Clearly did the sacking of Amb. Khamis Kagesheki as Tanzania’s
Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism not go down well with that
country’s tourism and conservation fraternity as a petition is now
circulating to have him reinstated. Many see his sacking as misguided,
if not an outright coverup, though his three sacked colleagues in turn
have gotten the thumbs down.
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| Khamis Kagesheki |
Kagesheki’s took the fight, from the moment he was appointed as
minister, to lazy and corrupt officials in the wildlife and forestry
departments and, inspite of ongoing meddling and thinly concealed
opposition from other government officials did what he could to marshal
his forces and enforce antipoaching measures, often obstructed, mired in
red tape and short of resources to roll out a major offensive.
Tanzania has been cited as the worst slaughterhouse for the African
elephant and only recently did the Prime Minister, himself under
pressure to resign, mention that in the Selous only 13.000 elephant were
left.
That figure, and there was no clarification given as to where the
figures came from or are based on, would be, if correct, a damning
indictment of the Tanzanian governments inability, perhaps
unwillingness, to confront poaching as in the past the number of
elephant in the Selous was counted in the tens of thousands.
A game
survey is underway in Tanzania now and it is hoped that the true figures
of elephant, and other game, can eventually be verified to take stock
of what has happened since the last major such exercise.
‘Like with every government official we had issues with Kagesheki too
but overall he was doing a good job. I personally think, and so do many
of my colleagues, that he was the sacrifical lamb. He was targetted by
the poaching syndicate and of course never given the resources to
coordinate and carry out anti poaching under his ministry or through
TANAPA.
The botched Tokomeza operation was almost deliberately divided
over several ministries and from all we know Kagesheki was never briefed
in advance about locations, operational details and so forth. He was in
the dark and at times had to find out things through the press or was
told after things happened.
I support the petition and will lobby to
have others sign it too’ commented one stakeholder with more than
average insight into the affairs of the Tanzanian tourism and
conservation sector.
eturbonews
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