From the Editor
Recently I travelled to Bulawayo to shoot in the second leg of our national Practical Pistol championships . The shoot was on a Saturday , and I had originally arranged to meet with one of our advertisers on the following Monday to do a tour of their operation . In the interim our beleaguered Air Zimbabwe had intervened by cutting their daily flight schedule back to alternate days , so no more Tuesday flights . At first , no problem , as the flight to Harare was at 15.15 . Then , at virtually the 11th hour , the flight was re-scheduled for 08.15 . I was able to hastily arrange a Sunday tour of the premises , so things came back on track . Given the initial hiccups with Air Zimbabwe and the upcoming United Nations tourism conference at Victoria Falls , I decided , as an exercise , to look at the whole trip from a tourist ’ s perspective .
The drive to Bulawayo , with some other shooters , was less than 300 miles , but in that space of road we encountered seven police roadblocks . I reflected that this was almost as bad as travelling through Congo-Brazzaville thirty years ago , but at least they didn ’ t stamp your passport at each one ! ( If your country is moving “ forward ” to where a moreimpoverished country was thirty years ago , worry !) One of the seven was properly signposted , and , therefore , legal . These roadblocks are not in response to any specific threat – Zimbabwe is in all honesty a peaceful country – nor are they concerned with road safety . They are a revenue-generating mechanism , and people have been spot-fined for , among other things , having dirty cars .
The first was co-manned by police and officials from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation , for , believe it or not , in Zimbabwe you need a government licence for your car radio . I long ago took my radio to the range , filled it full of . 45 holes , and now carry it so I can show them I no longer have a car receiver . If they care to listen , I will explain why it is not worth $ 30 of my hard-earned money each year to have one . The car we were travelling in also had a non-working radio , and so , no licence . The driver was told to buy a licence ($ 30 ) and pay a fine ($ 30 ), which he refused to do , and demanded a ticket , saying that the law was that he needed a licence for a receiver and did not have a receiver . The bespectacled moron from the broadcasting company replied that yes , that was the law , but “ our law ” is that you pay the fine . Good , that ’ s a step forward – the broadcasting company makes its own laws ? Enough arguing and we were allowed to leave . The trip to Bulawayo took six hours . For less than 300 miles .
I ’ d booked into Traveller ' s in Bulawayo , a B & B lodge I ’ d stayed at the previous year when also down for a shoot . Again looking at it from a tourist ’ s perspective , Travellers was good value across the board – very reasonably-priced , with clean well-appointed rooms around a central courtyard with swimming pool and 24-hour kitchen facilities . The staff were courteous and helpful , and The Kraal , a fine steakhouse , was literally within walking distance . No fault to be found here .
The shoot went well – it had been very well-designed and put together – but it was a long , nine-hour-plus day on the range with 12 stages and over 200 rounds . On the Sunday I did a tour of TCI Taxidermy , and spent the rest of the day working on my notes .
My travel agent in Harare had advised me to check with Air Zimbabwe periodically throughout the weekend in view of the inconsistencies I ’ d already experienced . Trouble was , their airport numbers were out of service and no one ever answered any of the others . For a national flag carrier , this is not ideal . Trusting to fate , I awaited my lift to the airport the following morning at 07.00 . At 07.30 I called a taxi , realising that there must ’ ve been a misunderstanding somewhere . A mini-van with the Holiday Inn logo duly arrived . It was not metered , and the seven-mile plus trip to the airport cost me $ 36 , which I made a mental note to look into . No receipt was issued , but arriving at 08.00 for an 08.15 flight , I didn ’ t bother to ask for one .
Inside the old airport terminal , check-in was , of course , closed . I explained my delay to airport security – the plane had just landed from Harare – and one lady went off to find an Air Zimbabwe official . All in all , they couldn ’ t have been more helpful . A courteous check-in clerk arrived , wrote me out a boarding pass – I had anticipated there might be complications so I ’ d sent my firearm and the bulk of my luggage back by road , so only had carry-on – and I was through security in time to sit for a couple of minutes before the boarding call .
The new Bulawayo terminal was soon due to be commissioned , so the Deputy Prime Minister was on the flight . Whether that had anything to do with the initial re-scheduling I don ’ t know . The flight was pleasant , with amenable and experienced cabin crew .
So , all in all , had I been a genuine tourist , apart from the grasping police presence on the roads , I would have been favourably impressed with what I experienced . The national airline is still grappling with financial problems , but , apart from difficulty in contacting them – at least in Bulawayo - they are doing their best and seem to be making progress .
In March of this year , some eighty self-styled “ professional
The African Hunter Magazine is published six times per annum as a service to the world-wide hunting fraternity . The magazine is dedicated to the conservation of the wildlife resources of Africa through practical management and sustainable utilization . We are committed to promoting ethical hunting practices based on the concept of fair chase , and the fostering of goodwill among all beneficiaries of these resources .
African Hunter Vol . 18 No . 6 fishunt @ zol . co . zw adhunt @ mweb . co . za
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