The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority has started constructing a US$1.4 million state-of-the-art one-stop access pavilion at the entrance of Hwange National Park.
International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) is bankrolling the project which is expected to be completed in June next year.
Construction has started as foundations have been set and the Environment Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu did a ground breaking on Friday.
Mak Bokano is doing the construction for the facility which will have offices, a car park, security checkpoint, rangers’ houses and other services.
The construction of an entrance facility comes at a time when concerns have been raised in the past that despite Hwange National park being the country’s biggest game park with more than 100 mammal and 400 bird species, the infrastructure was not commensurate with what is found in the 14 600 square kilometre park.
The park is the second in Southern Africa Kruger National Park in South Africa and has a ballooning elephant population of more than 45 000 against a carrying capacity of 15 000.
Zimparks and Ifaw entered into a 25 year partnership early this year with US$50 million invested into the agreement where the latter is helping the wildlife authority in conservation management to reduce poaching through enhancing management activities.
Already, Zimparks has received a total of US$3 million which has been used to build Makona Camp on the boundary of the game park with Tsholotsho, rehabilitate 90km road to Makona, refurbish an animal clinic at Mtshibi camp, buy vehicles for rangers and scoop mud from
Nyamandlovu Pan near Main Camp.
Building of the access pavilion is one of the major projects to be done in the 25 year old marriage between the two organisations.
Environment Minister Ndlovu said Ifaw came in at the right time when the Zimparks was struggling with conservation.
“Since the signing of the agreement between Zimparks and Ifaw in 2019 the Hwange National Park has received the much needed technical, financial and material support whose monetary value is now close to US$3 million
“Hwange National Park is perhaps one of the best run national parks in the global south but its infrastructure doesn’t match what’s inside, and so it is befitting that there is commensurate infrastructure,” said Ndlovu.
He said Ifaw would not expect anything in return other than harmonious existence between animals and communities.
Ndlovu said this is a great investment that is an example of a Government partnership that has been bearing fruits since 2019.
“We are very grateful to Ifaw who have partnered Government through Zimparks. Established in 1928, Hwange National Park is still to realise its full potential, and i am happy now that we have already established a marriage that will continue to deliver,” he said.
Zimparks director Fulton Mangwanya said he takes pride in collaboration with Ifaw as the wildlife conservation work has proven to positively contribute to social development by reducing human-wildlife conflict.
“This project is part of a list of projects in the partnership. As the largest national park in the country, a state-of-the-art entrance is crucial to increase visibility, expanded tourism and security.
Ifaw country director Alleta Nyahunye said the international organisation is committed to wildlife management and reducing conflict.
“The project is part of many by Ifaw through its room-to-roam initiative as we believe in co-creation and co-design of solutions. This is one of the Hwange National Park investment plan partial fulfilment in terms of tourism so we are very excited by this opportunity that together we are going to build a better home for our people and animals and that our tourism is going to improve greatly in line with our Vision 2030,” she said.
