Through the opening of new schools, water boreholes for the communities, and the promotion of environmental education activities in the local schools, among other community development activities, Muthemba Safaris is making communities aware of the need to embrace the cause of the preservation of natural resources. This was the way of keeping the community in the buffer zone committed to the conservation of about 10,000 hectares of Mopane forests, and a fauna consisting mostly of buffaloes, elephants, impalas, leopards, hyenas, lions and various species of birds. After all, conservation is development.

“The relationship of Muthemba Safaris with the local community is very good. Social responsibility actions have contributed to the involvement of the community in conservation activities”, according to Zefanias Williamo Sibanda, who is a member of the Tchenge community and a ranger of Muthemba Safaris.

This observation was made, during a monitoring visit to Muthemba Safaris, a Game Farm located in the Chicualacuala administrative post, in Massangena district, Gaza province, in the framework of the Emergency BIO-Fund. This programme has benefitted the payment of the rangers’ wages since August 2020. The wages were previously covered by funds from tourist income which is currently non-existent because of the Covid-19 pandemic.