CROSSING the river Zambezi from Mozambique into Zambia or Zimbabwe is a daily chore for Patissone Pita, a boat operator from Tchuma Chato in Mozambique. He does not need to go through customs procedures of visas and passports, thanks to the ZIMOZA initiative.
The ZIMOZA trans-boundary natural resources management (TBNRM) initiative was launched in 1999 with the aim of providing a collaborative framework for the management of natural resources in four districts of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The four districts of Guruve in Zimbabwe, Luangwa in Zambia, Mague and Zumbu of Mozambique were chosen because they share a common border and ecosystem. This area lies along the African Rift Valley and has a rich biodiversity of international importance.
Lusaka Province Minister Patrick Ngoma, who is member of Parliament for Luangwa, is happy with the coming of the initiative and said Government had embraced it.
Mr Ngoma said this initiative would allow his people to get maximum benefits from natural resources around them without interfering with those of their partners.
The minister said there would be harmonisation of activities around ZIMOZA.
"ZIMOZA is a good initiative that will succeed but one thing that must be considered seriously is harmonising activities to avoid conflict. If Zambia is off-season in hunting and fishing, the other two countries must do the same because we share the same resources. It would not make sense for us to conserve the same fish and animals being killed on the other side," he said.
The minister said tree cutting and bush burning should also be done at the same time in all the participating districts.
He said that local communities should benefit from these ideas and ensure that there was development in the area from monies realised through natural resources.
The natural resources that are under the centre of attraction include water, fish, land, wildlife and forestry whose ecosystem straddle across political boundaries of the three countries.
In fact the term ZIMOZA, though being an acronym of the first two letters of each of the three countries involved, also means oneness or as one in Tumbuka language of the Eastern Province of Zambia. This sounds just more than a coincidence and translates into natural reality.
Issues surrounding the trans-boundary nature of these resources, their potential to enhance development in the area and the potential conflict inherent in sharing of these resources prompted the three governments to consider a collaborative approach, which would ensure sustainable use of the shared natural resources.
Mr Bernard Namula of Mphuka Community Resources Board (CRB) in Luangwa district affirms that involvement of Luangwa in ZIMOZA was a good idea because it has brought people who were once separated by artificial borders together once again.
"I believe that ZIMOZA constitutes one people surrounded by artificial or political boundaries," he said.
"It is the same with wildlife which migrates to and fro among the three countries," he said.
Mr Namula said that people of this area had been living as one even before they were separated by political boundaries. This was evidenced in their culture, language and intermarriages that were so common within the area.
Besides, these people share the same schools, grinding mills, health and recreation facilities. In fact this author was present when a Mozambican football team crossed over into Zimbabwe for a match.
ZIMOZA is an area so rich in natural resources. It is sandwiched between game management areas (GMAs) and bushes that harbour different species of game and fauna and running with two big rivers full of fresh water that also have plenty of fish and other aquatic life.
ZIMOZA is the African Keenan. It is truly a land flowing with milk and honey.
However, policies and consumptive patterns among the three countries need to be harmonised. The abundance of these natural resources has attracted a lot of people involved in game safaris in the area.
Local people are also involved in many of activities that derive direct benefits from the natural resources, for instance fishing. This is not bad at all, but laws that concern consumptive patterns must be looked at and harmonised in the area. The natural resources in the area are shared and no one country should be seen to benefit more than does the others. The animals that are in Zambia today are the same that shall be in Zimbabwe or Mozambique tomorrow. The same goes for fish and other aqua's life.
Therefore, the ZIMOZA initiative must be able to come up with policies that harmonise the management of these natural resources. Particular areas of importance include fishing, trophy hunting and the use of land and forests.
For instance, if Zambia closes the season to allow fish to breed, then all its partners must as well close. If this does not happen then no proper breeding would take place and sustainable management of resources will not be realised.
Hunting for trophies should also see some form of policy formulation to guide it in the area.
The situation right now is such that on one side there is a GMA where hunting is restricted while across the border it is just a wilderness area which is not restricted. Heard counting, therefore, should be centralised to get clear figures.
The same animals counted in Zambia would be the same counted across the border. This would allow for equal sharing.
There have nonetheless been a number of activities taking place along the lines of policy harmonisation in ZIMOZA.
Working with governments of the three countries, the World Conservation Union regional office for Southern Africa (IUCN-ROSA) is drafting a document whose purpose is to examine the legislative and policy framework governing each natural resource in each of the three countries and highlight possible areas for policy harmonisation, including by-laws. The document is called "Strategy for development of the ZIMOZA TBNRM area."
Mrs Bertha Nherera, the network and capacity building (Netcab) programme officer at IUCN-ROSA in Zimbabwe says the role of her organisation in the ZIMOZA TBNRM process has been that of a facilitator.
"IUCN has brought together key stakeholders from the three countries at both national and local levels. These stakeholders are working to provide an enabling framework for the communities in the four districts to share and resolve their trans-boundary problems, as well as share best practices to improve both the ecosystem and human well-being for this generation, the international community and future generations," she said.
Mrs Nherera also called on the three governments to speedily sign the TBNRM initiative and to provide financial support to ZIMOZA developmental initiative.
She said this initiative was an empowering one, which would uplift the living standards of the local people and improve conservation of natural resources.
The local communities have also been considered as major stakeholders in the ZIMOZA initiative.
Dr Cecil Machena, executive director of Africa Resources Trust (ART), an organisation involved in supporting community development through sustainable use of wild species, said that the initiative would bring about renewal of social and cultural ties of the local people.
"They shall also be empowered in capacity building through skills to benefit from shared resources, it shall also strengthen their tenure over natural resources," he said.
"As ART, we are working to create community collaboration in natural resources management because this is the centre of conservation. We are further seeking to harmonise and strengthen wildlife management approaches through communal areas management programme for indigenous resources (Campfire) in Zimbabwe, administrative management design (Admade) in Zambia and Tchuma Tchato in Mozambique," Dr Machena said.
Campfire, Admade and Tchuma Tchato are programmes designed to ensure that communities get maximum benefits from natural resources that surround them.
Within these programmes, local communities have formed community-based natural resources managements (CBNRMs) that ensure that money received from natural resources is equitably shared among all members of the community.
To this effect schools have been built, grinding mills bought and health centres established. Some go as far as sponsoring the less privileged to school.
Safari hunters in the area also provide these communities with much-needed body-building proteins for free from their trophy hunting.
They also strive to make living standards of communities in their camps better by building roads and getting involved in programmes of the CBNRMs.
ZIMOZA is an initiative that really needs quick response from the three governments that remain to sign the initiative.
It would bring about oneness and further enhance international ties among the three countries. ZIMOZA is truly natural togetherness.
