Day 4 – Entering Zimbabwe

Today begins the real adventure of the trip to Zimbabwe. We have to cross the border today and no one can really say how long it will take. It can range from three hours up to seven hours. We start the day with an early breakfast at 6 am to be sure to get to the border on time for the crossing at Beit Bridge. We must first exit South Africa, which already appears not that easy as we spend some time  searching for the right exit counters. The South African authorities move these counters with the regularity of clockwork.

Once we have left South Africa, we must enter of course Zimbabwe. For that we as Belgians first need a visa. This can be purchased at the border. It does take more  than two hours for 11 passports to come back with a visa and a stamp.  Zimbabweans say : you have the clock but we have the time. All in all, the guide thinks that it went very smooth. We were prepared for a long wait, had something to read, but of course the main attraction is watching the people and the movements at the border. Cars, cars with trailers, trucks, etc. , all must also be checked by the customs, our next stop, where all suitcases must be opened. Once we who have opened our suitcases … nothing happens. We can just close them again without any checking. Welcome to Africa. Around 11:30 am  we can finally enter Zimbabwe.  Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia.

We still have a journey of 370 km to go with further problems expected. The Zimbabwean authorities have set up  every few km a police checkpoint. At best we only need to have the papers checked of the car and papers, and in the worst case the whole car needs to be checked in which case Zimbabweans  always find something wrong. A sticker that is missing, a light that does not work well enough ....

Today, we do seem to have some luck. Normally seeing the distance, we should pass some 17 posts for the first part of the journey but today that comes to the grand total of 0. So far so good. But moments later, the first checkpoint is coming up. We ony have to show two papers, so all in all a success.

What is especially striking if we drive through the countryside is  the aridity. There are trees but little grass as we are used in Africa. Southern Africa is plagued by el nino. Seven wet years alternate with seven dry years. Currently Zimbabwe has  the fourth dry year in a row.

Our goal today is Matobo Hills. To get us there as comfortable as possible, we make a detour via Bulawayo. This is the second largest city in Zimbabwe and the main local town. The town is typical colonial with wide avenues. Behind walls, fences and big gates with barbed wire  big houses lie hidden. The original buildings are well preserved here. Bulawayo is now not only known as a quiet, cozy colonial city. The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, dictator par excellence, murdered here many of his opponents. Despot Robert Mugabe has been president since ever and wins every election. These of course do not take place in a fair manner. This is thanks to heavy intimidation from government side, arrests and murders of opposition members. Meanwhile, he is in the 90's and despite sanctions from the rest of the world,  Mugabe is not going to retire.

He not only has imperial airs, he is also responsible for the economic ruin of the country. In the 80's Zimbabwe's economy grew by nearly 6%. Something we and the neighbouring countries  can only dream of. In the period 2000-2005 the economy shrank by almost 6%.

The economy collapsed at the end of the 90s by political unrest, corruption, nepotism, and general administrative mismanagement by the Mugabe government. Another drought in 2002  and the impact of land grabs came on top of this. These land grabs  allegedly had the intention to deprive the whites of their land and to give it to the poor landless people, but in reality this land came largely in the hands of political friends of Mugabe.

The disappearance of the highly efficient white farmers only increased the economic crisis. Zimbabwe was known mainly for beef, peppers and tobacco which was among the best in the world.

The disappearance of farms and drought created a famine that many Zimbabweans urged to move to South Africa.

Although now the perception is still alive that Zimbabwe is eonomically and socially on the ground, the economy recovered miraculously. Albeit slowly but surely. In 2013, a growth of 5 pct was recorded. And tourism stirs up again in recent years.

As mentioned, Matobo National Park is the end point of today. This park is located about 55 km southwest of Bulawayo. The landscape of Matobo is particularly impressive. It was formed about 3 billion years ago by volcanic rock. These rocks look today like granite domes on which huge granite stones are stacked on top of each other. We arrive at the park just after sunset, too late to enjoy the colors of the park.

Our lodge is built on top of one of these domes and looks completely fused with the environment. We take supper al fresco next to the pool. We enjoy a buffet consisting of chicken, spinach, a fried potatoes and lettuce.