28 May 2023

Government is working on strategies that seek to address the declining population of smallstock due to predation.

This was said by MP for Boteti West, Mr Slumber Tsogwane in response to concerns raised by some residents at a kgotla meeting he was addressing in Khumaga on Friday.

Mr Tsogwane acknowledged that predation on livestock continued to have negative effects on communities as the majority of them were subsistance farmers.

“I am concerned that predation by small game like jackals and caracals was quite a challenge. Human-wildlife conflict remains one of the major challenges that affect communities in Boteti West,” he said.

He told Khumaga residents that a team of ministers had also been formed to devise strategies that could be employed to address predation on smallstock and boost production.

“The aim is to benchmark on how such countries as Namibia had managed to flourish in smallstock production though they have predators like jackals and caracals,” he added.

Mr Tsogwane further informed residents that there was no compensation fee for damages caused by predators in other countries and their rate of smallstock production remained strikingly high, hence the need to benchmark.

He was of the view that there should be a short term measure that should be employed in areas that were regarded as hot spots where farmers’ stock was attacked on a daily basis.

He said President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi had released a directive for allocation of smallstock ranches as a move to support and encourage farmers to boost smallstock production.

Residents were also told that it was important to await completion of the ongoing construction of barriers separating problem animals from human activities as well as reconstruction of Makgadikgadi game-proof boundary fence to its initial location.

He further told them that farmers living in the peripheries of the game-proof fence would be given the responsibility to maintain it.

The VDC chairperson, Mr Eric Boitatotswe initially expressed concern that farmers had lost a large gerds due predation.

Mr Boitatotswe also complained that the family of the deceased person who died recently from an elephant attack was not yet compensated.

One of the residents, Mr Kgosiemang Chere expressed concern that they had not reaped anything from their ploughing due to predation.

Mr Chere pleaded with government to assist farmers with installation of power on their fields’ fences to scare away animals.

Another resident, Ms Mpaphe Serome said farming was her only means of survival, but they were reeling in starvation due to wild animals invading their farms. 

Ms Serome complained that some of the LIMID beneficiaries who lost their smallstock due predation were not assisted to replace them.

On one hand, Khumaga residents wanted to know why compensation for livestock lost due to predation varied.

Some residents had suggested that they be given permission to kill predators that destroyed their property.

Responding to some of the concerns, chief wildlife warden in Boteti, Mr Orbit Rantlole advised farmers to liaise with their agricultural demonstrator in order to form clusters and apply for fencing through Conservation Trust Fund (CTF).

On the suggestion to kill predators, Mr Rantlole said the law allowed farmers to kill animals found causing damage to their property.

“You are advised to ensure that you shoot to kill because if you failed to do so, the animal may become more dangerous to the community,” he said.

He also advised CT8 farmers to group themselves to apply for small game licenses for such animals as jackals and caracals.

Also, he told residents that there was ex gratia payment of P70 000 meant to console families of deceased wildlife victims.

On the issue of a family that had lost their loved one due to an elephant attack, he said all payments had been processed, adding, ‘since the property of deceased persons was released by the High Court, the funds have been sent there’. Ends