First African Hunt June 1987

[inyati13]

Enjoyed that and I bet you are glad you did it in '87 rather than now being you'd probably offend the world. Did you have any difficulty getting the tusks and things back? What did you do with the elephant feet? Friend shot one and made a trash can out of the foot and that was the coolest thing I ever saw.

Thank you. I hope everyone enjoyed it.

Very glad I went in 87. Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980 after the War for Independence. Robert Mugabe became the first President. There was hope that Zimbabwe would be a model for what has been a failure of the transition from Colonial Rule to Democracy in most African Countries. Now Robert Mugabe is a dictator and even his own Mashona people are waiting for the horror to end.

In 1987, it was a safe country with excellent infrastructure. I went back 3 times. Last visit was 1999. It was sad to see the deterioration.

The elephant was a young tuskless cow. Barren. The hunt was part of an elephant culling operation in the late fall of 1999. The government got the hide which was valued at $3,000. The local natives got the meat. I got an elephant hair bracelet.

The experience is all that matters. The memories are the trophy. I don't think I will ever collect another trophy.

I'm familiar with the transition because I had two farmers from Zimbabwe come visit me to look at some equipment they were interested in buying and the equipment salesman carried them to my place so they could watch it work. We hit it off great and I found we all had a lot in common. They shared their political troubles and a few other things but what I liked the most was their sense of humor and how they could laugh at their problems.

The white people of Rhodesia scattered to the four winds after Independence. If you read Wilbur Smith novels, you have been exposed to the transition. One such novel was The Leopard Hunts in Darkness.

In 1999, I was staying at a bed and breakfast in Harare. There was a small group of us in the living room. Most of the conversation was about politics. The consensus was that the black Africans were ignorant people who had it made when white Rhodesians were in power. At that time, 1999, the infrastructure had deteriorated. Agricultural production was a fraction of what the white farmers had produced. Someone commented that it was a shame the black natives did not have the good sense to know they were better off when white people were in power.

I commented that much of what they said was true. But if the white people had it to do over maybe they would have the good sense to throw the people they took this land from a bone. That maybe if they shared some of the rewards with them rather than relegating them to subservience that maybe they could have had their place in the sun a little longer.

They all fell silent.

 

[True Grit Farms]

And how is that working out for the Africans now?

 

[inyati13]

And how is that working out for the Africans now?

Life in Zimbabwe is horrible. Not likely to improve. Most black African governments have been a disappointment. But hardly my point!!

My point was that the white Rhodesians lost not only a War but a way of life. Maybe if they had it to do over again, it would have been wiser to include the black African in the bounty of the country.

The outcome was a horrible disaster for the white Rhodesians.

 

[True Grit Farms]

And how is that working out for the Africans now?

Life in Zimbabwe is horrible. Not likely to improve. Most black African governments have been a disappointment. But hardly my point!!

My point was that the white Rhodesians lost not only a War but a way of life. Maybe if they had it to do over again, it would have been wiser to include the black African in the bounty of the country.

The outcome was a horrible disaster for the white Rhodesians.

I know nothing about the real political issues in Africa. But I do know some folks from South Africa that don't speak very highly of the Africans. I always believe there's two sides to every story. It's a dang shame some folks can't manage what they've been given or killed for.

 

[inyati13]

And how is that working out for the Africans now?

Life in Zimbabwe is horrible. Not likely to improve. Most black African governments have been a disappointment. But hardly my point!!

My point was that the white Rhodesians lost not only a War but a way of life. Maybe if they had it to do over again, it would have been wiser to include the black African in the bounty of the country.

The outcome was a horrible disaster for the white Rhodesians.

I know nothing about the real political issues in Africa. But I do know some folks from South Africa that don't speak very highly of the Africans. I always believe there's two sides to every story. It's a dang shame some folks can't manage what they've been given or killed for.

You surprise me. I read everything you post. I thought you saw the world as Black or White. ;-)

 

[True Grit Farms]

I know you can count to two Inyati. The white side is one and the black side is two. I don't believe in your only a little pregnant, or a little queer. Your either one or the other.
And I also feel bad for the innocent, but screw the guilty.

 

[Andybob2]

Good to see my old stomping ground, we used to deploy from the Buffalo Range airfield during the bush war, the Baobabs are my favourite trees, we used to collect the pods and harvest the crème of tartar.

 

[inyati13]

Good to see my old stomping ground, we used to deploy from the Buffalo Range airfield during the bush war, the Baobabs are my favourite trees, we used to collect the pods and harvest the crème of tartar.

Do you remember, you and I chatted a couple years ago? Not all the pictures are Buffalo Range. Some near Wankie and Zambezi Valley.

I saw a lot of Zimbabwe on my four hunts. Saw the biggest Gabon Viper ever acknowledged at a sanctuary near Harare. Amazing how many private herptile collectors there were in Harare.

 

[Jogeephus]

Yeah, they talked about that. The Zimb government was offering incentives for farmers to come back and make investments. If I remember right they were looking at clearing 20,000 acres into wheat production I think - or some grain. Their plans were to use some similar equipment I had on my place to drag ship's chain to clear the brush. This is an old method once used here so we had a good discussion on this and a few other things. They did say things were bad but there was hope they thought.

 

[inyati13]

Yeah, they talked about that. The Zimb government was offering incentives for farmers to come back and make investments. If I remember right they were looking at clearing 20,000 acres into wheat production I think - or some grain. Their plans were to use some similar equipment I had on my place to drag ship's chain to clear the brush. This is an old method once used here so we had a good discussion on this and a few other things. They did say things were bad but there was hope they thought.

Jo, that plan failed. Whites moved on. Many went to other former British Colonies like Australia. I have friends in Zimbabwe. Life is tough. White farmers who tried to stay faced constant threats. Many were murdered. Others were just glad to leave behind their possessions and go elsewhere with the shirts on their back. I don't take sides. Whites took the land from the black natives and the black natives took it back. All hail to the victor. Just part of the cycle of conquest and revolution that history is filled with.

 

[Jogeephus]

That a shame. Seems like he said they used to be a net exporter of food at one time.

 

[inyati13]

That a shame. Seems like he said they used to be a net exporter of food at one time.

They were. Southern Rhodesians were hard working, independent, innovative and crafty. Their agriculture was the backbone of the country but that efficiency was underwritten by an endless supply of essentially free black labor. I spent a day at a tobacco farm. It was impressive but the critical factor I saw was the endless supply of black men and women to perform the manual labor.

 

[Jogeephus]

One thing he told me that I found funny was he tried not to hire men to drive the tractors because many had been taxi drivers and thought they knew everything. He told me I preferred to hire women. With women, he said, he could teach them because they knew nothing about driving and they were good tractor drivers. He told me about one guy he found bottomed out in a tractor who had been stuck for over 20 minutes and he was just sitting there in the tractor with all four wheels turning in the air. This tickled me to know end because I've seen Guatemalans do the same.

 

[Andybob2]

Inyati 13 There were minimum wages and incentives enforced by law for all workers during the Rhodesian days, all my staff were paid well above the legal minimal wage, with brick housing running water and power from my generator. Much of the country was not occupied by the 250 000 Bantu in the country during the pioneer period, there were still the original San inhabitants in parts of the country unoccupied by the Bantu, but most had been killed or displaced by the Bantu settlers. Due to lack of permanent water, the part of Matabeleland I bought land in had never been settled by the migrant tribes, only the San still moved through the area. The people who "Invaded" our farms and ranches were Mashona from 200 miles away, they asset stripped the properties then left them to go back to the bush. My uncle was the chief game ranger at Victoria Falls for many years, and set up his own game ranch after leaving, on the African side of the Limpopo, we had access to many parts of the Wankie and Vic falls game reserves off limits to tourists. I walked long distances in Gonarezouh game park during my military service, while being based at Buffalo range and Villa Salazar, always loved the unspoiled veld part of what inspired me to run a mixed game and cattle ranch.

 

[inyati13]

Andybob:

My first Hunt in 1987 was on property owned by Clive Style. Not far out of Buffalo Range. Great area. Got to visit with Clive in his home telling stories about the settlement of the Lowveld.

My travels took me to the Sabi. Met Roger Whittall. At the time he was involved in a Black Rhino rescue operation. He was capturing them in the Zambezi Valley and moving them to the Sabi, now Save Nature Conservancy. I recently googled his name, seems he survived the war veteran movement.

Since you fought in the bush wars, did you know Con Van Wyke. I hunted with him in the Chewore Safari Area. He had some great stories.

The San are more commonly called Bushmen over here. Amazing people. I have been a student of southern Africa for most of my life. On the light side, I have read every book written by Wilbur Smith. He is from just north of you, Northern Rhodesia.

Thanks for your message.