Zimbabwe: Elephants Wreak Havoc At Shashe Irrigation Scheme

The Herald (Harare)

May 4, 2006
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge

A HERD of elephants suspected to have strayed from Botswana is causing havoc at the $50 billion Shashe Irrigation Scheme northwest of Beitbridge town.

In an interview yesterday, Shashe ward 8 councillor Luka Ndou said the elephants were putting this year's winter wheat cropping programme under threat. The Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, sponsors Shashe Irrigation Scheme. "We are living in fear. The jumbos are really a threat to our crops and lives," said Cllr Ndou. He said the irrigation scheme was the major livelihood of the area and the residents would face a bleak future if it were to be destroyed. Cllr Ndou said they have since notified the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority on the issue but nothing has materialised.

"We have notified all stakeholders involved in wildlife management but nothing has come up, much to the detriment of our lives," he said. He said some safari operators near the ward had promised to cull the elephants but the situation was getting worse with each passing day. Cllr Ndou said residents in the ward were living in fear since the elephants descended on the are a about 4 weeks ago resulting in some school children absconding lessons. "We are faced with a big problem and we have even approached the local Member of the House of Assembly Cde Kembo Mohadi and he promised to assist," said Cllr Ndou.

He said plans were afoot to erect an electric fence around the irrigation scheme to protect the wheat from further destruction. Cllr Ndou said elephants were becoming a regular problem to the area and there was need for urgent action to protect the community. He, however, said no human deaths have been reported so far but people are living in constant fear of possible attacks from the elephants. Efforts to get a comment from officials at the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority offices in Beitbridge were in vain as no one was answering the phone.

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