04 Mar 2019

The mention of the 2014 hunting ban by then Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism brings misery to the family of Mr Ndereki Longwane of Mabele.

It was on July 16, 2014 when the Ndereki family learnt of the passing on of Mr Longwane who was born in 1932. The widow of Mr Longwane, Ms Lumba Ndereki narrates that on the fateful day she received a phone call from a herdman of the neighbouring cattle post that her husband was missing.

Her instincts told her something was amiss concerning the disappearance of her husband, and she asked a neighbour to drive her to the cattle post.

On arrival, they learned that an elephant was spotted charging near her husband’s kraal earlier. She said after the mention of the elephant she started weeping, but her sorrow did not affect her thinking as she managed to convince the neighbour and another man to accompany her to the spring, a few kilometres from the cattle post.

She said as it was already dark, and that with the help of the vehicle lights they spotted the motionless body of her husband on the ground.

“Ga re santse re akabetse ka se re se bonang re bona diphiri di setse di atumela setopo sa monnamogolo, ga ise re re kamoso re bo re itatlha mo koloing re leba kwa go se re se bonang,” she said with tears on her eyes as she recalled the sorrow that engulfed her then.

She said they realised the elephant used its tusks to piece his lower abdomin and was already dead and lying in a pool of blood.

What adds salt to the wound of losing her husband was that government did not assist during the funeral, as it was the case with other deceased persons who were killed by wild animals.

As if the elephants felt they did not hurt her enough by killing her husband, she said they destroy her crops every year.

“Le ko morakeng ditau di njetse dikgomo tse five mme ka phimolwa dikeledi mo go tse pedi fela. Ga ele tse tharo wai goromente o dira fela jaaka a dirile ka loso la monnamogolo wame,” she said as she continued cleaning motsentsela fruit as if she was avoiding eye contact with the reporter.

Ms Ndereki feels there is need to cull wild animals, especially elephants because of their high population and nuisance.

She said in the olden days when hunting was allowed, human/wildlife conflicts were minimal because “diphologolo di ne di itse gore ga di atumela motho di a swa kana le letsone di botlhale di itse loso.”

She observed that staff at the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) could not adequately deal with problem animals, as the population continued to increase uncontrollably.

One other victim of the elephants is Kgosi Morgan Makhanga who has lost two herdmen due to the jumbo’s. He said the first incident was three years ago when his Pandamatenga born herdman was attacked and killed by an elephant in Kazungula.

The latest incident took place last year when his other herdman, originally from Manxotai, was attacked and killed by an elephant while herding cattle on the outskirts of Kazungula.

He said apart from  encountering human/wildlife conflicts in his personal capacity, his office frequently learns about people injured by wild animals, especially buffaloes.

Kgosi Makhanga laments that since the hunting ban was effected in 2014, buffaloes have increased in numbers and started terrorising and injuring people in their homesteads.

“Due to wild animals people no longer have backyard gardens, and those with mango trees water them only for the elephants to eat them,” he said.

He said prior to the increase in the wild animal population, the area was known for mangoes and it was as if homesteads were competing in terms of producing mangoes.

Kgosi Makhanga said while government came up with a good initiative, Nyeletso Lehuma, to try and empower residents, people could not opt for backyard gardening because they would be inviting elephants and other animals to their homesteads.

“I am quite sure that should people be allowed to kill wild animals roaming the village, they would not come to the village anymore, re tshedile le diphologolo re ne re itse gore ga di bolawa ga di tshamekele mo motseng e bile di tshaba motho jaanong tse ka ga di bolawe nnyaa di batla go re ntsha mo malwapeng,” he said. 

Meanwhile, a cabinet sub committee appointed by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi recently made its recommendations, which are still to be considered, regarding the hunting ban and human/elephant conflict. ends