Lovemore Chazingwa in LUPANE
LUPANE-The passion for wildlife, wetlands conservation and anti-litter drive has jostled Matabeleland North based nature enthusiast, Nqobile ‘Rhino Man’ Mkwananzi to embark on a mission to channel his efforts towards the noble cause.
The diminutive, but soft spoken man has been in the thick of things every time he is on vocation for the past decade.
His love for the rhino is not isolated but, a passionate undertaking with inseparable attachment to the endangered beast. On litter he is on a drive to educate for a litter free environment while he views wetlands conservation as a vital component of the natural and artificial ecosystems.
“I started this threefold project in 2014 and briefly stopped due to Covid-19. I carried on in 2023 and hasn’t stopped since then. I had to walk from one wetland to the other on conservation campaigns considering the importance of wetlands in our natural and man made ecosystems. I walked from Limpopo to Zambezi Rivers, two massive ecosystems which host vast wetlands in our country.”
An insight into his conservation walks show that he categorises them to target particular audiences.
“On campaign walks, this is my seventh. I walk different routes in Zimbabwe to promote conservation education as well as litter management. I specifically undertake some campaign walks disseminating messages to save the rhino. They now call me, Rhino Man, due to my specific target on saving the rhino. I’m passionate about it.”
A campaign against litter
“On littering the environment, I educate the general public on how to dispose of waste properly. We support our Presidents visionary policy on clean environments for the nation with the activation of the National Clean-Up Campaign Day, slated for every first Friday of each month. Further, I have travelled along major highways educating commuters on our roads that they should properly dispose of litter. I also engage schools on this campaign”
The Rhino Man is highly appreciative of the corporate support that has been extended to his efforts.
“The support I’ve been getting in our province, Mat North, is humbling especially from corporates in Vic Falls. The corporate world that side comes on board when we’re doing conservation activities with school learners. They chip in with prizes like trophies. Sometimes learners who win are taken on game drives and boat cruises, courtesy of the corporate world. They now want to see conservation quiz clubs being revived. That alone lightens my heart when you realize you’re doing something that is acknowledged. It’s rewarding when you are contributing positively in the community.”
Mkwa, short for Mkwananzi, bemoans financial constraints in conservation initiatives.
“Mostly we face financial challenges in our conservation efforts which is a global phenomenon. When our leaders go to COP, on return, we then hear that there are challenges to do with sourcing climate finance. That’s a major hurdle hampering our efforts to save the habitat and its inhabitants. Our flora and fauna also thrive under conducive settings.”
Nqobile wishes for a more robust national conservation campaign from the grassroots level.
“I would want to work with all districts in Mat North. Last year was my first year to work on conservation in Mat South. With time and logistical support, we want to move to other provinces, drive conservation countrywide and eventually organize a national conservation schools quiz involving all provinces.”
His general rallying message to the nation is: “Zimbabwe is a beautiful country, we all must keep it clean. I urge all of us to bear in mind that litter belongs to the bin but, it must be managed by sorting it before indiscriminate disposal.”
