Published: 12 June 2019

The minister of Tourism, Prisca Mupfumira, said Zimbabwe will not pull out of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) so that the country may be able to sell large stocks of ivory the country possesses.

According to Mupfumira, Zimbabwe currently holds 84 000 herd of elephants, while the country's capacity is 50 000.

Zimbabwe cannot trade in ivory as long as it is a member of CITES, a United Nations body that prevents trade in endangered species.

"We are not pulling out of CITES yet, but we will put our case to our friends at the forthcoming summit in Victoria Falls. We need to do something about the large stocks of ivory we have as well as the herd that has outgrown our capacity as it poses threats to the people living in those areas," said Mupfumira.

Zimbabwe will this month host an African Union and United Nations Wildlife summit on 24 and 25 June in the resort town whose objective was to "boos investments in tourism."


- dailynews