What's of particular interest here is the fact that court papers indicate that Dawie Groenewald of Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris is 50 percent shareholder of Ethnic Conservation Services. Out of Africa, of course, is the South African company that has been widely accused of conducting illegal safaris in Zimbabwe. The company's reply to the accusations has always been that it does not conduct safaris in Zimbabwe at all; it merely acts as agent for hunts there, which are all conducted by registered Zimbabwe PHs. Indeed, despite numerous allegations and rumors to the contrary, we have not been able to pinpoint any behavior on the part of the company that is in clear violation of the law in Zimbabwe or in South Africa.
The situation in Botswana appears to be different, however, as the court papers in our possession describe what appears to be a clear failure on the part of Ethnic Conservation Services to meet its lawful obligations to Xhauxhwatubi Development Trust. The papers indicate that on August 25, 2005, at a meeting held at Phuduhudu Village in NG 49,the respondent (Ethnic Conservation Services) undertook to settle the outstanding amount of P 880,250 in the following manner: A cheque in the sum of P 200,000 payable immediately. A second cheque in the sum of P 300,000 to be issued on the 31st of August, 2005. A third check in the sum of P 250,000 to be issued on the 17th of September, 2005. A final cheque in the sum of P 130,250 to be issued on the 30th September, 2005.
The check for P........(continued)
