11 Nov 2026

Government has developed a National Human-Wildlife Conflict Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2030) aimed at reducing cases of human-wildlife conflict and mitigating its ecological and socio-economic impacts.

Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, told Parliament that human-wildlife conflict could not be completely eliminated, hence the need for strategies that promote coexistence through long-term planning and adaptation.

He said the strategy outlined short, medium and long-term interventions to address the challenge.The short-term phase (one to two years) focuses on addressing urgent conflict situations, establishing monitoring and reporting systems, protecting crops and livestock, and identifying areas with high incidences of conflict.

Mr Mmolotsi said the phase also included community awareness programmes on conflict prevention and the importance of wildlife conservation, as well as the establishment of early warning systems and rapid response teams.

The medium-term phase (three to four years) would focus on expanding successful interventions and implementing broader landscape-level solutions.

These include landscape planning, livelihood diversification, habitat restoration, wildlife corridors and buffer zones to reduce wildlife encroachment into human settlements and agricultural land.

He said the long-term phase (five years) sought to ensure sustainable and resilient human-wildlife coexistence through institutionalising conflict management, scaling up successful strategies and fostering long-term partnerships for wildlife conservation and community development.

Mr Mmolotsi said the strategy had been approved and its rollout kick-started, although full implementation had been constrained by limited resources.

He added that he planned to deliver a statement during the current Parliament session on the National Human-Wildlife Conflict Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2030) to brief the House on its implementation.

Mr Mmolotsi was responding to a question from Chobe Member of Parliament, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga, who had sought an update on the Ministry’s medium and long-term strategies to address human-wildlife conflict and when the strategy would be rolled out. ENDS