Us and the general public on social media.

However, others took a different approach – instead aiming their dismay at the Zimbabwe government.

Good for local communities

The elephant is thought to have been between 40 and 60 years old – something the arranger of the hunt used to help justify the death.

“This elephant was probably 60 years old and had spread its seed many many times over,” he told the Telegraph.

Wishing to remain anonymous, he also stressed that as much as 70 percent of hunters' fees go back into the local communities.

“This is good for Zimbabwe and good for local people,” he said.

“It’s not uncommon for hunters to spend $100,000 (€88,000) each trip.”

By Hannah Butler

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