Story by Yolanda Moyo
TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant Econet Wireless has donated field equipment to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) in a move aimed at strengthening wildlife conservation and boosting anti-poaching operations in the country’s national parks.
The consignment, which will be deployed in the strategic Zambezi and Victoria Falls National Parks, is expected to improve the operational capacity, safety and welfare of rangers working on the frontline of wildlife protection.
Rangers operating in the parks welcomed the intervention, saying the equipment would help them tackle the harsh conditions encountered during anti-poaching patrols and human-wildlife conflict mitigation exercises.
“We are truly grateful for this donation. We are confident that this will go a long way in fulfilling our mandate. Patrolling this terrain is brutal, and winter makes it twice as hard. This gear does not just give us comfort, it gives us the protection we need to stay in the field longer, stop poachers, and keep tourists safe,” a ranger said.
The donation comes ahead of the annual Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, which is scheduled for the first Sunday of July.
Econet Wireless Area Manager for Matabeleland North, Dr Munyaradzi Chikwama said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and conservation partnerships.
“Our marathon runners literally run through national parks. ZimParks has consistently ensured participant safety by managing wildlife, such as clearing elephants from the routes. This donation is our way of appreciating that support and reaffirming our long-term commitment to ecological conservation,” he said.
ZimParks Director General, Professor Edson Gandiwa said the donation would also strengthen conservation efforts within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA).
“What this means is that through this donation, we are supporting a critical component of conservation, which is the boots on the ground. If we effectively conserve resources within Zimbabwe’s KAZA landscape, it also advances the broader regional conservation agenda. We hope this gesture will encourage other mobile technology providers and partners to contribute towards conservation efforts,” he said.
The partnership is also being viewed as part of broader efforts to align corporate social responsibility initiatives with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy Two (NDS2), which prioritises environmental sustainability, biodiversity protection and tourism growth.
