Zim is ok as long as you are traveling with a reputable outfitter. Also in most cases you will be traveling into Zim through South Africa and will never travel through the areas where issues arise.
Click,
What planet do you live on??
The "issues" are everywhere in Zim unless you are blind in which case you have no business being in charge of a gun. Thabo Mbeke of SA dropped immeasurably in my estimation because of his support for Uncle Bob Mugabe, Zim's president-for-life who is a Marxist-neo Stalinist who rules by fear.
Zimbabwe was the garden of Africa, a beautiful county, economically sound and with a great future. Then Robert Mugabe got into power. It now is one of the biggest basket cases on that continent, with possibly the most corrupt leader (Mugabe)who has had hundreds if not thousands of people - ordinary folk, opposition politicians, religious) killed or at best beaten up. More than 7 million people are starving, despite the fact that Mugabe took over the Plaza Athenee hotel in Paris for his birthday party (best allow USD200 per head for the meal) and had the presidential suite for himself at USD15k per night.
Mugabe's wife Grace (about 40 years younger than him)is a brain-dead bimbo who studied for more than 8 years to get past year 1 in a BA degree course before being thrown out of London University, grades of 7-17% being her norm. Her main pastime is shopping (Harrods, Paris designer shops, Hong Kong, etc.) and drips designer jewellery more bling than a rapper's ho.
Mugabe has "nationalized" - read stolen - farms from local people, both black and white and given them to his friends. His wife is of the same caliber, and has taken an active part in the "land reclamation policy." This is one of main reasons why Zimbabwe is in crisis, anyone prepared to work has the fruit of their endeavours confiscated.
Some years ago, Mrs. Mugabe personally confiscated an elderly white couple's farm. Arriving at the Iron Mark Estate, north of Harare - in a convoy of black limousines - she told owners John and Eva Matthews "I'm taking over". John, 78, and his 74-year-old wife had 48 hours to pack and get out of the 2,500-acre farm they had built up over 25 years. Sent to a run-down Harare apartment in what a New Yorker would call "Projects" they had no choice but to leave and go to live with their daughter in South Africa. Black employees who asked what they should do were met with a harsh response as Grace barked: "Go and live by the river." She later sold the farm for about USD5 million (to the Libyans!) and kept the loot. Mugabe built her a new one, costing reputedly USD6 million.IN a country where there is mass starvation.
I had friends there - two of whom, an elderly couple grew up there, worked as professionals, regarded it as home, did a huge amount of good for the community were both respected and loved but they lost everything - pensions, a nice middle-class home, possessions. Now they are living here in Ireland and dependant on State handouts and charity.
I have no issues with shooting elephant, nor with a PH trying to make ends meet, but paying trophy fees in present-day Zim is like paying the Taliban to help you get an oryx. Personally I would not put a penny in the Zimbabwian Exchequer.
Anyone lives in Zim would not be in a position to respond to this post, for fear of what would (not "might") happen to them.
If you have doubts about this just Google "Mugabe shopping confiscation"
K.
