Mwiba: A Tanzanian wildlife ranch under lease to American billionaire’s company
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is home to one of the best wildlife reserves in Africa, making it a revered safari destination for many across the world, but not much is known about Mwiba Wildlife Ranch, a property leased to Mwiba Holdings Limited, owned by American billionaire Dan Friedkin.
The Texas-based businessman, who is also the chairman of Gulf States Toyota, is the beneficial owner of Mwiba Holdings Ltd.
According to their local representatives, the area was acquired in 2008 on a 30-year lease after an agreement was reached between Makao Village Council and Meatu District Council.
"Mwiba Holdings Ltd operates the ranch and has been paying annual land rental and servicing the lease agreement for the 48,548 acres for the Mwiba Ranch, 10,872 acres for Mwangundo, and 112,183 acres for the Makao WMA," says the representative.
Spread over thousands of acres, Mwiba borders the Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s western boundary and the southern part of Serengeti National Park.
Serengeti’s wildebeest migration passes through Mwiba between December and April. Characterized by rolling hills, kopjes, thickets, waterholes, and (dry) rivers where pools form, its permanent water attracts wildlife all year round.
Visitors who have been there say it is an animal magnet when the southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Areas dry out between July and November each year.
The Mwiba Lodge, an eye-catching beauty that complements the area, costs $1,800 per person and was built with a near-stealth presence in the landscape.
Though an article in Forbes says the billionaire’s family trust, the Friedkin Conservation Fund (friedkinfund.org), has leased an astonishing 6 million acres of Tanzania's wilderness with an eye towards protecting it, his representatives have refuted the claims.
"Friedkin Conservation Fund is a charity organization whose trustees are Tanzanians, with Dan Friedkin as the sponsor of the trust to support wildlife conservation and community development," he says.
He named the trustees as Abdulkadir Luta Mohammed, Asela Msando, and Naib Sykes and further clarified that Mwiba Holdings is a wildlife ranch that belongs to Makao Village Council as the owner.
