PRESIDENT ASSENTS TO WILDLIFE LAW

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has signed into law the Parks and Wildlife Management Amendment Act. The law seeks to create a fund to compensate victims of human-wildlife conflict, ensure local communities have more involvement with their resources and professionalise wildlife experts.

The assent to law was announced by the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Martin Rushwaya, in a Government Gazette published on Friday.

“The following law, which was assented to by His Excellency the President, is published in terms of subsection 6(a) of section 131 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe — Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act (No. 4 of 2025),” reads the notice.

The law will provide a framework to provide compensation for those who fall victim to human-wildlife conflict.

Conflicts between people and wildlife have been thorny, threatening both animals and forests which are the backbone of the tourism industry and critical natural resources.

One of the key elements of the Bill is the establishment of a fund to compensate those killed or maimed, and for property lost in human-wildlife conflict.

Clause eight of the Act spells out the objective, source and disbursement modalities of the fund.

“There shall be established a Fund to be called the HWCRF whose objective shall be to offer some monetary relief to victims of human wildlife conflict, that is to say victims of any encounter with a wild animal resulting in the death of a victim, or his or her maiming (that is to say any permanent disablement of a bodily function) or any other physical injury to the victim,” reads the Act.

“No person shall be entitled to monetary relief where they are injured, maimed or killed by a wild animal while illegally harvesting a wild animal or where they have negligently interfered with wild animals. Monetary relief shall be paid to the victim from the HWCRF upon a claim made in the prescribed manner by or on behalf of the victim no later than 12 months after the encounter resulting in the death, maiming or injury in accordance with the prescribed scale for disbursements.”

The law stipulates that funds will be drawn from proceeds of the allocated hunting quota and the 0,5 percent human wildlife relief levy on revenue accruing to consumptive and non-consumptive tourism and wildlife based business and money that might be appropriated by Parliament.

The law establishes a Wildlife Professionals Council of Zimbabwe which shall be a body to regulate the wildlife sector and the profession.

The composition of the council will comprise nine members some of whom will be nominated by wildlife professionals.

Its mandate will be to register individuals as wildlife professionals in their sector or subsector as a precondition for them to be able to operate as such, keep a register of all wildlife professionals, define and enforce correct uniform practice and discipline among wildlife professionals, formulate and keep up to date codes of ethics for the consumptive and non-consumptive sectors.

During debate in the National Assembly, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife Cde Sam Matema (Zanu PF) said the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife should provide a compelling justification for the proposed removal of wildlife ownership rights on privately managed land, ensuring alignment with constitutional property rights and international obligations.

“The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife should provide for a transparent and equitable quota management system Bill that balances the interests of both the authority and landowners,” said Cde Matema who is the MP for Buhera Central.

“The Bill should have a provision that clearly stipulates how the benefits will be shared and distributed among the communities surrounding the wildlife areas. The Bill should have a provision that clearly specifies how the Human Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund would be resourced, managed and its proceeds distributed among the beneficiaries.”

Source