The Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, called on miners to avoid Hwange National Park and instead extract coal from other areas of Matabeleland North Province, where it is plentiful.
This follows a proposal by the Chinese company Sunny Yi Feng to launch a coal mining project in Sinamatella, a part of Hwange National Park. 
Sinamatella is a critical habitat for black rhinos and supports a growing population of this endangered species.
During a parliamentary session on tourism, Mudenda urged coal miners to focus on untapped coal deposits in Binga, leaving Hwange National Park undisturbed. He said:
<blockquote>
I will not subscribe to mining in national parks. The place that has been identified for mining purposes is not the only location where coal can be found.
We have coal in the southern part of Binga, as well as in the southeast and southwest of Binga—still virgin land with plenty of coal deposits.
Why disturb the ecology of the animals there?
</blockquote>
Bhejane Trust, a non-profit wildlife conservation organisation based in Victoria Falls, recently warned that the effects of coal mining in Sinamatella would extend beyond wildlife. 
The organisation said that tourism in the area would suffer, leading to the closure of tourist camps, loss of business, and damage to the park’s infrastructure.
The Trust also expressed concerns that mining operations would likely result in severe water pollution, destruction of infrastructure, and social issues such as prostitution, with little to no benefit for the country.
Such activities would disrupt the park’s ecosystem, threaten biodiversity, and severely impact wildlife habitats, particularly those of black rhinos.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has also called on the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to reject Sunny Yi Feng’s application to prospect for coal in Sinamatella, citing concerns that mining would increase the risk of species extinction and hinder the recovery of animal populations.

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Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, says miners should not mine in Hwange National Park. Chinese company Sunny Yi Feng wants to mine coal in the park, but it's home to black rhinos that need protection. Mudenda wants miners to go to other areas in Matabeleland North where there is plenty of coal. Bhejane Trust warns that mining in the park will hurt tourism and wildlife. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority also says mining in the park should be stopped to protect endangered species.

Mudenda Condemns Sunny Yi Feng's Proposal To Prospect For Coal In Sinamatella

Bhejane Trust, a Rhino and wildlife non-profit conservation organisation based out of Victoria Falls, has raised alarm over a new threat to Sinamatella, which is once again under pressure from Chinese coal mining interests.
Sunny Yi Feng, a Chinese firm, has applied for permission to mine deep within the park, claiming it needs 16,000 hectares. However, maps suggest the area they want to mine could actually span 22,000 hectares.
This development comes despite previous assurances from the Zimbabwean government and the Chinese embassy that they would not support any future mining activities in national parks following earlier attempts to mine in Sinamatella.
According to Bhejane Trust, the proposed mining area falls within the Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ), a critical area set up to protect the park’s remaining black rhinos.
If mining proceeds, these rhinos would have to be relocated, as their survival would be incompatible with the mining operations.
The Trust argued that the impacts would extend beyond wildlife: tourism in Sinamatella would suffer, leading to the closure of tourist camps, loss of business, and damage to the park’s infrastructure.
Sinamatella would effectively need to be de-proclaimed as a park due to the environmental degradation that mining would cause.
The influx of workers and heavy machinery would also expose the area to increased poaching, both for bush meat and commercial purposes.
In addition, mining operations would likely lead to severe pollution of water sources, destruction of infrastructure, and social issues such as prostitution, with little to no benefit for the country as a whole.
Bhejane Trust asserted that the environmental consequences of coal mining in Sinamatella would be devastating.
It would destroy the park’s ecosystem, endanger biodiversity, and significantly harm wildlife habitats, particularly for the black rhinos.
Mining would also negatively affect tourism, deterring visitors not just from Sinamatella but from the broader Victoria Falls region, resulting in major losses for Zimbabwe’s tourism industry.
Furthermore, the contamination of water sources would not only threaten the park’s animals but also local communities who rely on these waters.
Allowing coal mining in Sinamatella would undermine Zimbabwe’s conservation efforts and its commitment to protecting the nation’s natural resources.

The Bhejane Trust, a group that helps rhinos and wildlife, is worried about Chinese coal mining in Sinamatella. The company wants to mine in a protected area, which could harm black rhinos and other animals. The mining might also hurt tourism, lead to poaching, and pollute water sources. The Trust says this would be bad for the environment, wildlife, and the local community. They think the government should not allow mining in Sinamatella to protect nature and the animals.

Bhejane Trust Slams Mining Push In Sinamatella, Warns Of Irreparable Damage

<a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Bhejane_Trust">Bhejane Trust</a> has said thieves from Zambia vandalised and stole some of its solar panels along the upper Zambezi region. Bhejane Trust is a leading Zimbabwean wildlife conservation group that runs various game water programs throughout <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Zambezi_National_Park" title="Zambezi National Park">Zambezi National Park</a>, Kazuma Pan National Park, and Sinamatella and Robins Areas, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Hwange_National_Park" title="Hwange National Park">Hwange National Park</a>. Below is the Trust’s statement.
<blockquote>It is very disheartening and distressing to drive up to a solar panel array and see it has been vandalised and panels missing! And just when you think you have everything under control!! There is a very determined gang of Zambian thieves, armed with crowbars and hacksaws, who have been raiding and stealing panels and pumps along the upper Zambezi region, including on the Chamabonda Vlei. They use a combination of cutting with the hacksaws and brute force with the crowbars to break the frames holding the panels. However our panels are all bolted to the exterior metal frames so they cannot get the panels without breaking the actual panel frame. which destroys the panel.
They hit us again in January at No 3 – they smashed four panels trying to remove them, and tried to get the pump but dropped it (see below). Although they caused considerable damage, they left empty-handed for all their effort. They then hit Chamabonda 2 and again left empty-handed, completely cutting up the lower frame of the two but breaking up the panels in trying to get them out. We have now put in even more reinforcing!! On an adjoining property they put the panels on top of towers – the thieves made bush ladders to get up and steal the panels!!
We know the villages the thieves come from, we have some names, and you can guarentee all the villagers in Zambia along the river frontage know what is going on. One good, honest investigator in Zambia could stop all this stealing instantly, but unfortunately, it seems such a person does not exist that side of the river. The Zambians consistently fail to cooperate on issues of theft and poaching along the Zambezi</blockquote>

"Zambian Thieves" Vandalise Bhejane Trust's Solar Panels

Two cattle herders in Hwange have been commended for saving a kudu cow that had been snared by poachers on the boundary of Hwange National Park.
According to Bhejane Trust, a wildlife non-profit conservation organization based out of Victoria Falls, the two cattle herders filmed the rescue incident which they then took to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks).
Though the duo did not ask to be rewarded for saving the animal, the Trust rewarded them handsomely for being responsible citizens. Bhejane Trust said in a statement:
<blockquote>Two cattle herders on the boundary of Hwange National Park found a kudu cow in a snare.  They then proceeded to release the kudu, while filming it… They showed the video they took to the Parks Investigation officer who passed it onto us.
Although they had not asked for any form of reward, the Bhejane Trust rewarded them anyway for setting such a fine example to the community.</blockquote>
Watch the herdsmen rescue the kudu in the video below:
<div class="wp-video" style="width: 234px;">
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" controls="controls" height="426" id="video-192762-1" preload="metadata" width="234"><source src="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kudu.mp4?_=1" type="video/mp4"/><a href="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kudu.mp4">https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kudu.mp4</a></video></div>

WATCH: Herdsmen Rescue Kudu Cow From Poachers' Snare

Four poachers who were arrested over the weekend for killing 5 buffalo and 2 kudus were this Monday sentenced in Hwange court to an effective 18 months each, plus restitution to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) of US$48 000 for the buffalo and US$ 4 500 for the kudu.
According to Bhejane Trust, the poachers were arrested after they were tracked by a combined team of Bhejane Trust Rhino Monitors, National Parks and a Painted Dog Conservation Anti-Poaching (PDC) team.
The poachers had hidden their kit and meat at their base camp hidden in the hills in the Deka Tail concession, bordering the Sinamatella area.
However, the poachers had left the camp, so the team continued to track them. For the next 5km, the poachers were anti-tracking, but when they thought they were clear, they headed straight for their home village.
The team followed, and some 28km from the base, they came to the poachers home village – by now it was getting dark.
They waited until everything in the village settled down and went to sleep, and then raided the houses – by now PDC had brought in a tracker dog to help.
They arrested four of the poachers, but another three escaped, but are known and are on the run. They recovered meat and various incriminating items.
The four poachers confessed to the poaching, led the team to their snare lines which were removed, and gave a lot of valuable information on all the poaching syndicates in the area.

Hwange Poachers Ordered To Pay US$48 000 For A Buffalo

Bhejane Trust, a Rhino and wildlife non-profit conservation organization based out of Victoria Falls, has raised concern Government’s allocation of mining concessions to Chinese firms within the Hwange National Park.
The organisation said in a statement:
<blockquote>COAL MINING IN HWANGE
Our Rhino Monitoring team recently found some Chinese in Hwange Park – we managed to ascertain they were drilling core samples for coal. Parks arrested them and turned them over to the Police.
However, they soon reappeared with a permit giving them the right to carry on in the Park with exploratory drilling. They did this without any consultation with the Area Manager and seem to feel they have a right to go wherever they like to.
We followed up on this and discovered the Government has allocated two coal mining concessions in the middle of Sinamatella and Robins!
The mining concessions are Special Grants which apparently can only be issued by the President, and both been granted to Chinese companies.
A company called SustiGlobal have subsequently sent us Stakeholders Questionnaire forms. One map shows the coal mining concession SG7263 that incorporates Deteema Dam and Masuma Dam, out to a company called Afrochine Energy of the Tsingashan Group of China.
We are not certain to whom else the questionnaire has been sent, and the questionnaires are not dated. The questionnaires are for an EIA for the concessions but only to cover the initial exploratory drilling and opening of roads, building camps, etc. It appears the concession was promulgated in late 2019.
The other concession granted, SG 5756 to the Zimbabwe Zhongxin Coal Mining Group, has also contracted SustiGlobal to do an EIA, again with an undated Stakeholders Questionnaire, and again to cover the initial exploratory drilling and opening of roads, building camps, etc.
However, they have started exploratory work in the Park, so it is not sure if an EIA permit has been granted or not. 
Bhejane Trust has replied to the questionnaire and waits to hear back from SustiClobal.
We will be ready to support National parks where required.
Bhejane Trust</blockquote>

FULL TEXT: Bhejane Trust Statement On Mining Activities In Hwange National Park

At least 10 elephants have been killed by poachers through the use of cyanide poison around Hwange National Park. Among the ten, there is a cow and her calf. when some of the elephants were discovered, poachers had already hacked the tusks off 4 of the elephants.
Trevor Lane from the Bhejane Trust, an organisation which is into conserving wildlife said:
<blockquote>Parks went out there quickly and energetically and I am sure they will make progress and produce results as they are very determined. The poachers left buckets with cyanide mixed with salt which have been recovered. We know some vultures will have been poisoned as well, but we are not yet sure how many
We should expect more poaching this year because people are so poor in this bad economic situation.</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-37685-10+elephants+poisoned+with+cyanide/news.aspx">New Zimbabwe</a>

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