Back in 1997 a mate and I spent a week on the Zambezi river fishing from a lodge at a town called Mongu in the district of Barotseland. We fished about 5 miles either side of the town catching a lot of good sized tiger fish ,bream and the odd catfish.
The natives of the area not living in town live on the banks of the river growing Barotseland cattle and growing cassava .They live in reed and grass huts on the banks of the river.
We saw a lot of crocs and a few hippo. the crocs were quite bold and the hippos very shy.
The natives set native fish traps made from reeds and they check them daily. the people fish swim and bathe in the river. Every morning on the way to fish we saw the women washing on the edge of the river.

They are bound to lose a few with the crocs so close. It is as it has been for thousands of years
nothing sinister just the way of life