Gaborone — President Robert Mugabe last week accused the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) of imposing their beliefs on Africans by controlling how they should use their natural resources.
Mmegi/Staff Reporter
He said he once visited the Okavango Delta with the now later Botswana President Ketumile Masire and was surprised to see plenty of greenery, water and wildlife and wondered why the desert country was not using the blessing to improve the lives of Botswana people.
“The answer I got was that, there are some people somewhere, who say humans must not use that vegetation for mankind and that they should be used by wild animals. He was referring to an organisation called Cites,” Mugabe said. “I said to him, in the interest of humanity, this water can be useful to the development of Botswana. He said his government had tried to engage Cites, but without success. I just cannot understand it.”
Zimbabwe has over the past two decades lobbied unsuccessfully for the lifting of the ban on wildlife trade, especially elephants, whose population has risen to 100 000 against a carrying capacity of 50 000.
In 1989, Cites banned the international trade of ivory, with some Western nations funding the exercise after elephants were classified as endangered species.
