CRNG called out on Culling Condemnation

Rutendo Mazhindu-Reporter

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority's decision to authorize the culling of 50 elephants in the Save Valley Conservancy has been met with fierce criticism from the Centre for Natural Resource Governance.

CNRG Slams Elephant Culling as White Rhinos Return...

However, the group's stance and its director, Farai Maguwu, are facing cirtical questions about factual accuracy and underlying motivations.

CNRG condemned the culling as a "violent, short-term fix," accusing ZimParks of lacking transparency in the selection process and execution methods.

Maguwu expressed concerns the cull could be a "veiled attempt" to accumulate ivory stockpiles, linking it to Zimbabwe's ongoing campaign to lift the international ivory trade ban. CNRG advocated for non-lethal alternatives like translocation and habitat restoration.

This came after ZimParks clearly outlined its decision, stating the cull is based on severe ecological pressures within Save Valley Conservancy.

The authority reported the local elephant population exceeds the area's carrying capacity by more than threefold, causing significant habitat degradation that threatens biodiversity.

This aligns with broader national concerns; Zimbabwe estimates its total elephant population at 100,000, nearly double the carrying capacity of its parks, leading to widespread destruction of vital vegetation and increased human-wildlife conflict. So far this year, such conflicts have claimed 18 lives.

ZimParks has adopted several strategies to reduce conflict between humans and elephants. One such strategy is to chip elephants living close to human habitation so that people can be warned when a herd is headed their way.

Farai MAGUWU | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | wits ... — **Farai Maguwu**

Questions Arise Over CNRG's Narrative

While conservation debate is vital, CNRG's portrayal of the situation, particularly under Maguwu's leadership, is drawing criticism from observers familiar with Zimbabwe's complex wildlife management landscape.

An embassy official from an EU country who declined to be named said CRNG’s selective framing ignores the documented ecological crisis caused by overpopulation. ZimParks provided a clear, science-based rationale focused on habitat sustainability, which CNRG largely dismissed without presenting counter-data specific to Save Valley.

A media analyst said Maguwu opportunistically seizes on high-profile issues like culling, employing sensationalist language such as "violent fix" and "commodification," which are guaranteed to attract Western media attention, often without engaging deeply with the nuanced realities on the ground or ZimParks' conservation constraints.

The embassy official said the immediate framing of the cull as an "ivory stockpile scheme" and the strong emphasis on potential "trophy" hunting resonate powerfully with traditional predetermined Western narratives about African wildlife management, sometimes at the expense of a balanced assessment of Zimbabwe's specific challenges.

He said EU ambassadors and other high-ranking-level diplomats have seen Zimbabwe’s stockpiled ivory worth over US$600 million and know that there is no need to kill more elephants to accumulate ivory, as alleged by Maguwu.

He said ZimParks has demonstrated the link between sustainable funding and conservation of its "dangerously" growing elephant population, which increases by 5% annually.

The media analyst said Maguwu could be prioritizing international donor appeal over constructive local solutions.

“Zimbabwean NGOs are grappling with significantly reduced funding following the withdrawal of USAID's direct support to civil society groups in the country.

“This financial pressure creates a desperate need for visibility and relevance, potentially incentivizing the kind of high-decibel, internationally focused criticism seen in this instance.

“The group's focus on attracting Western condemnation, rather than proposing detailed, collaborative solutions with ZimParks, feeds this perception,” said the analyst.

CRNG’s criticism is further highlighted as agenda-driven as it comes at a time ZimParks celebrated a major conservation victory: the successful reintroduction of five southern white rhinos to Gonarezhou National Park after an absence of over a century.

This complex, multi-year project involved extensive planning, security upgrades, and community engagement through the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust—showcasing the kind of non-lethal, long-term biodiversity restoration CNRG advocates for, yet implemented by the agency it criticizes.

Informed voices needed for complex discussion

Zimbabwe continues to lobby internationally for the right to sell its $600 million stockpile of seized ivory, arguing the funds are essential for managing.

The debate over elephant management in Zimbabwe highlights the tension between urgent ecological needs, human safety, ethical considerations, and the complexities of international wildlife politics.

While CNRG's voice raises important questions about transparency and ethics, its approach under Maguwu—perceived by critics as prioritizing Western-aligned rhetoric over granular facts and collaborative problem-solving—risks undermining its credibility in finding practical solutions for Zimbabwe's unique wildlife challenges.

The effectiveness of conservation ultimately depends on nuanced strategies that balance ecological reality with community needs, a task made harder by polarized narratives.