Connect with us

In the community

Hwange villagers lose livestock to marauding lions

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Sixty seven year-old widow Jenifer Khupe’s world collapsed around her after she received a call informing her that lions had killed almost her entire herd of cattle and goats in their kraals overnight.

Advertisement

Khupe from the Chief Mvuthu area in Matabeleland North’s Hwange West district was particularly devastated because the deadly invasion by the predators on the night of September 8 happened when she was in the process of selling one of her cows in order to replenish the family’s depleted food reserves.

Her family, like most households in the area, is running low on food supplies because their crops were destroyed by elephants during the previous farming season as worsening human-wildlife conflicts continue to threaten livelihoods in areas close to wild life zones.

A total of seven lions killed seven of her 13 herd of cattle that night and 10 goats.

Advertisement

“I was in Plumtree when I received a phone call from my son who told me that lions had killed almost all our livestock,” said a distraught Khupe.

“Our kraal was secured in a way that repels predators. It was secured even at the rooftop, but because these lions are now used to marauding around people’s homesteads even during the day, they have become so daring that they can dig deep to gain entry into the kraals.

“My son was sleeping at home and he was awoken by neighbours who heard noise from the kraals and they mobilised themselves to scare the lions away.”

By the time the villagers intervened, Khupe’s herd of cattle had been almost wiped out and only a few goats remained.

Advertisement

She was still trying to recover from the incident as the family’s wealth had been wiped out overnight.

“What we witnessed was beyond comprehension,” Khupe added.

“The lions killed the entire herd of cattle through suffocation and devoured the carcasses, so much that we couldn’t salvage any meat.

Advertisement

“As for the goats they just killed seven of them, but left the carcasses untouched.”

A local wildlife conservation organisation bought the cattle carcasses for less than US$150.

“All the inheritance that my husband left us is gone,” she said.

Advertisement

“To make matters worse I had identified one cow that we were going to sell in order for us to raise money to buy food because we are running out of grain as elephants destroyed almost all our crops last season.”

Khupe’s case is not an isolated one as another villager from the same area watched helplessly while his herd of cattle was devoured by lions while he was herding them last week.

Human-wildlife conflict has become a significant problem among Zimbabwean communities adjacent to game reserves and other protected areas.

Advertisement

Subsistence farmers are losing crops and in some instances people are being killed by wild animals while trying to protect their livestock or crops.

According to Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, a conservation group operating in Hwange West district, 159 herd of cattle were killed by lions between 2020 and last year.

Livestock such as cattle and goats are a significant safety net for most smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe and during droughts they augment their food supplies by selling livestock.

Advertisement

Due to frequent droughts, the competition for food and water is intensifying, leading to conflicts between wild animals and people in communities bordering game reserves.

Dangerous animals such as elephants, lions and buffalos have been straying into villages, causing loss of farmland and lives across the country.

Mutuso Dhliwayo, the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association chief executive officer, told a  recent event to discuss human wildlife conflict organised by USAID’s Resilence Anchors Activity programme that problem animals reports had increased by 293% between 2006 and 2021.

Advertisement

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said areas that were most affected by human-wildlife conflict were adjacent to protected areas or areas with wildlife.

In Matabeleland North the areas stretch from Lupane to Gwayi, Tsholotsho and Matetsi in Hwange district.

“This is mainly because in some cases communities do graze their livestock in areas with predators and some of these predators such as the lions have learnt to follow the sounds of the bells on the cattle until it’s dark and then attack them (in their kraals),” Farawo said.

Advertisement

“In some cases villagers do not properly pen their livestock, which again exposes them to attacks by predators.

“We carry out periodic awareness campaigns in these communities to warn them of the dangers of leaving their livestock unsecured.”

He said Zimparks was working closely with respective rural district councils in responding to problem animals that they either kill or capture depending on the situation on the ground.

Advertisement

Farawo said such exercises were, however, too expensive to carry out.

“There is a need for resources such as vehicles, capture equipment and fuels,” he added.

Zimbabwe says most of its parks are overpopulated and there is scarcity of food and water due to climate change induced droughts, leading to deadly human-wildlife conflicts.

Advertisement

Zimparks said 45 people were killed by wild animals between January and July this year and 40 others were injured.

Besides communities surrounding the Hwange National Park, areas adjacent to the Save Conservancy, Gonarezhou National Park and Mana Pools National Park are susceptible human-wildlife conflicts.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Pingback: Widow Loses 7 Herd Of Cattle, 10 Goats To Lions In One Night - pindula.co.zw - Zimbabwe Focus News | ZimFocus News

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

In the community

MPs raise alarm over illegal gold mining threatening Inyathi hospital

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has raised serious concern over illegal gold mining activities taking place directly beneath Inyathi District Hospital in Bubi District, Matabeleland North — warning that the facility’s infrastructure could collapse if the practice continues unchecked.

Advertisement

The revelation came during the committee’s ongoing verification visits to rural health centres across Zimbabwe, aimed at assessing the state of medical infrastructure, equipment, and essential drug availability. The visits, led by Hon. Daniel Molokele, are being conducted on behalf of the committee chairperson, Hon. Dr. Thokozani Khupe.

Speaking to VicFallsLive, Molokele said the team was shocked to discover that artisanal miners (amakorokoza) had extended their illegal mining tunnels under the hospital grounds.

“One of the things that we found at Inyathi District Hospital is that amakorokoza are now doing their gold mining right under the hospital,” said Molokele. “They used to do it outside, but now they have gone beneath the facility. There is a real risk that the infrastructure might collapse because of the underground pressure. This is lawlessness that the government urgently needs to address.”

Advertisement

Molokele added that the situation reflects broader governance and enforcement challenges in mining communities, where unregulated artisanal mining continues to threaten both public safety and environmental health.

“Most of the cases that patients come with are physical wounds — largely injuries from violent clashes among the amakorokoza,” he said. “There’s a lot of violence happening there, and it is putting a heavy burden on an already under-resourced hospital.”

The committee, which began its tour on Monday in Inyathi before proceeding to Avoca in Insiza District (Matabeleland South), Gundura in Masvingo, and Mutiusinazita in Buhera (Manicaland), is compiling findings that will inform parliamentary recommendations.

Advertisement

“We will produce a report that will have clear recommendations,” Molokele said. “The National Assembly will debate it, and the Minister of Health will use it to engage the Minister of Finance, especially in the upcoming budget process. We are hoping for a renewed focus on rural healthcare centres, which have been neglected and underfunded for many years.”

Molokele said the verification exercise — though limited by time and financial constraints — seeks to highlight conditions in at least one rural health facility per province.

The committee’s findings come at a time when Zimbabwe’s rural health infrastructure is under severe strain, with many facilities struggling with drug shortages, outdated equipment, and deteriorating buildings. The situation in Inyathi now adds a new dimension of danger — where illegal mining is not only threatening livelihoods but also public infrastructure meant to save lives.

Advertisement

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

In the community

Painted Dog Conservation and Uncommon bring free coding school to Gwai Valley Primary

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), in partnership with technology-driven organisation Uncommon, is set to establish a free coding school at Gwai Valley Primary in Lupane District, marking a new chapter in community empowerment and education.

Advertisement

Speaking during an interview with VicFallsLive, PDC operations director, David Kuvawoga said the initiative stems from the organisation’s long-term work with local schools through its children’s bush camps.

“In our quest to find solutions to the poaching crisis, and building on the work we’ve done with schools over the years, we identified Gwai Primary as a good location to start a coding school,” he explained. “We partnered with Uncommon, which already runs facilities in Harare and Victoria Falls, to bring this opportunity closer to rural communities.”

The school will be housed in container units equipped with computers and other necessary technology. According to PDC, the project will be led by youths from the Gwai community who underwent year-long training in Victoria Falls and are now prepared to teach children — and adults — the fundamentals of coding.

Advertisement

“This is not just for schoolchildren,” the operations director said. “Anyone in the community with the passion to learn can join. What matters is the interest and commitment, not formal qualifications.”

Importantly, the programme will be free of charge. Both organisations confirmed that tuition, equipment, and running costs are fully covered through fundraising efforts.

“No one is going to pay a cent,” he said. “Just like our bush camps, which host over a thousand children every year without charge, this coding school is fully funded. All the community needs to do is embrace it.”

Advertisement

PDC has previously supported communities through projects such as boreholes and gardens, but this marks its first major investment in technology. The director said the initiative has the potential to address unemployment, improve education, and give local youth world-class digital skills.

“Coding is a highly sought-after skill across the world,” he noted. “If young people here can learn it, they can secure jobs or even create employment for others. This is a brick in the foundation of uplifting Lupane, Hwange, and beyond.”

The coding school is expected to open in December at Gwai Valley Primary.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

In the community

Lupane police officer sentenced for tampering with mbanje evidence

Published

on

BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

A 21-year-old constabulary officer in Lupane has been convicted after admitting he tampered with evidence in a drug possession case, effectively helping a suspect conceal part of the stash.

Advertisement

The officer, Nqobile Mutale, was on duty at Lupane Terminus Base on the 18th of September when he arrested Thulani Sibanda, who had been implicated in unlawful possession of dagga/imbanje. Instead of handing over the full exhibit, Mutale struck a deal with Sibanda and hid part of the recovered drugs behind the police base.

Detectives later uncovered the hidden dagga, with Mutale leading them to the site during investigations.

Standing before the Lupane Magistrates’ Court, Mutale pleaded guilty to obstructing the course of justice. He was handed a 24-month sentence, with nine months suspended. The balance of 15 months was also suspended, provided he completes 525 hours of community service.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 VicFallsLive. All rights reserved, powered by Advantage