17 Jun 2025

Ministry of Environment and Tourism is currently considering coming up with a compensation insurance scheme that will cover costs of loss incurred due to wild animals.

Presenting the ministry’s response before the ongoing North West District full council session, the deputy council secretary Ms Kelebogile Keabetswe said the ministry would also extend the scheme to cover injuries and provision for dependents of people injured or killed by wildlife as per a motion tabled by Councillor Magonamo Mmolainyana of Kgosing/Kubung ward in the last sitting of the council.

The motion requested for the consideration of setting up a fund that will cover people injured by wildlife. 

Mr Mmolainyana appreciated that currently the government provides ex-gratia payment of P70 000 to families of those killed by wildlife but argued that there was no compensation for injuries hence the need for such fund to better address their needs.

The response from the permanent secretary in the ministry further revealed that the ministry is currently reviewing the compensation scheme which will cover people injured and killed by wildlife. 

It stated that consideration will be made to setting up a fund to cater for all those who have been impacted by human wildlife conflict.

With regard to the motion requesting the ministry to consider increasing the ex-gratia payment of P70 000 to P250 000 for people killed by classified dangerous animals, the ministry indicated that it is currently in the process of reviewing compensation guidelines and one of the proposal is that the ex-gratia payment be increased.

Although, the response pointed out that an amount has not been set yet but the proposal from the mover of the motion, Mr Mmolainyana will be considered together with others during discussions.

In his submission, Mr Mmolainyana argued that the increase of ex-gratia to P250 000 could help families to give their loved ones a decent burial adding that some families were economically challenged and struggled after burial and therefore believed with the increase of ex-gratia payment, they could survive.

In response to the presentation, some councillors appreciated that the ministry was equally concerned with issues of human wildlife conflict.

They wished the ministry could have stated the timeframe of the review considering the fact that the district continues to experience an escalation of reports of human wildlife conflict with animals intruding farming land and causing damage to property, killing livestock and generally being a nuisance to communities due to abundance of water.

Meanwhile when delivering a speech before the full council on Monday, the deputy council chairperson, Mr Vepaune Moreti revealed that the district had been allocated an amount of P5 000 000 for payment of compensation for financial year 2025/2026.

A total of 231 farmers, he said were paid compensation amounting to P819 728 while 251 reports were still pending to be paid compensation amounting to P2 000 000. 

A total of 484 reports were awaiting attendance and assessment.

Efforts to assist farmers, he said were hindered by frequent break downs of vehicles which had long passed life span, bad terrains and insufficient funds for service and repairs.

“The district experienced reports exacerbated by invasion of problem elephants hence the destruction of human properties especially at Hainaveldt Ranches,” he added.

He also decried that poaching still remain a concern especially during winter season saying poachers targetedgiraffes, buffalo, impala, kudu, zebra and other game animals. ENDS