Acknowledging that 2009 has been a hectic year for his ministry as they were all out in convincing tourists to visit the country, Sibandze said they had in part achieved some of their goals though there was room for improvement.

“Unlike other ministries the tourism ministry is character driven as it has more to do with the individual (minister) at the helm than any other.

“Those at the helm should be creative and drive the process through various ways of wooing tourists rather than sitting back – hoping they will just unfold.

“This ministry doesn’t have running programmes or things that are known to place ministers or those at helm in the forefront.

“That’s why one has to engage in some creativity to get things moving and achieve something,” Minister Sibandze said.

He said they had engaged in various ways last year in trying to woo tourists over as well as locals to visit places of interest in the Kingdom and had been successful.

The tourism minister said even the ‘Visit Swaziland’ campaign had yielded the desired fruits.

“Various activities that we engaged in were aimed at getting the people identify themselves with the concepts such as; Hloba Swaziland, Vunula and others. More of such are coming in 2010.”

The tourism and environmental affairs minister said the village where traditional meals were served to the public during the incwala ceremony was a successful venture that left a majority impressed and commentators had said it was an innovative concept.

Source: Swazi Observer (http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=10283)

The night racing format provides an opportunity for more people to be part of the excitement after hours. Supporters will be able to unwind at the bar with a cocktail before venturing out into the summer night to root for their favourite horses at South Africa’s top race courses. With lights illuminating the race track, the thunder of hooves and the buzz of the crowd, night races capture all the adrenalin and excitement of this popular sport.

Piggs Peak Casino, home of All Africa Poker, will also be holding Gambling Board approved educational poker evenings at the various race tracks, where patrons can learn the basics of Texas Hold-em poker from poker tutors in between trying their luck on the horses at the tote.

“There are many similarities between horse racing and poker, including the terminology used, and supporters will be able to draw parallels between the two forms of entertainment at their leisure,” says Graaf.

She says sponsoring night racing was a natural progression for Piggs Peak Casino. “We’re a gaming entertainment company, and we’d like to educate more people about how to have fun while enjoying gambling responsibly, be it horse racing or poker, and this is a great way for new and experienced players to take part. We are very proud of the partnership we have formed with Phumelela and Gold Circle and we hope that the punters will enjoy the synergies of our relationship.” Graaf says.

The first night race at Greyville, Durban will kick-start 2010 on 1 January, followed by the next race at Turffontein in Johannesburg on 12 January. A full schedule of the sponsored night races can be found at www.allafricapoker.com

Source: PR-USA (http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=311205&Itemid=30)

Swaziland Airlink General Manager Teddy Mavuso said customers, especially those from overseas, were the ones largely affected as they could not trace them once they were in the country.

He urged these customers to contact the local Airlink office with immediate effect to get more information with regards their flights.
“It is quite difficult for us to track passengers from overseas once they are in the country. We, therefore, urge them to stay in contact with the office so that it will be easy to re-arrange their flights,” he said. Swaziland Airlink is a subsidiary of SA Airlink, which is also experiencing similar problems.

SA’s Sunday Times reported yesterday that talks between the airline and the manufacturer of its aircraft about the plane’s engine problems resumed yesterday, as revealed by Spokeswoman Karin Murray.

“It’s business as usual with accommodating rerouting where we can. We are in contact with passengers and where they have opted for refunds and wanting to make their own travel arrangements, we assist them with that,” she said.

The plane’s airworthiness status was retracted following a series of accidents and near-accidents over the past few months. The other aircraft types operated by SA Airlink, the BAE 146 and Embraer 135 continue to operate.

Source: Swazi Observer (http://www.observer.org.sz/index.php?news=10029)

Now, thanks to the efforts of one dedicated family and the personal protection of King Mswati III, wildlife is staging a remarkable comeback in one of southern Africa’s smallest countries.

From no natural reserves in the mid-1950s, Swaziland now counts six legally protected game areas. While neighboring South Africa loses dozens of rhinoceroses to poachers each year, Swaziland has not lost one since 1992 — a success attributed to strict legislation and law enforcement against poaching. In a sign of Swaziland’s newly found success in wildlife conservation, the country is now exporting animals to South Africa, including rhinoceroses to Kruger National Park.

Success was never assured. By mid-century, the last Swazi lion and elephant had come and gone, and only a few large mammals subsisted at Hlane, the hunting grounds of former King Sobhuza II. The area had been home to thriving animal populations, but commercial hunting, land devoted to growing sugarcane, timber exploitation and mining had driven most species to local extinction.

Swaziland has not lost one rhinoceros to poaching since 1992. (Nicolas Brulliard/GlobalPost)

Ted Reilly, a young local farmer who had participated in an animal rescue operation in what was to become Zimbabwe and subsequently worked at Kruger park, was appalled by the situation when he came back to Swaziland. He first approached British authorities as Swaziland was then a protectorate but was told that neighboring Kruger park and another South African reserve offered plenty of protection to the region’s wildlife.

It was then that Reilly turned to his family and asked them to turn their successful beef, citrus, rice and corn farming operation into Swaziland’s first conservation area. The farm was not the best location for a nature reserve, but it was the only available land at the time and so in 1960 Milwane Wildlife Sanctuary was established. Reilly then visited King Sobhuza to ask for his support.

“And Sobhuza loved the idea because it was his heritage,” said Ann Reilly, Ted Reilly’s daughter. “So he allowed Dad to go and catch animals down in Hlane, where the last few animals were left.”



Today, Milwane has increased tenfold in size, and is home to large animals such as hippopotamuses, giraffes and leopards. Along with Mkhaya Game Reserve in central Swaziland and Hlane Royal National Park in the northeast, it is operated by Big Game Parks, a private nonprofit organization endorsed by the king and still run in large part by the Reilly family. The country’s other reserves fall under the supervision of the Swaziland National Trust Commission, a government body.

Swaziland’s reserves have been replenished in animals thanks to transfers from parks in South Africa but also through “Back to Africa,” a program that organizes the repatriation of rare animals from zoos worldwide to suitable environments in Africa. Earlier this year, Milwane welcomed three roan antelopes from a zoo in the Czech Republic. The antelopes joined a herd that had been transferred from the United Kingdom in 2004 under the same program.

To befit its royal status, Hlane is the crown jewel of Swaziland’s reserves. Unlike Milwane, whose vegetation includes alien species such as gum tree and lantana, Hlane features a landscape of native savannah, thickets and riverine forests. It is home to Swaziland’s only lion population after a reintroduction in 1994 and to three others of the Big Five — leopards, elephants and rhinoceroses but no buffalo.

Following the “Rhino War” of 1988 to 1992 when animals were killed at an alarming rate that reached one killing every two weeks, rhinoceroses were moved to a separate enclosure at Hlane so that their numbers could be better monitored. Convicted poachers face both the court of law and punishment by their traditional chiefs. Swaziland’s Game Act was also amended to make it one of the world’s toughest anti-poaching legislation. Under the act, rangers who shoot and kill poachers are not liable to prosecution.

“Rangers in Swaziland have better rights than even the police,” said Sibusiso, a guide at Hlane.

Authorities also distributed meat to communities surrounding the parks to deter poaching. Those efforts paid off. Although the government does not release wildlife statistics for security reasons, observers agree numbers have rebounded spectacularly. In addition to the export of animals to Kruger, traditional hunts have resumed at Hlane. Hunters armed with rifles, pistols and spears now regularly participate in culling operations to control booming populations.

Wisdom Dlamini, director of national parks at the Swaziland National Trust Commission, said three more protected areas are waiting for official approval to add to the existing six and that the establishment of a transfrontier conservation area would allow animals to move freely across borders from Swaziland to South Africa and Mozambique.

“It really has done a turnaround,” Ann Reilly said. “It’s a very healthy situation.”

Source: Global Post by Nicolas Brulliard

The signing took place at the Royal Villas at Ezulwini last Friday. Mpumalanga and the two countries were represented by top brass in their respective tourism sectors, with Swaziland also having the Minister for Tourism and Environmental affairs, Macford Sibandze, being represented by the Minister for Health, Bennedict Xaba.

The package is designed to create some sort of a village between the three destinations, with tourists having possible access to all three in a space of 24 hours. The idea is to ensure that people are able to enjoy the rich wildlife in Mpumalanga, access the beautiful beaches in Maputo and have the pleasure of experiencing the royalty and rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Swaziland.

Chairperson of the Swaziland Tourism Authority (STA) Board Tim Zwane said the signing of the agreement was telling the whole world that a new triangle route has been born to global tourism. He said this product was unique in the sense that it differed from any other product ever offered.
“This will enable Mpumalanga and the two countries to enjoy unmatched cultural diversity, and further enable our tourists to have access to beautiful infrastructure, as well as enjoy the peace and stability that exists in the region,” he said.

Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) Board Chairperson Sabelo Mahlalela said the agreement would integrate tourism in the region and put it in a strong position to be the favourite destination amongst tourists. “Through this agreement, it would be possible to enjoy a breakfast in Nelspruit, lunch in Mbabane and dinner in Maputo.

“It makes it possible for a person to be in three countries in one day, which this is rare and impressive,” he said.

Mahlalela added that if the package was done well, both Mpumalanga and Swaziland would not have the disadvantage of having no beach as they would access one in Maputo. In return, people in Mozambique could enjoy Swaziland’s rich cultural heritage and the wildlife in Mpumalanga.
Mozambique Tourism Authority (INATUR) Board Chairperson, Jose Tomo Psico said the event marked a milestone in enforcing relations between the three countries.

“This partnership is a platform for building a strong tourism link between our countries,” he said.

The signing of the memorandum was the first of a three phase project, which will see the second phase, which is the development of brand architecture, taking place in Mozambique in the next few weeks. The final phase shall take place in Mpumalanga.

The forest is home to a variety of bird life as well as indigenous flora and fauna. There are numerous scenic walking and hiking trails to explore. Nearby attractions include the Phophonyane Waterfall, Maguga Dam (115m high) and Sebebe Rock, the second largest single rock face in the world.

For more information about visiting Swaziland, visit the Explorer Travel website>>