Pole says the Save has the support of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, who has said that indigenization efforts there should incorporate the people living there and not politicians. A cabinet committee has been established and tasked with finding a solution to the indigenization of the Save. Several ministries are represented, and the committee is chaired by the deputy prime minister, who is also supportive of the Save. Besides the conservancy owners/operators, a number of chiefs from the local communities are also working with the committee.
Among the plans discussed is the resettling of people in the conservancy to areas that are more suitable for farming and reestablishing wildlife areas in the Save that were lost to settlement. This would also include creating a community trust and incorporating some land currently outside the conservancy to create a balance between settled and wild areas, and give the communities a stake in the trophy hunting. Pole says the chiefs are for the plan and form a large block of political support. The committee has met several times now, and Pole is confident that resolution is near. "Something should happen within the next month or two," he said.
For now, if you are looking at a hunt in the Save, you should be cautious until the situation is resolved. Operators should only be asking for a minimal deposit that is fully refundable should something happen to scuttle developments in the Save. Only when the quotas are issued to the conservancy owners/communities, should you provide a full deposit.
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