Dear All THE LIVINGSTONE GENERAL HOSPITAL PLAY PARK.

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1 Dear All I thought some of you might like this photograph. No date on it but we can assume that it is early 1900s. It is of Maramba Bridge. I found it in Zimbabwe Archives in Harare. Thanks to them. THE LIVINGSTONE GENERAL HOSPITAL PLAY PARK. Most Children fear the Lady in a white coat, white shoes, and white hat with blue lines. On the left side of the white coat a decoration of a clock, badge and thermometer at this sight, children conclude I am in a Hospital and its injection time. One could hear the heartbeat of a child pound 10 times more than normal. What a terror! It is for this and many other reasons that LIVINGSTONE S ADVENTURE a one stop activity provider in Livingstone came up with the initiative of renovating the Children s play park at the Paediatric ward at Livingstone General Hospital. The play park was offi cially opened 2 years ago, and since then has been maintained and funded by Livingstone s Adventure. Yosef, the gardener takes it upon himself to make sure the park is clean and safe for the children to play. It s a miracle to see smiles, joy and all other exciting energies on children s faces as they run around the green grass, slide so swiftly and swing so high like a pendulum. Gosh the energies that the sick children have to move around the monkey Box, so reliving and gives back hope to their parents and everyone on their bedside. Livingstone s Adventure has a heart for children, a passion to contribute to the holistic recovery of every child s health, and give hope to the families of the patients. This is one of the many ways that the company gives back to the community, thanking them for their support. Amidst all the challenges of the child s illness, the play park experience creates a home away from home.

2 From the Zambia Weekly ZAMBIA Kazungula Bridge Temporary Kazungula bridge 48% complete Zambia Weekly The Kazungula Bridge over the Zambezi River at the border between Zambia and Botswana is slowly taking shape. The contractor, Daewoo Engineering and Construction, has completed 48% of the temporary bridge starting from the Zambian side. Once the contractor moves to Botswana, to work on the other half of the temporary bridge, permanent work will commence simultaneously in Zambia.... Mine Pollution into the Kafue River Konkola continues to pollute Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in Chingola, according to Foil Vedanta, a grassroots solidarity group. In 2014, the group argued that KCM s owner, Vedanta Resources, was concealing the fact that KCM was making considerable profi t in Zambia to justify casualisation of workers and environmental damage. The group has now released an article of its latest fi ndings ( based on a follow-up visit in October The group accused KCM of sheer disregard for life in Zambia. Foil Vedanta found the following sources of water pollution (it intends to produce a separate article on air pollution): Acidic material spilling over the raffi nate tanks after the Tailings Leach Plant (TLP), fl owing into Chingola Stream and onwards into Mushishima Stream and then the River Kafue. Appropriately placed pollution control mechanisms such as an ph detector and stocks of lime not present. Further downstream acidic waste and mica-rich sludges (largely from the refi ning of the Chingola Refractory Ores old mining dumps which are being re-processed) are released into the Chingola Stream from the Reclamation Plant and Tailings Dam 2. At the concentrator an open drain takes toxic effl uent into the Nchanga Stream, which is further polluted with water from Nchanga open pit mine dumps. Nchanga Stream joins the Kafue River just downstream of the water pumps used by the municipal water company Mulonga Water and Sewerage to provide 22,000 connections in Chingola. Kamuchanga, Fikolongo and Fitobaula Villages, more than 20 kilometres downstream from the source of pollution, are also affected. Kamuchanga Headman Chapabuku Mpundu s borehole, which is situated about one kilometre from the river, has recently been declared unsafe to drink, but there are no other water sources. He talks of health problems and crops not growing. Kuomboka cancelled? The Kuomboka Ceremony of the Lozi People has reportedly been postponed from April to dates yet to be announced. According to the Barotseland Post, the ceremony cannot go ahead under Lozi customs due to the death of Paramount Chief Litunga s sister, Ngula Makoshi.... Five new loans Cabinet has approved fi ve new loans: $30 million from the African Development Bank for the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Project Supporting Women and Youth. $73 million from the US Export-Import Bank to support the implementation of the design, manufacturing and supply of 144 prefabricated modular steel bridges for rural areas. $29.5 million from China Development Bank Corporation to complete the Mansa-Luwingu Road. $50 million from the African Development Bank for the Lusaka Sanitation Programme - Climate Resilient Sustainable Infrastructure Project. $45 million from the African Development Bank for the Cashew Infrastructure Development Project. Zambia stops export of maize to Zimbabwe? Zambia has apparetly stopped exporting maize to Zimbabwe and other countries as it is facing its own shortage of the staple commodity. They have suspended exports to Zimbabwe with effect from last week, and this has affected some of our members, who have made prepayments for about 70,000 tonnes, Tafadzwa Musarara, chairman of the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe told a workshop on 14 February.... (Gill: Meanwhile, in a report in the Chronicle last week, we are told that a train derailed on the Vic Falls-Bulawyo Route where 10 trucks of maize were spilled.) Cholera breaks out in Lusaka Government has confi rmed an outbreak of cholera in Lusaka. It started in Kanyama Township, but later in the week spread to Kabanana and Chipata... Free water to Lusaka residents The Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company has suspended the selling of water at its communal taps in Kanyama, John Laing and Chibolya Compounds in Lusaka to allow free access to clean drinking water during the current cholera outbreak.

3 Kariba Dam From the Daily Mail THE Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has fi nally submitted an environmental impact assessment report to the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) for the repair of the plunge pool and the spillway at Kariba Dam at a cost of over US$2.2 million. The aim of the Kariba Dam rehabilitation works is to improve the stability of the plunge pool through reshaping its profi le. According to the report, the rehabilitation of the plunge pool will limit the preferential erosion towards the foundations of the dam along zones of weak rock. Under the project, ZRA also aims to rehabilitate the six sluice gates of the spillway, enabling the ongoing use of the spillway function to manage the reservoir levels. The schedule will depend on the spillage duration governed by the specifi c hydrological conditions during the works, the report read in part. The preferred option is to allow a three-phase works schedule estimated to take about three and a half years to be completed which will involve on-site works to reshape the plunge pool, refurbish the spillway and the concrete surface of all sluices. The on-site works to refurbish the spillway will be performed after the plunge pool reshaping The work needed within the sluices is associated with the refurbishment of the concrete surface of all sluices which have been distorted over the years due to an advanced alkali-silica reaction, the report notes. It notes that without functional sluices, the reservoir level cannot effectively be maintained to take into account the fl ood regime of the Zambezi River. Without the ability to release water from the reservoir, there is a danger of the reservoir being too full prior to a fl ood event, and the subsequent fl ood event causing over-topping of the dam wall which could lead to dam failure, the report further reads. Self sufficiency in Food? From the Daily Mail FINANCE Deputy Minister Christopher Mvunga has expressed concern at Zambia s continued importation of fi sh and beef products from Europe despite the country having capacity to process locally.... He said Government s policy on food production is that the country should be self-suffi cient and should not import products which can be produced locally.... Gill Comment: This article is so true. I have to say that I am fed up of buying imported Chinese tilapia (bream), packed here in Zambia. It is so tasteless, but we have no choice. While visiting Siavonga, the fi rst thing we order is fi sh and chips. Why? Because a nearby company operates pens in Lake Kariba producing our own tilapia. It just melts in the mouth it is so fresh. I have heard, though, that getting licences to produce fi sh in Lake Kariba can sometimes be problematic. Surely government should be looking at ways of easing the business climate so that more companies can operate within the law to provide home-grown food. Bridge Failure From ZNBC Four districts in Northern Province have been partially cut off from the rest of the country after access roads were washed away by heavy rains. Northern Province Minister, Freedom Sikazwe named the four affected districts as Mpulungu, Kaputa, Nsumbu and Nsama....

4 ZIM-ZAM dialogue over Victoria Falls ZNBC Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Permanent Secretary, Michael Pwete says there is need for Zambia and Zimbabwe to work together to make the Victoria Falls World Heritage site a leading tourism destination in the world. Mr. Pwete says globally World Heritage properties have become critical components of social economic development and emphasised the need for Zambia to preserve the sites to international standards. Mr. Pwete was speaking in Livingstone yesterday at the 13th Joint Technical Committee meeting between Zambia and Zimbabwe over the management of the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.... Gill Comment: On my travels I have heard that every visitor to the region wants to see the Victoria Falls. However, they do not want to drive into the country themselves and chose to take a day trip from either Kasane or Katima Mulilo. Maybe our authorities should have a meeting to discuss the impediments to tourists at our borders. Zambian Poachers From Radio VOP Victoria Falls, February 24, ZAMBIA S Tourism minister Patrick Ngoma has bemoaned the increasing number of his countrymen caught illegally hunting for animals in Zimbabwe s nature reserves. Ngoma said he was sorry that Zambians were now to blame for most of Zimbabwe s poaching crimes. Conservationists and police, especially in Matabeleland North say the majority of poachers roaming national parks in the province are from neighbouring Zambia. Last Friday, a suspected Zambian poacher was gunned down by Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers near Matetsi in Hwange. The Zambian was killed after the rangers laid an ambush on a group of suspected poachers leading to a heavy exchange of gun fi re. Earlier in the week, Victoria Falls police had retrieved two bodies of suspected Zambian poachers that were found fl oating on the Zambezi River after escaping another ambush on February 6. Police said their bodies were still kept at the mortuary. We still stuck with their bodies. Their families, eight of them together with police came yesterday but they couldn t identify them because of the body state. They refused to take them and suggested to call more relatives. Everywhere in Zambian newspapers we are insulted for killing their people and throwing them into the river but that is not true. said offi cer commanding Victoria Falls police Jairos Chiwona. Meanwhile, one of the suspected members of the syndicate Christopher Malasa Mandaya (35) appeared at the Victoria Falls Magistrates Court facing charges of illegal possession of fi rearms and dagga.... He was arrested in Jambesi and was found in possession of 25 rounds of ammunition, a gun, two axes and butcher knives and two kilograms of dagga. Ngoma told Radio VOP that some of the poachers were being used by Chinese nationals to hunt elephants in Zimbabwe for their ivory. He said the increasing number of poachers of Zambian origin being caught on Zimbabwe was becoming a humiliation for the neighbouring country. In Zambia we are putting measures to make sure that poaching by our people is controlled but the fact that they are now failing to penetrate (our parks) has forced them to cross over to other countries like Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana and Namibia to commit the offences, he said. (Gill Comment: We have a serious poaching problem in Zambia. I feel that the reason our nationals are going into neighbouring countries is that our wildlife is at a very low ebb and it is easier to kill in neighbouring countries because they have managed to protect their wildlife better.)... Ngoma said to solve poaching cases, drones would be deployed in the SADC region to track the culprits. What we intend to do as neighboring countries, is that we must create a security force for KAZA (Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area) and this force must be done hand in hand, I m talking about security offi cers in all sides, he said. We must create system, which will make them communicate easily without the poachers themselves or the foreigners who are sending our people to go and poach and that way we will be able to achieve our goals. It is very humiliating because everywhere it is now known that Zambians are poaching and they shoot back. In Zambia we have introduced drones so that they can be able to spy on our behalf when they spot something they will be able to report and our plan is to have drone dotted all over the region, hence the reason of escaping to Zimbabwe mainly. Last year, Zimbabwe lost nearly 100 elephants to poachers, mainly at the Hwange National Park. Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said 11 poachers were shot dead by security agents in 2015 alone. And in a later report: TWO suspected Zambian poachers whose bodies were found fl oating in the Zambezi River could be given pauper s burials because their relatives are not cooperating with local law enforcement agents, police said weekend....

5 Experience Zambia Natural speed limit on the Mongu -Lusaka Road,Kafue National Park,Western Zambia Conservation Lower Zambezi Happy World Pangolin Day. Today is an opportunity to celebrate these unique and beautiful animals as well as raise awareness for their plight. Pangolin numbers are rapidly declining in Africa and Asia. Pangolins are one of the world s most traffi cked animals. They are sought after for their scales which are made of keratin, the same protein that makes up our own hair and nails and rhino horns. In China and Vietnam (the primary sources of demand for pangolins), the fl esh of both adults and fetuses is considered a delicacy and some mistakenly believe they will be blessed with health benefi ts if they eat it. Their scales, blood, and other body parts are also widely used in traditional Chinese medicines. There are four species of pangolin in Africa - we are lucky enough to have a small population of these amazing animals in the Lower Zambezi National Park, and we are ensuring they are protected from the very real human threat. Photograph by Peter Nel South Luangwa Conservation Society Huge thanks to Painted Dog Inc, John and Ange Angela Maree Lemon, Simon Reeves and Tony Park for this fabulous fundraiser for ZCP and SLCS in Perth. A great night of fundraising.

6 North Luangwa Conservation Society They did it! The 5 human members of the North Luangwa Canine Unit were designated Scout Handlers today after nearly 4 months of continuous training. When they started they had never heard the word leash let alone leashed a dog. Now they are responsible for 2 high-energy canine partners who depend on them for fun, food, and everything in between. They have learned fi eld fi rst-aide techniques, canine welfare, practical handling skills, obedience, scentdetection theory, kennel husbandry, and most importantly they have forged the necessary bonds to work with their canine partners safely and effectively. We are very proud of all the hard work and dedication they have shown as they pursued this challenging goal. Good job Samuel, Peter, Namabanda, Michael, and Moses! SHINGANDA A CONSERVATION SUCCESS STORY This is the fi rst of several articles on Shinganda. It was fi fteen years ago that gunshots were going off just about every day of the year, in an area which is today known as Shinganda Wildlife Wilderness. Wildlife was in steep decline, with the area destined to become silent miombo, where miombo woodlands become devoid of any wildlife, as is the case in many parts of Zambia today. However, after negotiations with Chief Mushima in 2001, the Shinganda-Lumba Conservancy was born and a wildlife restoration program put immediately in place. After very signifi cant input of resources, huge effort and dogged determination, the situation for wildlife has been turned around, with populations of most species bouncing back. In the old days there was not an elephant to be seen in the area, while today elephants are present throughout the year. Excluding most rodents, shrews and bats, the mammal species list for Shinganda is impressive, standing at 47 and slowly growing. To reach Shinganda Wildlife Wilderness, you drive either through Kaoma or Kasempa and fi nd Kantanta Camp in tranquil settings about halfway between these two towns, to the north of the main road. For more information on Shinganda Wildlife Wilderness, go to: com/

7 BATA ZAMBIA DONATES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE The Kasanka Trust are delighted to announce that Bata Shoes Zambia has very kindly sponsored our anti-poaching and law enforcement efforts for the year by donating 100 pairs of rainboots for our staff. Dion and Tigger went to collect the boots on their trip to Lusaka last week and met with CEO Prosper Bachi and Merchandise Manager Octavia Bwalya ZIMBABWE VAT on Accommodation From The Standard Zimbabwe recorded a nine percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2015 but there are fears increasing accommodation costs will cut the growth of the country s tourism sector signifi cantly in the near future. Tourism players say accommodation will become too expensive for visitors if they factor in a fi ve percent value added tax (VAT) imposed by the government. The southern African s prime resort- Victoria Falls would be the most affected, a recent research has shown. Zimbabwe has become a very expensive destination vis-a-vis our competitors in the region. The much condemned fi ve percent VAT on foreign visitors hotel accommodation was introduced in January After the introduction of the tax, hotels and lodges on average posted a decline in profi ts by about 27 percent compared to Treasury collected about $1,65 million from the VAT in the fi rst quarter of However, a study commissioned by the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism on the impact of the tax painted a gloomy picture for the industry. On average, increasing accommodation costs by more than fi ve percent would see about 75 percent of the tourists visiting Victoria Falls either not visiting Zimbabwe again or reducing length of stay from the (short) average stay of two to three days, reads part of the research fi ndings. The study said any measure that changes the tourist average length of stay would also deny the country the full benefi t of the visitors budget, currently averaging $1 900 per person per visit.... Gill Comment: Zambia and Zimbabwe are same-same. Both governments seem to be trying to extract as much money from the tourism industry without looking at the bigger picture. To me, the most important factor in attracting more tourists is job creation. As a service industry, the more tourists, the more jobs... and that is not mentioning the ripple effect of more taxis, more crafts, more sales in shops. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are in desperate need of jobs for the people, we should consider that as our priority. Painted Dog Conservation The Bushcamp continues this week with the arrival of Sianyanga Primary grade 6, the 13th class to come to the camp since we started the education programs in This was the fi rst school that came to the Bushcamp with 26 children at that time. Today they came with 37 children, their biggest class this year. Arriving at camp anxious and a bit mesmerized by our little Disney, running water, electricity, a comfortable bed, three meals a day, games, game drives and endless tutorials. It s a life changing moment for most of these boys and girls. Amongst these kids are those whose elder siblings had gone through this program, I can imagine they have been counting the years to have this experience. We are grateful to our supporters that help us make this program a success, changing lives,putting smiles on kids faces, in turn contributing to an environmentally conscious citizenry.

8 Baboon Problems Zimbabwe Daily THE Hwange Local Board (HLB) has resorted to shooting baboons, an operation that is now being investigated by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). Three baboons were shot dead and one was injured last week during the operation. Baboons freely roam the streets in Hwange and Victoria Falls but lately they have become a menace terrorising residents in search of food.... Gill Comment: Baboons are a serious issue when found in towns. We always see them at the border on both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides. They are dangerous and they are destructive. I wonder what the solution is? Matusadona Anti-Poaching Project ZIMBABWE: POACHER ARRESTED WITH ELEPHANT IVORY After a long night and travelling for hundreds of kilometers an ambush was set which resulted in the arrest of an ivory dealer and poacher in possession of 26kgs of elephant ivory and one leopard skin. Not many of you will be aware of the lengths we go to apprehend these criminals, these operations are expensive, dangerous and exhausting.the legal and illegal weapons surrounding our National Parks are being used to kill our wildlife and need to be removed if we are to succeed. We would like to thank all our sponsors who enable us to bring these criminals to justice and encourage others to get involved. Well done to MAPP, Resource Protection Services and the the Black Mambas for another fi ne result. Bhejane Trust 300 meters of net pulled out of the Zambezi River in the Zambezi National Park by a local fi sherman, Joe Rainsford, in a boat. Zambian fi sh poachers escaped inland - Parks and VFAPU reacting and have deployed. Joe also assisted Parks to pull out nearly 3km of Zambian nets in the Kazungula sector of the river a couple of weeks ago. It is great to see how everyone is pulling together with Parks in the Victoria Falls area to fi ght the scourge of poaching! LION SIGHTINGS BETWEEN NYAMHUNGA & BAOBAB RIDGE AREA Kariba Animal Welfare Trust We have had reports of several sightings of Lion in the last couple of days between Nyamhunga & Baobab Ridge area. We would again like to remind all Residents and Visitors that Kariba is within a Parks Wildlife area. Lion are seen frequently in this same area and further out. The last few months and fi rst few months of every year when the vegetation is thick from rainfall, there is more chance of coming face to face with Lions. National Parks and KAWFT would like to advise the public to be on a high alert when walking. People should stay on the roads and avoid using pathways which cuts across thickets....

9 NAMIBIA Flood Alert From New Era Thousands of villagers in the fl ood-prone Kabbe Constituency in the Zambezi Region are being advised to prepare themselves and their belongings for possible evacuation to higher ground as the water level is rising. Villagers are being advised to evacuate to higher ground for their own safety, as there is a strong possibility of fl ooding if the water level continues to rise over the next two weeks. Kwando Carnivore Project This beautiful specimen of a Black backed jackal carrying a carcass was photographed by camera trap in the conservancies of the Mudumu South Complex. These conservancies like between the Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara National Parks. The objective of the camera trapping exercise was to establish the extent of movement of large carnivores between the parks and how often they occur in the conservancy areas. I am still in the process of sorting through the odd photos, it does appear that lions, leopards and spotted hyaenas occur very close to park boundaries. Cross Rhino in Etosha Metro UK Thought you were angry on the commute to work? You ve got nothing on this rhino. He got so p***ed off he rammed a jeep full of tourists. The footage was captured in Etosha National Park in Namibia by Alexandra Poier, 48. The tourist was in a nearby car when she managed to capture the attack on camera. She said: I think the rhino saw a threat and that is why he attacked. To be honest, I was quite scared because it could have been our car. It happened very quickly and suddenly. After he went to the side of our car and we left quickly. The tour guide said this was a rare event. The passengers in the other vehicle escaped shaken but otherwise unharmed.

10 WEATHER Min Temp Max Temp 21 C (70) 31 C (88) EXCHANGE RATES US$1 K11.45 P11.34 Nam$16.20 THE SMILE From the beeb Hundreds of young men in India s Bihar state have been made to strip down to their underwear while appearing for an army recruitment test in an attempt to prevent cheating. Have a good two weeks Gill