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Dear All
Nyamandlovu Pan in Hwange National Park. More of the story later ...
The Lady Livingstone
I had not been on a cruise on the Lady Livingstone for many years. But the Makumbi at the Waterfront is having a few repairs and is out of the river. So we were put on the Lady Livingstone for our evening cruise.
The cruise normally goes upriver to the top of Canary Island, lets us take photos of the sunset and then returns to its dock at the David Livingstone Safari Lodge.
We were in for a special treat because we found elephants feeding on the bank of Siloka Island and then, after the boat had moved upstream for quite a distance, we could see that the elephants had decided to cross the river. The boat captain quickly ‘about turned’ and we headed back to watch. Stunning.
I was also very impressed that all the boats on the river kept their distance from the elephants, not disturbing them. Well done to the captains.
FOCUS: The casualisation bill - what is it about?Zambia Weekly
There has been a lot of confusion about the Employment (Amendment) Bill of 2015, and in particular about its impact on casualisation.Zambia Weekly takes a closer look at the bill’s four objectives:1. Revise registration procedures for employment agencies to ensure that employees are not being exploited, for instance by being charged matching fees. All agencies must apply for an employment agency permit from now on.2. Prohibit casualisation: Casual work is work that is not permanent in nature, but excludes work under a consultancy agreement, piecework, seasonal work, temporary employment, part-time work and fl exibalisation such as performance-based pay, sub-contracting, outsourcing and job-sharing. Also, it does not apply to a company with 10 or less employees.3. Regulate fi xed-term contracts: A causal can be employed for six months, after which the causal must be put on a short-term contract, and when that expires, on a fi xed-term contract. A fi xed-term contract may be renewed, but the cumulative period of the successive fi xed-term contracts shall be prescribed. When the prescribed cumulative period expires,the contract shall be deemed to be a permanent contract.4. Ensure that employers give “valid” reasons for termination of a contract of service. Valid reasons are connected with the capacity, conduct of the employees or based on the operational requirements of the company. Union activities or protests are not valid reasons. Neither are race, colour, sex, gender, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancies, maternity leave, political affi liation or social status.
Gill Comment: The latest census fi gures I can fi nd from Zambia Statistics are for 2010 in a Report on Employment. This was the status of affairs then:
The total population was 13,000,000. The population over 15 and under 65, and considered to be employable: 6,650,000
Formal Employment:Central Government 152,000Local Government 35,000Parastatal 63,000Private 416,000Total 666,000
Assuming that the Casualisation Bill only applies to people in the Private Formal Sector, it affects around 6.2% of working population.
Hendrik Bakker
Mr Hendrik Bakker, born 12-08-1932 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, or his next of kin, is kindly requested to contact the Honorary Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lusaka.
Please email [email protected] as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague email [email protected]”.
Forests
One of the reasons we have less water in Kariba Dam is deforestation. The trees along a river bank keep the water within the river; remove the trees and the water seeps into the surrounding land. Deforestation is also contributing to climate change.
The trees along the rivers are removed by farmers who wish to plant their crops; also they are removed through cutting for timber for construction and making of charcoal. In the past, when the population was small, this was not a major concern. But, as our population increases there is more pressure on our natural environment.
We also have much more commercial logging than we ever had before as companies vie for timber concessions. We know that much of our timber is cut to be exported in an almost raw state and sent to South Africa and China. There has been a lot in the news in recent years as Zambian forests are cut and sneaked across borders.
The forestry areas were set aside during our colonial era but the Act of Parliament came into being in 1972. Then the forests were protected by staff who kept fi re breaks, stopped illegal cutting of timber and generally kept them as nature intended. But in recent years the forests have been abandoned.
AREAS COVERED BY PROTECTED FORESTS IN EACH PROVINCE
Provinces Areas (ha) National forests Local forests TotalCentral 320,326 223,097 543,423Copperbelt 269,379 231 269,610Eastern 678,864 158,963 837,827Western 214,193 276,418 490,611Northern 799,286 310,969 1,110,255North-Western 1,866,560 356,383 2,222,943Southern 207,690 356,654 564,344Total 4,356,298 1,682,715 6,039,013
With all the pressures on the Zambian economy at the present time, it is not surprising that Government is not allocating many resources to our forests. But maybe there is help ‘out there’.
Forests throughout Africa are being helped through various funds so that countries can protect their trees because of climate change.
According to all the information available on climate change:
FACT SHEETCLIMATE CHANGE IN AFRICA - WHAT IS AT STAKE?Excerpts from IPCC reports, the Convention, & BAPCompiled by AMCEN SecretariatSummary of the Projected impacts of climate change in Africa (just two of them)• By 2020, between 75 and 250 million people in Africa are projected to be exposed to increased water stress due to climate change.• By 2020, in some countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50%. Agricultural production, including access to food, in many African countries is projected to be severely compromised. This would further adversely affect food security and exacerbate malnutrition. ...
From Climate Investment Funds on Forest Investment Program (FIP):Despite the funding concerns, the sub-committee also agreed to provide $2.25 million to an additional nine countries (Tunisia, Bangladesh, Zambia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Guyana, Honduras, Rwanda, and Uganda) to develop investment plans, but “with the clear understanding that there are no FIP resources currently available for the implementation of these investment plans”. It urged the countries “to actively seek resources from other bilateral or multilateral sources to fund the investment plans” together with the MDBs. Any country that is unable to complete an investment plan within two years will be replaced by one or more of the countries that remain on the expert group’s list. Furthermore, the sub-committee asked the CIF administrative unit to develop a proposal for an independent expert group tasked to offer support for all new countries.
It looks as if there is money possibly available to help Zambia to look after its forestry areas and I am wondering if we are doing anything about it.
Nanzhila PlainsKill of the day......a Red-necked Falcon and an unfortunate Cape turtle Dove
Nanzhila Plains Safari Camp will be closing this week. The rains will come and fl ood the plain making it inaccessible until the end of the season. Many other camps in Kafue, Lower Zambezi and Luangwa will also be closed.
Game Rangers InternationalLast week, China’s offi cials seized a shipment of almost 3,000 dead pangolins. These elusive animals are facing an unprecedented threat.However, it’s important to remember the successes:GRI - Wildlife Veterinary Project has just released a healthy male pangolin back into Kafue National Park. Thanks to a great effort by Zambia Wildlife Authority-ZAWA and GRI - Kafue Conservation Project’s Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU) the poachers were arrested before they sold it for ZMW50,000. Or £2,500 and are facing a 5 year jail sentence.
South Luangwa Conservation SocietyMore excellent news from the Delta Canine Unit in Zambia!! Ruger found ivory stashed in a bale of grass and the scouts arrested two ivory dealers! HUGE kudos to all the members of the unit and our awesome partners at the South Luangwa Conservation Society - SLCS. And we are VERY proud of the hard work done by our very own McKenzie Homan and Megan Parker!
Conservation Lake TanganyikaThe Thin Green Line supports rangers in Nsumbu through CLT by providing fi eld equipment, training for scouts and housing renovations. One of our biggest supporters and one of the few that directs support straight to the men and women on the ground.
Mukambi Safari LodgeThis leopard was spotted in this tree overlooking our old camp on Thorn Island!
Painted Dog FoundationIts been a great few days for dog sightings in the Hwange National Park Main Camp region, with sightings of the Bro-ken Rifl e, Ganda and Nyamandlovu packs coming in.The children attending our Form Two Camp were thrilled to see the Nyamandlovu pack near Dom pan.Peter and Jealous have also been out early each morning with John and Angela Lemon, our long time friends from PDC inc Australia and they saw the Ganda pack twice in two days. Typically though, the pack did not present an opportunity to dart them and fi t protective collars as was hoped. Peter and Jealous will keep trying of course as this pack move through several areas known for their poaching activity.Arguably the best news of all came from our friends at Bomani Lodge, who saw a pack of 24 dogs!! Our research team identifi ed the dogs as the Broken Rifl e pack.
Matusadona Anti-Poaching UnitRewards for information fl yers handed out to thousands and thousands of people surrounding the Matusadona National Park and surrounding areas. Informers providing us with re-liable information are making more money than they would do poaching. If you would like to make some extra cash fi nd out who is doing the poaching in your area, monitor their movements and report to our information hotline via text or whatsapp on 078 346 5409. Illegal weapons, poison, ivory, bush meat and skins should all be reported immediately for quick response and a reward for reliable information. LETS PROTECT OUR NATURAL HERITAGE TOGETHER!
STAYING THE COURSE
The historical story of golf in Rhodesia-Zimbabwe is told through 190 pages of this well illustrated book by journalist and author in Harare John Kelley. With a foreword by Pierre Bechmann, 2013 captain of the Royal and Ancient, it features every club in the country, the top professionals, other personalities who have made signifi cant contributions,
womens, juniors and societies since 1890. “Staying the Course” is now in the libraries of the USGA, the U.S. Congress, 12 U.S. Universities including Yale, Harvard and Stanford, New York city, Boston and the R&A. The book would make an ideal Christmas present at US$20.
Contact John on00263 4 885047, cell 0712 607809, or e-mail: [email protected].
Hwange National Park
I have had to blot my story about going to Hwange. The fi le size for this blog was too large with all the photographs. So I have put the story on my ‘Stories’ blog. If you want to have a read, go to:
https://storiesbeyondthevictoriafalls.wordpress.com/zimbabwe/hwange-national-park/november-2015/
Raffl e to raise funds for Kasane SPCA for their speying programme.
Tickets are P150 or US$15. Only 200 tickets will be sold.
Contact us on: [email protected] or on our face book page: SPCA Kasane
BOTSWANA
Caprivi Strip
When David Livingstone arrived in our area of Africa in 1851, he met Sebituane, Chief of the Kololo people, at Linyanti. David Livingstone returned in 1855 when he was taken by Sekeletu, Sebituane’s son and successor, to the Victoria Falls. Linyanti was a major village in the Kololo’s region; a region which stretched to the Kafue River and into parts of now Botswana and Namibia. The Kololo were overthrown by the Lozi in 1864 and the palace was moved to the north of the Zambezi River, to Lealui.
Linyanti is the area along the Kwando River. The Kwando River actually has a few names. It starts off in Angola where it is called the Cuando, changing its name to Kwando when it enters Namibia. For a short distance around Mudumu National Park it is known as the Mashi but as it arrives at Nkasa Lupala (Mamili) NP it becomes the Linyanti. This stretch of the river turns a 90° turn to the north east and, part way on its journey to the Zambezi River, it becomes known as the Chobe.
This area of Namibia is now known at the Zambezi Province but it is better known as the Caprivi Strip. During the Angolan Civil War the Caprivi Strip was a no-go area for tourism and much of the wildlife was decimated. The Angolan Civil War ended in 2002 and, since then, tour operators have moved in to provide facilities for travellers. They had, and still have, an uphill battle to encourage the wildlife to increase but it is one of my favourite places to visit. Miles of wilderness. The wildlife too is improving every year. And the fi shing in the river is exceptional with several competitions.
This region is now part of the KAZA Transfrontier Conservation Area and it is integral to providing an elephant corridor from Chobe National Park, through Namibia and into Angola and Zambia.
I was interested to see how the area was coming on as it is several years since I have been there. So I used Facebook to see what the lodges were saying. But ... it would seem that most tour operators are not using Facebook. But I did fi nd a few bits.
Mashi River Safaris
And the African subject leaving all others behind in the data usage stakes....
Nkasa Lupala Lodge
The harubandi channel in front of the lodge has stopped fl owing!
We need rain!!
Livingstone’s Camp, Nkasa Lupala
Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bats roosting near camp. They
have a wingspan of up 60 cm, making them some of the
largest bats in Africa. Rare to see them in Namibia.
NAMIBIA
OTHER STUFFAfrica’s Vultures sliding towards extinctionAfrica Geographic
Africa’s largest and most recognisable birds of prey – vultures – face a grim future, according to the latest assessment carried out by BirdLife International for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, on behalf of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Six of the continent’s 11 vulture species have had their global threat status upgraded to a higher level, meaning that they face a very real danger of extinction. This includes the hooded, Rüppell’s and white-backed vultures that have been up-listed from Endangered to Critically Endangered, the white-headed vulture that goes from Vulnerable to Critically Endan-gered, and the Cape and lappet-faced vultures whose listings have changed from Vulnerable to Endangered.
The main causes of the drop in African vulture populations are thought to be indiscriminate poisonings where the birds are drawn to poisoned baits, use of vulture body parts in tradi-tional medicine, and deliberate targeting by poachers as the presence of vultures can alert authorities to illegally killed big game carcasses.
Dr Julius Arinaitwe, BirdLife International’s Africa Pro-gramme Director, said: “As well as robbing the African skies of one of their most iconic and spectacular groups of birds, the rapid decline of the continent’s vultures has profound conse-quences for its people – as vultures help stop the spread of diseases by cleaning up rotting carcasses. However, now we are becoming aware of the sheer scale of the declines involved, there is still just enough time for conservation-ists to work with law-makers, faith-based organisations, government agencies and local people, to make sure there is a future for these magnifi cent scavengers.”
Worldwide, 40 more bird species are now classifi ed as having a higher risk of extinction in the 2015 Red List. Besides the vultures, these include many wading shorebirds, and other iconic species like Atlantic puffi n, European turtle-dove and helmeted hornbill.
Conversely, 23 species have been downgraded to lower threat categories. In some cases, this refl ects a better under-standing and more accurate picture of how they are faring, but some species have undergone remarkable recoveries as a result of conservation action, including the Seychelles warbler and Chatham petrel.
The Red List is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the conservation status of plant and animal spe-cies, and BirdLife International is the offi cial authority for birds.
Vultures and storks at the ‘Vulture Restaurant’ at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
A SMILE
Have a good two weeks
Gill
EXCHANGE RATES
US$1 K13.15
P10.78
Nam$14.20
WEATHER
Min Temp Max Temp
27°C 38°C
We are waiting for rain. Have had a couple of isolated showers but the ITCZ is miles away. There is a chance of rain at the weekend ... but who knows???
When NASA started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work at zero gravity.To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion developing a pen that wrote at zero gravity, up-side down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300C. The Russians used a pencil.
