By Philemon Jambaya in Hwange
SADC counties are plotting to have a one voice ahead of the African Elephant Summit. The conference will be held on May 23-26.
European countries are fighting for the total ban of elephant products.
Environment, Tourism and Hospitality deputy minister Babra Rwodzi told reporters that SADC countries will be joined by Kenya at the conference.
“We are going to host an elephant conference of countries with other countries who have elephants because we want to have one voice,” Rwodzi said.
Rwodzi said Zimbabwe had the second largest elephant herd in the world.
“We only have a capacity of having 40 000 elephants but because we have excellent conservation programme, the herd has grown to 90 000 and it’s causing problems,” Rwodzi said.
Zimbabwe trades it’s elephant products with China and Japan.
There is a CITES meeting to be held in Panama in November this year where countries without Elephants are pushing for total ban of the selling of elephant products.
Southern Africa hosts half of the 400 000 elephants left in the world but major decisions on wildlife governance are often made by countries without wildlife.
Zimbabwe is currently sitting on more than 136 tonnes of ivory and rhino horns which cannot be traded because of international law.
