23 Mar 2026

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, through the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), has implemented various strategies to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the North West District. 

In a recent update to Parliament, Minister Wynter Mmolotsi stated that efforts included capacitating farmers through livestock and crop protection initiatives, which included construction of predator-proof kraals, introduction of herding dogs and community outreach programmes focused on co-existence. 

Mr Mmolotsi noted that other strategies included the introduction of hunting quotas in agricultural extension areas and the use of technology, such as GPS-collaring lions for early warning systems.

He said the ministry was also identifying wildlife corridors for better land-allocation planning and collaborating with stakeholders in conflict-prone areas. 

Regarding the legal framework, the minister highlighted that compensation for affected farmers, translocation and the lethal removal of habitual problem animals were carried out in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act. 

Furthermore, he said the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme continued to promote community upliftment through hunting quotas and capacity building. 

However, the minister acknowledged significant resource constraints, saying while the department had five vehicles dedicated to problem animal control, government austerity measures and funding shortages had caused maintenance delays. 

Minister Mmolotsi further told Parliament that during the 2025/2026 period, 35 elephant reports and 27 lion reports were recorded so far while 26 lion reports were from Shorobe livestock farmers and efforts were made to capture and translocate problem lions.

However, he said in cases where translocation had proven unfeasible, the department had resorted to lethal removal as a last resort. Additionally, he said Hainaveld farmers had been urged to maintain and electrify fences to deter elephants.

To further support such efforts, the minister said elephant and lion hunting quotas had been allocated to NG39 for the 2026 season, with proceeds set to be reinvested into conflict-mitigation projects. 

Member of Parliament for Maun East, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile, had sought clarity on the protocols for alleviating escalating conflict in the North-West District. Mr Kekgonegile also asked about transport resources, staffing and high frequency of lion attacks on cattle in the Shorobe area. BOPA