Southern Africa: Zim, Zambia in Joint Wildlife Conservation Programme

Mr Munodawafa said the initiative would also assist the Mucheni community to deal with poaching and human-animal conflict.

"I humbly appeal to our development partners to keep on the back of their minds the issue of sustainability," he said.

"It is critical for the local community, in particular the local leadership, the chiefs and local Zambian and Zimbabwean students from local universities to have their capacity developed in the course of the program to allow survival and sustainability post funding. Projects must never be allowed to die the day the funding is exhausted," he said.

The project is a joint initiative of several institutions and organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Centre for International Forestry Research, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development.

It is funded and supported by the European Union.