History-Timeline

This time-line of the Elephant Coast GoM land development concession tracks its transition from a 10,000 acre Peninsula-only target that Jim’s original feasibility plan pitch entailed—the Peninsula was 40,000 acres—to the 585,000 acres (914 Sq Mi) 99 year lease land concession awarded by GoM in the fall of 1996.  It chronicles a 10 month rags-to-riches transition from an economically unfeasible peninsula-only development to one that was a world class do-good-altruistic-charitable-benevolent while economically feasible undertaking. All to save a UN Center of Plant Diversity from despoliation, as mandated under the UN’s Rio Earth Summit International Biodiversity Accord. That is which would simultaneously save countless endangered African wildlife. It would rescue the bush residents from poverty as stakeholders (preferred income shareholders) in the project giving them previously none existent schools, medical facilities, anti-AIDS and malaria programs, employment, a `manna from heaven’ transition, and could be the reprieve for 5000 nearby Kruger National Park elephants under death sentence for over population, over grazing, ecosystem despoliation. 

1988

21 Apr-1May-@ North Pole Jim meets JP learns of his world project PM experience

1995

20 Feb-Jim meets MZB Pres Chissano, for Peninsula land concession opportunity

11 Apr-x-Argentina-Chile JP returns Jim’s call to spear head MZB land study 

20 Apr-JP telcon w/Bechtel London to produce GOM `bankable’ feasibility study

11-13 May-Jim/JP visit Costa Rica sports fishing camp `research’ for MZB project

15-16 May-Jim/JP w/Bovis, Bechtel in London line up MZB feasibility study team

17-18 May-Jim/JP fly London, Johannesburg (JNB), on to MZB, Maputo

19-23 May-helicopter, 4x4 visit Peninsula site, hire EGA to support London team

24 May-Jim/JP fly Maputo-London, to meet Bechtel, Bovis, choose lead study team

25-27 May-meet Bovis, Bechtel, Bechtel’s Peter Batt (flies in from Cairo)

28 May-Jim/JP fly London-USA, New Orleans (NO) and San Antonio (SA)

2-3 Jun-Jim @ JP’s in TX review proposals, chose Bechtel as the team leader

4-12 Jun-Jim off radar eight days on two hour flight SA to NO 

8 Jun-Jim’s attorney divulges Jim’s `monkey on his back’ (to surface down road)

15 Jun-JP @ Rick Rule, CA, telcon with Jim, NO lawyer network project funding

25 Jun-JP @ London-MZB study team `kickoff’ w/Bechtel-WATG-Horwath

28 Jun-London team, JP fly London-Maputo for feasibility study site visit

29 Jun-JP takes up residence in MZB as Jim’s Project Manager (PM)

1-3 Jul-MZB site visit, drive 50 mile Indian Ocean coast, over-fly region

7-9 Jul-JP drives Swaziland, Natal, visits Tembe and Ndumo wildlife refuges

11 Jul-visit Sun City (SA’s Las Vegas), latest world class additions by WATG

15 Jul-Elliott (WATG) exits Maputo, end of London feasibility study `site visit’

20 Jul-Basto has JP visit DNFFB (Minister Chitara) opens door to south expansion

22-23 Jul-GUW +JP visit Pilanesberg NP to engage game gurus for south study

26-30 Jul-JP to Zimbabwe to recruit Dr J. Anderson (Paul Tudor Jones II’s man)

31 Jul-JP JNB-London-Bechtel team’s `Go-No-go’ meeting and decision on MZB 

1-4 Aug-Go-No-go meet London, meeting ends MZB project status in limbo

7 Aug-JP x-TX to Jim, detail expansion south option to trump Peninsula only No 

8 Aug-Jim on south option, “Go south” vs. capitulate to Peninsula Bechtel No 

16 Aug-in route MZB visit Jim in GA hospital, reinforces 'go south alternate'

17-20 Aug-JP @ London (WATG-Horwath), Cairo (Bechtel) put study back on track

23 Aug-Maputo, @ Chitira DNFFB firm upcoming GUW game experts study south

24-26 Aug-Pretoria, JP+Marco engage GUW+wildlife-gurus-expansion, south-study. 

28-30 Aug-call-fax Cairo still in `No-go’ mode, not going forward on study

2-3 Sept-@ bush interview local communities for study proposal as stakeholders

7-10 Sept-wildlife ecotourism team visits site for expansion south study

11-12 Sept-team briefs Chitara of `positive’ southern feasibility study-plan

15 Sept-start NO requested promo-video of south-expanding MZB project

19 Sept-JP mugged at knife point evening returning x-Promarte video film session

21-26 Sept-JP @ Pretoria write-ramrod GUW wildlife guru report to completion

27 Sept-GUW report to DNFFB et al (14 days since team’s field visit)

28 Sept-big stir @ Maputo GOM hears `it’s-$800 million world class project’

29 Sept-2.Oct-JP w/Promarte finalize for-NO-MZB development video

3-4 Oct put Chissano study on `fast track’ chez WATG @ London vs. in Cairo

5 Oct-Dallas, TX NO video converted PAL to NTSC, copied, sent to Jim @ NO

7-12 Oct-JP @ NO Jim’s `gold show’, JP et al man project booth, brief investors. 

12 Oct- van Wyk  letter to MZB president re Maputaland CPD

13-27 Oct-JP @ London finalizing Chissano study prerequisite GOM land deal

27-29 Oct-JP London-MZB for SAPPI environmental hearings, study still @ UK

31 Oct-1Nov-Prof van Wyk @ SAPPI EIA hearings blows cover on UN CPD vs. eucalyptus plantation

4 Nov-First London project study delivered to MZB President Chissano

4-5 Nov-@ Zitundo-SAPPI planting seedlings, blow whistle w/GoM-press (on CNN) 

7 Nov-monthly to GoM, `if SAPPI in, our project gone’ (Alaska wolves analogy)

18-19Nov-JP-Jim @ NO to TX, Jim to buy 4x4s, get office, go ahead on EIA

28 Nov-JP to Maputo x-TX via Paris, to push our EIA, shoot down SAPPI’s EIA

2 Dec-visit Austral EIA study team in field as it ends recon for-GoM EIA report

9-10 Dec-Nichol-JP @ Londolozi-Singita-Mala Mala, 'network' to MLSP mode

10 Dec-work on T&C’s with KMPG, Sunday PM TV (50-50) JP tearing up SAPPI  eucalyptus seedlings

13 Dec-JP has first Isuzu 4x4, project’s first transport after six months afoot

21 Dec-JP starts alternate-land-use zinger vs. SAPPI eucalyptus plantations

24-26 Dec-quiet time JP word process alternate-land-use zinger vs. SAPPI

26 Dec-Fax our alternate land use `challenge’ to SAPPI, MICOA, et al

27 Dec-order `anti SAPPI’ PR T-shirts from Natal (via GUW)

31 D-1 J-chez Antonio word process expanded alternate-land-use vs. SAPPI

1996

3 Jan-meet with Ferraz MICOA, cancelled by Rocha, later meet MICOA third string. 

3-4 Jan-meet with CPI, JP drafts responses to land concession grant queries

8 Jan-alternate-land-use vs. SAPPI, compare-challenge, to SAPPI, MICOA

10 Jan-Prime Minister grills Couto (EIA) “is NO Jim for real?”(good Q)

12-15 Jan-Eight leading SA journalist visit site as project guests

16 Jan-meet Minister Rafique, JP 10 days to make `pro’ video for  GoM Ministers

17 Jan-transmit project’s EIA report to MICOA, prerequisite of GoM land award

20 Jan-NO Jim’s goofy fax, essentially his lawyer taking over as PM from NO

25 Jan-SAPPI final EIA hearing, JP tells VIPS to `quit while they are ahead’

1 Feb-field sees NO to CPI `terms-and-condition’ for land deal—a disaster

1-4 Feb-KPMG-EGA-JP send `redraft’ to NO, to Jim, lawyer to save the day

2 Feb-JP ghostwrites Rocha (for VIPs) shoot down World Bank land study-delay

5 Feb-AR carries T&C draft to CPI, NO PM  takes over, cut field off-a disaster

6 Feb-GOM evicts SAPPI from southern location (favorable to our project)

7 Feb-Nichol continues `partnering’ networking-discourse with ConsCorp

11 Feb-AR-JP to JNB meet Jim, first MZB visit post May 95, TV coverage

12 Feb-Jim w/Prof van Wyk, JP meet SA press at Sandton Sun Hotel

13 Jim, JP meet ConsCorp who are interested in big role in MZB project

14 Feb-Jim, JP meet SAPPI’s VIP at Sandton Sun as land adversaries

15 Feb-@ Maputo, Jim meets World Bank, KPMG, Austral, EGA re CPI 

17-18 Feb-Jim’s entourage tours southern addition, overnight Malongane

19 Feb-van Wyk, Marco, JP fly south (west boundary) `need west bank of Maputo’

19 Feb-Jim meets Chissano, then to Inhaca overnight-Elliott arrives x London

20.Feb-Mio Couto, Elliott, JP @ Inhaca decide on bridge, rail to west Inhaca

20 Feb-Jim on piss, JP has AR convince Jim to exit MZB first plane next day

21 Feb-Jim early exits Maputo, Elliott JP visit Londolozi west of Kruger NP

22 Feb-Elliott, JP visit Mala Mala, adopt MLSP paradigm for project’s big south

24 Feb-Elliott defends project with investigative reporter Carlos Cardoza

26 Feb-Elliott, JP meet ConsCorp JNB networking toward project partnering

27 Feb-JP telecom w/NO lawyer, his CALUMNY JP is `stealing Jim’s project’ 

29 F-1 M-tour development with New York Times reporter Don Mac Neil

3-7 Mar-Wall Street Journal reporter Ken Wells visits MZB development

7 Mar-New York Times article on Mozambique development published

11 Mar-Jim calls informs JP he benched as PM, embargoes JP meet with ConsCorp

13 Mar-JP phone with Bernstein to cancel JNB meet, ConsCorp ready to visit MZB

19 Mar-Nichol return to `pinch hit’ replace `benched’ PM JP (NO lawyer is PM)

21 Mar-JP exits project for USA, Wall Street Journal publishes MZB article.  

22 Oct-GoM (Prime Minister) signs 914 Sq Mi 99 year land lease to NO Jim

Note: with Jim 'off radar’ and things now run from NO by Jim’s lawyer, from mid-December 1995 on all the pros exit the stage, with PM JP. NO evolves into a bait-then-switch, mode (chicanery).  NO does nothing to install the London EIA approved development plan approved by GoM in awarding the land development concession to NO Jim, a huge international travesty (detailed in Save Mozambique’s Elephant Coast Part II, Chapter 7 thru Chapter 25)

1997

Jan-Dec-New Orleans fails to break ground on the MZB development project

4-26 Sept-JP visits MZB, critique NO project as 'bait-then-switch'

1998

Jan-Dec-New Orleans fails to break ground on MZB development project

1999

20 March, Jim dies in New Orleans age 54

20 April, GoMs `contractual’ 30 months concession expires with no progress

Nov-GoM rescinds NO Jim’s 1996 land concession for failure to perform (delayed until after presidential election for political embarrassment in MZB) 

What now?  The exquisite diamond-in-the–rough land is still there.  The innovative plan passed all muster, is still valid, going from the 914 Sq Mi 1996 version to the 4000 Sq Mi version increases the projects viability, economically  and altruistically, adds to the `economy of scale’ and `critical mass’ that makes the project world class unique and desirable.  Jim’s lawyer sabotaged the project for fear Jim would blow his net worth in Africa, as in 1994, Jim’s lawyer had put Jim’s net worth in Trust, made himself Trustee.  So to him the MZB project was anathema, a threat.  This surreal tale should not leave any stigma on a resurrected project, which is now more favorable with the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) to the north to connect up to. With the southern African wildlife watching ecotourism more established, cash-cow booming, and the opportunity to safeguard the UN’s CPD, maybe save 5000 Kruger elephants from extermination.  All this while uplifting poverty stricken local bush residents are all still on.  That is a top drawer international altruistic-charitable-benevolent cash cow development that would create a first choice international enduring living legacy for its financial sponsor, savior, to be appreciated and enjoyed by humanity for generation, from now on.