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Leonard Ncube, Online Reporter

ZIMBABWE is taking wildlife conservation to another level with the construction of a US$1.4 million one-stop access pavilion at the entrance to the country’s giant Hwange National Park for enhanced conservation management security and expanded tourism marketing.

Environment, Climate and Wildlife Management Minister, Cde Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday morning, marking the start of construction work that is set to be completed mid next year.

The project is a partnership between Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the International Fund for Wildlife and People Welfare (Ifaw), as part of the US$50 million 25-year-old conservation lease.

The one-stop facility will have Zimparks offices, tourism offices, a car park, staff houses, and other value chain services such as crafts businesses.

Currently, there is only a boom gate at the site and another gate as one exits the Main Camp premises into the park.

Hwange National Park is the country’s biggest game park measuring 14 600 square kilometres and with more than 100 mammal and 400 bird species but its infrastructure, especially at the entrance, does not match its status.

The one-stop pavilion will be situated at the current boom gate near the railway line, which divides the national park and the Forestry Commission reserve land and will become the entrance point to the game park.

The game park, the biggest in the country and second biggest in Southern Africa after Kruger National Park in South Africa, has an elephant carrying capacity of 15 000 but has witnessed a huge growth in population to more than 60 000 jumbos, according to Zimparks director Dr Fulton Mangwanya.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Minister Ndlovu said the one-stop access pavilion is a rubberstamp to partnerships being encouraged by the Second Republic.

“When the President is saying we are open for business he is saying we are open for such partnerships. This will be a state-of-the-art access pavilion. Hwange National Park is perhaps one of the best managed national parks in the global south but the entrance doesn’t reveal that. So, it’s befitting that we have such an investment,” he said.

“I appreciate what Ifaw is doing and their expectation is to see a harmonious existence between animals and communities. These are the kinds of partnerships we are looking for,” said Minister Ndlovu.

The foundations to the pavilion have started with steel frames already in place and soon after the groundbreaking, workmen from Mak Bokano Construction company started pouring concrete slab.

Project manager Engineer Remembrance Guchari said the project will be completed by June 2024.

He said labour will be drawn from local communities working with the Hwange Rural District Council and local traditional leaders.

Ifaw country director Mrs Alleta Nyahuye said the project is one of the Hwange National Park investment projects that are aimed at enhancing tourism.

“Together we are going to build a better home for our animals, for our people and that our tourism is going to improve,” she said.