The Revival of the Chamabonda Vlei

By: Sarah Kerr Photos: Sarah Kerr

Iarrive at Bhejane Trust’s offices in Victoria Falls. The trust is a non-profit organisation that assists the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) in managing the Park’s estates, anti-poaching activities and ranger welfare. One of their key areas is the Chamabonda vlei area of the Zambezi National Park, and I have been invited by co-founder Trevor Lane and his colleague Patrick Williamson on one of their routine trips to the area to learn more about Bhejane.

The Zambezi NationalPark makes up 56,000 hectares stretching westward from the town of Victoria Falls. The park comprises diverse habitats: the Zambezi River, floodplains, mopane woodland, life-giving springs, grasslands and teak forests. It is bisected by the road from Victoria Falls to Kazungula/ Kasane. On the road’s northern side is the Zambezi and to the south is the area known as ‘the Chamabonda’.The Chamabonda area itself is a productive teak woodland punctuated by two open, grassed vleis (long valley floors that flood during the rainy season): the Chamabonda and the Khalisosa.

I jump into the Bhejane Trust’s Land Rover and we head out of town. As we drive, Trevor explains how Chamabonda used to be a popular and well-maintained tourist route. ‘Buses would game-drive along the vlei and it was considered a prime game viewing location,’ he says. He reasons that sadly a lack of resources and visitors in the years of economic downturn meant that water points and roads were not maintained. By 2010 no maintenance had been done in the

area for 10 years. Roads were in disrepair, there were no functioning water points, and these, coupled with heavy poaching, had resulted in a devastating decline in wildlife. Game populations were very low and there were few visitors. In 2010 the Bhejane Trust, alongside a dedicated but under-resourced National Parks service, set out to change things for the better in the area.

We enter the park and within minutes are confronted by the sullen stares of a herd of Cape buffalo. They graze slowly, their impressive bulk apparent with each ponderous movement. I am surprised and delighted to see animals so quickly. Minutes later we see waterbuck and not long afterwards a dazzle of zebra, then sable followed by more buffalo... it is clear that the efforts here have worked. We check on a water point that Bhejane has put in. Trevor and Patrick circle the waterhole checking for leaks thenexamine the pump and solar unit.

Continuing, we reach the start of the strikingly beautiful 25-kilometre Chamabonda vlei. It is the end of a long, hot, dry season and golden grass sways along the floodplain stretching in front of us. On either side, the land rises and changes to a woodland bright green with the shoots of spring. In a powder-blue sky a pair of yellow-billed kites is soaring and below them in the vlei is a huge buffalo herd – a long wall Throughout the day, as we stop at water points and hides, I am struck by Bhejane’s hands-on approach. Trevor gives Patrick a list of things to action in the coming week and they are thorough and efficient, with a clear focus on solutions. Using this approach, the trust has resurrected or installed five functional solar-powered water points and three game-viewing hides along the Chamabonda. The impact of the game-water in helping wildlife in the area recover cannot be overstated. Lion, sable, elephant and buffalo sightings are commonplace. Bhejane has also provided much-needed assistance in grading roads, creating firebreaks, combating poaching and much more.

We spend the final moments of the day at Platform Three watching a breeding herd of 28 elephants coming down to drink. They are nervous, scenting the air and keeping their babies closely guarded in the middle of the group; and they spook at the slightest noise. This is unusual for the area now and this group has likely come from where there is conflict with humans. As we drive away, with the sun setting over the Chamabonda, I hope they settle in the relative safety provided here. It is a poignant reminder of how important these refuges are.

Sarah is a qualified photographer, graphic designer, writer and media maker with over 10 years of experience. She lives in Zimbabwe and is passionate about sharing the diverse beauty and complex stories of her country of birth.

Visit sarahkerrdesign.com to see more of her work.

None of the Bhejane Trust’s results could happen without the hard work and direction of Zimparks. The remarkable achievements at Chamabonda are a mere microcosm of the work they do hand in hand in Zimbabwe. They also operate in the Robins and Sinamatella areas of Hwange National Park and Kazuma Pan National Park and now pump over two million litres of water for wildlife each day.

The trust is wholly funded by outside sources. You can help by visiting their website (bhejanetrust.org) and donating or by visiting one of Zimbabwe’s national parks.