THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Parks Authority) has said it is opening three airstrips at Tashinga, Fothergill and Kanjedza to ease connectivity in Matusadona National Park, a development meant to boost tourism.
In an interview with NewsDay Weekender during the tour of the park on Thursday, senior regional manager for Sebungwe, Midwell Kapesa, said the move is set to ease connectivity into the park.
“We are happy that we are opening three airstrips in the park to ease connectivity. The development is a major boost to the tourism sector as it will facilitate movement by tourists from the four corners of the country,” he said.
Kapesa said plans are underway to open another airstrip in the park to cover up for emergency flights.
“In addition to the three airstrips, plans are underway for the opening of an emergency airstrip that will be used in case the three airstrips are loaded with traffic,” he said.
Remote and rugged, Matusadona is characterised by spacious open spaces, extensive wildlife and the numerous ‘skeletal’ trees which remain as a result of the flooding of the Zambezi valley in the early 1960s.
This occurred upon completion of the construction of the Kariba dam wall and the resultant rising waters which formed the lake.
Kariba dam was built between 1955 and 1959.
Over the years, many of the submerged trunks of the trees have become “fossilised” and have thus survived for well over 50 years.
The trees form important habitats for aquatic birds and breeding grounds for fresh water fish.