|
Burch states "For verification I recommend you get in touch with the Tanzanian Park Center... speak with Mr. Kijazi... Also, a reporter from the Guardian newspaper who interviewed me for the Tanzania country wide news/radio/TV has confirmed with park authorities. Deodatus Mfugale."
Interestingly, Burch’s press release further states:
“ ‘We congratulate Sean on running the fastest up the mountain,’ stated the Chief Park Warden who greeted Burch upon his descent to the National Park headquarters gate.”
It is not specified whether the Chief Park Warden of TANAPA or KINAPA is meant. It would seem strange that TANAPA is meant as speed record attempts are against TANAPA policy - see here. It is more likely that KINAPA is meant, as Marangu Gate, the start and finish point of Burch’s attempt, is the KINAPA headquarters over which Ben Mgina presides and to which all Kilimanjaro wardens must report. Mgina can be contacted on +255 744 469 865.
Team Kilimanjaro contacted Mr Kijazi (+255 744 75 65 85) to obtain this verification in order to publish this claimed record as the official new record however Mr Kijazi was unable to provide verification and referred Team Kilimanjaro to the acting Director General (Mr Lorivi Ole Moirana in Gerald Bigurube’s absence) whom we met with on 18th July 2005, along with Dr Emmanuel Gereta, a senior TANAPA official, and Mr Johnson Manase, TANAPA’s tourism manager.
Messrs Moirana (Acting Director General, for Gerald Bigurube); Kijazi (Chief Park Warden - Tourism, Tanzania National Parks); Manase, (Tourism Manager, TANAPA) and Mgina (Chief Park Warden, KINAPA Headquarters, Marangu Gate) and Dr Gereta, all having now been approached, regret that they are unable to confirm or verify Burch’s record claim.
Click here for an extract from an interview with the officials to which Mr Kijazi referred enquiries related to Burch’s claim, where it is clearly stated that far from TANAPA having an active role in Burch’s verification, TANAPA insist that they were unaware of his activities on the mountain. (Note statements made by Mr Moirana after approximately 3 mins 20.)
While it may be conjectured that these findings suggest that Sean Burch fabricated his record claims in order to validate the fitness training methods he advocates and to obtain publicity for his new book, ‘Hyperfitness Living’, Team Kilimanjaro do not believe this to be true and would welcome any material that proves otherwise.
|
