News
Zimbabwe: Paper Claims Ivory Used to Finance Purchase of Chinese Arms
24 April 2008
SW Radio Africa (London)
Posted to the web 24 April 2008
Lance Guma
The Zimbabwean newspaper claims that Robert Mugabe's regime has illegally sold US$1 million of ivory as part payment for a shipment of ammunition, grenades and mortars from China.
The paper claims that Poly Technologies, a state owned arms manufacturer received payment for the arms on the 1st April, when information began filtering through that Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe had lost the elections. The controversial 'An Yue Jiang' ship is said to contain weapons purchased via that deal.
The paper says 8 tonnes of ivory from the National Parks stockpile were flown to China on the 1st April this year. If true this would be a violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The convention provides for controlled sales of ivory that have to be sanctioned by the world body. Environment and Tourism Minister Francis Nhema is reported to have told a South African newspaper the country had not used any of its ivory stocks to finance the deal. Ironically Nhema is the current chairperson of CITES.
Wilf Mbanga, the editor of the Zimbabwean, says their source in the Department of National Parks insists the story is true. Another source the paper spoke to said, 'if Zimbabwe has sold any ivory to China or any other country, it would be easy to establish as we know that at the last count, its stockpile was about 18 tonnes.' A senior official with an anti-trafficking group said; 'There are scientific modes of monitoring the growth and mortality rates of elephants and CITES can at any time easily check and verify what stock we should have in our warehouses.'
Meanwhile a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman has confirmed that that the controversial arms ship, that was trying to deliver arms to Zimbabwe from China, has been recalled back home. The spokeswoman said; 'The Chinese company has already decided to send the military goods back to China in the same vessel, the An Yue Jiang.'
Congress of South African Trade Unions spokesman Patrick Craven welcomed the decision saying; 'This is a great victory for the trade union movement in particular and civil society in general in putting its foot down and saying we will not allow weapons that could be used to kill and maim our fellow workers and Zimbabweans, to be transported across South Africa.'
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