24 Mar 2025

While majority of subsistence farmers toil diligently to grow crops and look forward to the harvest period, farmers at Kebinang lands share an upleasant  story. 

Nestled a few kilometres from Robelela village, Kebinang lands is witnessing yet another turbulent season as elephants trample across the fields, causing a trail of destruction in their wake. 

Farmers dread this annual occurrence, which strikes hard at the core of their efforts toward sustainable farming endeavours, turning the hard-earned progress into chaos and loss. 

Mr Mboy Sekai, who has been farming at Kebinang lands for more than 10 years, lamented “It feels like we are fighting a losing battle. Normally elephants break the fence and find their way to the crops. All our efforts to eke a living from farming do not bear any of our desired outcomes,” he stated. 

He said the safety of those who stayed at the lands during  ploughing and harvesting season was also compromised. 

Another farmer, Ms Opelo Baaitsi, shared that ploughing and harvesting seasons were always a gamble. 

She stated that although the encroachment of elephants at Kebinang fields was not new, their frequency and destruction had escalated. “This loss bites hard as the harvest season draws near. 

I had two hectares of maize, but elephants destroyed it all. After harvest I would sell some to vendors and make profit but with all this destruction, all is lost and I feel my efforts were also wasted,” she said. Ms Baaitsi said when these elephants spot a field, they invade it, tear down the fence, and leave the field open, creating an opening for other species to invade as well. 

Kgosi Mosetsana Lekang of Robelela village said most people in Robelela relied on agriculture, and with elephants roaming around the fields, it was hard for them to reap the rewards of their labour. 

He said as a result, some had given up and were now dependent on government assistance. “We appreciate efforts by the Department of Wildlife to keep elephants away from people. 

Officials also go to an extent of teaching people at the lands some ways to co-exist with these creatures,” she said. 

The chairman of Bobirwa Sub District Council, Mr Johannes Gaosikelwe, said addressing human-wildlife conflict was one of the council’s priorities. He noted that some intervention was required to safeguard people’s lives. He said the issue needed comprehensive and proactive measures to mitigate the conflicts. 

Mr Gaosikelwe said relevant stakeholders would work closely to implement sustainable mitigation approaches and community awareness programmes. ENDS