09 Sep 2018

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama has admitted that there is human wildlife conflict across the country due to the increasing numbers of elephants around the country.

Addressing kgotla meetings at Mathathane and Semolale last week, Mr Khama said the Department of Wildlife and National Parks officials were unable to attend to the increasing number of elephants that destroy people’s crops and property due to lack of manpower and resources such as vehicles.

Mr Khama said in the past years recruitment of staff and procurement of resources were stalled due to lack of funds, adding that this financial year they were allocated P1 billion to cater for the needs of the ministry.

Mr Khama said some elephants from neighbouring countries have found a safe haven in Botswana due to best conservation practices leading to the increasing number of them in the country.

The hunting ban, he said contributed to rising numbers but added that the President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi had setup a commission headed by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr Pelonomi Venson- Moitoi to come up with durable strategies aimed at controlling elephants.

He also stated that strategies for the elephants which are classified as endangered species must be in line with the guidelines of CITES.

Responding to residents’ complaints that compensation was too little, minister Khama said compensation rates paid to farmers for livestock destroyed by wild animals was determined by the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security.

The minister told residents they had submitted for consideration the inclusion of hyena among predators that should be paid for when it had destroyed farmers’ livestock.

He promised residents that the ministry would work around the clock to ensure that elephants were pushed out of the communal land by refurbishing the fence and electrifying it along the Tuli Block.

Mr Khama said the ministry would provide necessary resources such as personnel and vehicles to ensure that officers adequately monitor elephants movements.

Mathathane Village Development Committee chairperson Mr Meshack Makgosa said elephants could only be controlled through an electrified fence.

Mr Makgosa said government should outsource the maintenance of the fence to private companies.

In Semolale, a resident Mr Gabana Mosebola said people feared elephants and had deserted fields and cattle posts.

Mr Phillimon Madema and David Mapeta also concurred that elephants must be moved out of communal land to allow people to plough. ENDS