The Chiwore Fishing Lodge Saga – a Travesty of Justice and a warning to all who Invest in Tourism

Whatever the rationale by the Judge, the facts are quite straight forward. A decade ago, a Zimbabwean Citizen applied for a lease on a block of land on the Zambezi River at the mouth of the Chiwore River. The proposal was to build a lodge and camp site on the site and operate it as a tourism enterprise. It was a Joint Venture with the Department of National Parks.

The investor has invested several million dollars into the venture, paid a rental each year to the National Parks and assisted the Parks in the management and control of the area which includes hunting concessions on both sides of the Chiwore site.

The hunting concession in the adjacent area is held by a well-known Zimbabwean businessman, Mr Billy Rautenbach. From the very start of this exercise, he strongly opposed the award of the lease to the new investor and has consistently tried to have him removed. Despite successive efforts to do so, during which he has challenged the legal basis of the lease and also accused the investor of activities which were established as being untrue, he has persisted, and it is anyone’s guess as to who is ultimately responsible for this latest test.

In the Chiwore concession no hunting is allowed and you can imagine how the wildlife has responded with hunting concessions on each side.

I am one of the many thousands who have spent time with my family at the Lodge. It is also one of the most popular fishing camps for Zimbabweans who cannot afford the lodge. The fishing on the river is exceptional at this point, which is just below the confluence of the Kafue and Zambezi Rivers. Many of the facilities on the River from Kariba to Kanyemba are very expensive and restricted to high paying tourists. Chiwore accommodates both and is very affordable. It is also very much a family holiday destination unlike the hunting camps and high-end lodges.

But there is much more to this than just its complete unfairness. The investor may be local, but he is a Citizen and at his risk he has invested millions of dollars in this venture. He invested on the strength of a lease he signed with National Parks which have not invested a cent. His partner is National Parks, a State controlled entity. What message does this send out to other investors who think they are safe. Who will move into this valuable property when it is vacated? Chiwore is well known throughout the world and many of its clients are international.

This injustice must be rectified and the ownership of the Lodge respected. Anything less just confirms that Zimbabwe is not “open for business”.