At a Glance
- Conservationists warn the new detour through Hwange’s buffer zone threatens critical animal migration corridors and raises poaching risks.
- Local tourism operators fear the project could damage Zimbabwe’s high-end safari industry and undermine the wilderness experience.
- Residents in Dete town face increased safety hazards from heavy trucks, prompting calls for the government to consider alternative routes.
A proposed road detour cutting through a protected buffer zone near Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park has ignited deep concern among conservationists and tourism operators.
They warn the project could devastate one of southern Africa’s most critical wildlife corridors, endanger rural communities, and weaken Zimbabwe’s high-end safari industry — a key source of jobs and foreign currency.
The 45-kilometer temporary route — stretching from Cross Mabale to Mpofu and Dete to Cross Dete — is part of ongoing rehabilitation work on the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls highway, a major transport artery connecting the country’s economic hubs to its top tourist destination.
Contractor Asphalt Products selected the detour to manage traffic during construction. But operators and environmental groups say the decision bypasses local consultation and poses grave risks to both wildlife and livelihoods.
Amalinda Safari Collection, which operates Khulu Bush Camp, Ivory Lodge, and Sable Valley, has emerged among the most vocal critics. Its chief executive, Sharon Stead, said her company supports infrastructure development but believes this particular route threatens to undo decades of conservation progress.
“Our concern is not with national progress,” she said, “but with the fact that this detour brings disproportionate and irreversible risks to the ecosystem and the surrounding communities.”
Wildlife corridors under threat
Conservation experts warn that the detour cuts directly across migratory routes used by elephants, lions, and other species moving between Hwange National Park and surrounding habitats.
Painted Dog Conservation, a leading wildlife NGO, has described the buffer zone as a “critical corridor,” cautioning that channeling heavy trucks through it could lead to fatal vehicle collisions, habitat fragmentation, and heightened poaching risks.
“The detour reroutes high-volume traffic straight through vital wildlife pathways,” Stead wrote in a letter to the contractor and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
“Bringing this level of disturbance into such a sensitive area will inevitably lead to animal deaths and long-term damage.”
Tourism operators also fear the decision could tarnish Hwange’s global reputation as a premier safari destination. “Guests come for the serenity and natural beauty,” Stead said.
“When travel delays, road dust, and truck noise replace that experience, it undermines the entire product — and word travels fast in the luxury travel market.”
Communities caught in the middle
The controversy is not limited to environmental concerns.
The detour runs through Dete, a small rural town home to several schools and an old-age home.
Residents, who are not accustomed to heavy commercial traffic, now face what local operators describe as an “avoidable safety hazard.”
“The road cuts through the middle of town where children cross every day,” Stead said. “Thirty-tonne trucks have no place there — the risk of tragedy is unacceptably high.”
Critics add that the temporary road could leave a lasting toll on the community.
Once the main highway is complete, the secondary roads may remain severely damaged, creating new maintenance burdens for local authorities.
Push for dialogue and sustainable solutions
Tourism and conservation groups are urging the government to revisit the plan and consider safer, less intrusive alternatives that bypass sensitive wildlife areas.
While an initial meeting with the Ministry of Transport was held, operators say meaningful feedback has yet to follow.
“We’re calling for collaboration and practical solutions,” Stead said.
“Zimbabwe’s development ambitions must go hand in hand with protecting its natural heritage — the foundation of its tourism economy.”
As pressure mounts, the Hwange detour has become a test case for how Zimbabwe balances infrastructure growth with environmental stewardship.
The stakes are high: a single misstep could permanently alter one of Africa’s most iconic landscapes — and the livelihoods that depend on it.
