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Samuel Kadungure in Kasane, Botswana

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday arrived here in Botswana for the Kasane Elephant Summit which is expected to be attended by three other Heads of State whose countries are part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area to discuss a common policy towards management of the elephants.

The President was received at the Kasane International Airport by the Botswana Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Ms Unity Dow and Tourism, Environment and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira.

President Mnangagwa was accompanied by the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Cain Mathema, who is also the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.

The summit kicks off today.

Botswana President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, President Edgar Lungu of Zambia and President Juao Lourenco of Angola are also expected to attend the summit.

Minister Mupfumira and the permanent secretary in her ministry Mr Munesu Munodawafa are already here in Botswana for the summit, which is the first of its kind and comes as the issue of wildlife has generated intense debate with most non-governmental organisations and Western media criticising countries in the region over alleged wanton poaching of wildlife.

The summit is expected to generate better understanding of elephant management and associated challenges from the view of Southern Africa, which is home to the largest elephant population in the world.

The leaders will discuss the impact of wildlife on humans, legal and illegal trade in elephant products with the aim of generating concrete interventions to address challenges posed.

Kasane lies in a riverine woodland at the meeting point of four countries that are part of the KAZA TFCA countries — namely Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The four countries have the largest pool of elephants in Africa.

The summit will also be attended by ministers, KAZA, NGOs, conservation organisations, wildlife researchers, donors, philanthropists to raise awareness on the state of elephants in Southern Africa. 

The summit will also share ideas and explore ways of curbing poaching of elephants and illegal trade of elephant products as well as discuss and come up with recommendations and solutions to human-wildlife conflict.

The African elephant has been a subject of discussion on international meetings such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). 

The conditions for trade in elephants and their products has been a subject of acrimonious debate with stringent conditions being imposed on those whose populations are on CITES Appendix TWO.