07 Sep 2020

Member of Parliament for Tati-West, Mr Simon Moabi says the government should come up with long lasting measures that will address human-wildlife conflict issues.

Mr Moabi said this when responding to a presentation by the Minister of Environmental, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Phildah Kereng.

The presentation requested that Sustainable Environmental Chapter and Public Investment Programme (PIP) for the ministry be approved and stand part of the mid-term review for the National Development Plan 11.

Mr Moabi was in support of the request, saying human-wildlife conflict in North East District posed a perpetual danger to human life and threatened the future of farmers.

He noted that wildlife particularly elephants frequented villages that shared the border with Zimbabwe.

“We always experience an influx of elephants during summer season raiding villages in search of water. This poses danger to human life , these animals also destroy crops and this negatively affects the future of farming in those areas,” he said.

Therefore Mr Moabi said there was a need to come up with long lasting means that would keep animals away and also suggested for the construction of boreholes in the outskirts of the villages.

Mr Moabi said ‘these animals always gather at some water sources in the outskirts of some villages and once those sources dried up they move closer to the villages. As these animals move closer they cause destruction leaving residents with fear,” he said.

Further, Mr Moabi said that as the Sustainable Environmental Chapter and Public Investment Programme (PIP) was under debate, there was a need for a continuous development of other natural resources.

He said the resources could enhance local tourism and benefit the youth in terms of employment creation and also boost economic activities in villages.

Contributing to the debate, Selibe Phikwe East MP, Mr Kgoberego Nkawana said there was need for a public education on climate change

He said the impact of the erratic weather was evidenced by higher temperatures and variable rainfalls.

This, he said impacted on agriculture, tourism sectors and water availability among others. 

Therefore, Mr Nkawana said public education on climate change should be availed considering that some of the people’s daily activities negatively contributed to the climatic changes. 

He further said as part of efforts to combat the impact of the drought in different parts of the country, the government should assess and roll out long lasting programme per the need of the area. BOPA