HARARE, April 28 (Xinhua) — The Zimbabwean Cabinet on Tuesday approved a new national wildlife policy to promote the sustainable use of the country’s vast wildlife resources.
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda said the new policy will replace the outdated 1992 wildlife policy and support sustainable and innovative wildlife management.
“The new wildlife policy aims to strengthen the contribution of the wildlife sector to national development through sustainable use of wildlife resources and to enhance active community participation and thereby socio-economic benefits for present and future generations,” Soda said.
According to Soda, the policy seeks to bolster the sector’s resilience to climate change while promoting a vibrant, wildlife-anchored economy that recognizes wildlife as a public resource. It further encourages equitable benefit sharing, decentralization, and public-private partnerships, while advancing sustainable transboundary conservation and ethical conservation practices.
The new framework is anchored on 10 key pillars, covering strategic areas such as wildlife ownership, conservation within and outside park estates, fisheries management, and the movement of indigenous species. It also prioritizes wildlife education, research, and the establishment of dedicated wildlife corridors to ensure resource sustainability.
A critical component of the policy is the mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, which has intensified due to habitat loss and climate change-induced resource scarcity. Soda noted that the new measures provide for various management mechanisms and will enable the implementation of a human-wildlife conflict relief fund to benefit victims.
Zimbabwe is home to an abundance of wildlife, including giraffes, zebras, antelopes, crocodiles, and hippopotamuses. The country also boasts the second-largest elephant population in Africa after Botswana. ■
