BY BRENDA NCUBE

In the heart of Matabeleland North’s Hwange district, wildlife conservation has become a contentious issue.

While the area is renowned for its rich biodiversity and generating substantial revenue, local communities are struggling to reap the benefits.

For communal farmers like Binwell Sibanda, the presence of wild animals has become a constant threat to their livelihoods.

“We rely heavily on farming, but these animals destroy our crops and livestock every year,” Sibanda lamented.

“We expect National Parks and CAMPFIRE (Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) to control wildlife and not let them roam freely in communal areas.”

Nicholas Tembo, another affected farmer, emphasized the need for compensation for losses incurred due to human-wildlife conflict. “We should be reimbursed for our losses if wildlife destroys our crops or kills livestock,” he said.

The communities are also demanding that park authorities take responsibility in cases of human-wildlife attacks, including paying medical bills, funeral expenses, and supporting victims’ dependents.

Furthermore, the villagers are advocating for a quota for game meat to alleviate hunger and reduce poaching. “The park rangers can cull the animals and share the meat with the community,” Tembo suggested.

However, the communities are frustrated with CAMPFIRE, feeling that the program benefits the association running it rather than the communities themselves.

They are calling for CAMPFIRE to devise programs that channel funds from hunting trophies to benefit the communities, such as rural electrification and drilling boreholes.

The villagers are also seeking a more nuanced approach to addressing poaching, considering the motivations behind it. “If someone is caught poaching or snaring, the law should consider what they plan to do with the animal,” Tembo said.

As the debate surrounding the Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill (H.B.1, 2024) continues, communities are keep on voicing concerns over compensation for victims of wildlife attacks and seeking clarity on how the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority plans to handle these compensations.

They are also demanding sovereignty over wildlife management, advocating for local authorities to take the lead.

Amidst the thriving tourism activities in the area, it is ironic that communities bordering national parks live in poverty. As Tembo emphasized, “It’s time for us to benefit from wildlife conservation and tourism.”

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI & BRENDA NCUBE

Two women from Hwange, Jambesi under Shana, are currently admitted at Victoria Falls Hospital after a traumatic crocodile attack at Matetsi River.

Our organization, VicFallsLive, visited them at the hospital, where we witnessed their struggles firsthand.

Initially, the women agreed to conduct an interview, but later declined, stating they were “sorted” and didn’t need assistance with medication or food.

However, their relatives revealed that they are in dire need of injections and food, both in the hospital and at home.

It became apparent that the women had lost trust in organizations and individuals who had promised to help but disappeared after allegedly coming to interview them and taking records since their admission almost two weeks ago.

We then contacted Fanuel Mudimba, the councillor for Jambesi ward seven, who provided context to the attack.

According to Mudimba, the women were fishing at Matetsi River, a community river where villagers are legally allowed to fish in when they were attacked by a crocodile.

One woman was severely injured on her left arm, while the other sustained injuries on her fingers and arm while trying to rescue her companion.

The councillor highlighted the growing concern of human-wildlife conflict in Jambesi, where residents live in fear of crocodile and elephant attacks.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Kulokufuthelana kwabakubandla eliphikisayo eleCitizens Coalition for Change (CCC) kulandela ukufungiswa kukaMnumzana Tonderai Mutasa webandla leZanu PF eVictoria Falls, kungenziwanga ukhetho lwe-byelection lokudinga ukhansila kuWard 1.

UMutasa bekufuze ancintisane lo Mnumzana Ephias Mambume owebandla leCCC, kodwa obebhalise ukukhankasa ezimele.  Ngenyanga edluleyo, esinye sezakhamizi sammangalela emthethwandaba ukuba kabhadali imithelo lamanzi ekhansilini, okwenza emalangeni inkundla yomthwethwandaba ephezulu inqume ukuba ufunyanwa elecala leli, okumthathela ilungelo lokuthi ancintise ngomthetho welizwe.

Lokhu kuhle kwapha igunya abe Zanu PF ukuba uMutasa afungiswe engavotelwangwa. Ngemva komcimbi lo, sixoxe loMnumzana Matthew Muleya ongumgcinisihlalo webandla le Zanu PF ngempumela le kanye lobukhohlakali obubikwa busenzakala edolobheni leli, okuyikho abeCCC abathi kuvinjelwe uMambume ngesizatho sokuba ubezabuveza.

“Kuyibufakazi kithi ukuba iZanu Pf iselempilo edolobheni leli, uMambume waxotshwa yi CCC, njalo ubengabhadali ama rates lamanzi, kithi yikho sakubona kumqoka ukuthi simuse emthethweni. Okokuthi kulobukhohlakakali lapha, asikwazi thina ngoba besivele silokhansila oyedwa abanye bengabe CCC, so siyathaba ngoba sebezikhulumele bodwa ukuba bayatshotsha.”

UMambume uthi wesulelwa  nje icala angalaziyo. Ephendula ngokulotshiweyo, uthe usephanyeke edale le Supreme Court incwadi yokuphikisa isinqumo secala leli, ethi ebekhansilini besebenza labe Zanu PF bakupheka lokhu. Uthi usalinde ilanga lokuhlalelwa kwecala leli esima ngelokuthi ukhansila ukhethwa ngabantu, hatshi lokhu okwenzakeleyo.

Sixoxe loMnumzana Promise Mkhwananzi isikhulumeli seCCC, oveze ukuba yibuqili obenzakalayo, lokufiphazwa kwamalungelo oluntu.

“Kuvamile lokhu ukuthi inkudla yomthetho ingenele endabeni se politiki ikakhulu emabandleni aphikisayo njalo lokudelela umthetho sisekelo welizwe ngokwalela izizalwane ukuba zizikhethele ezimfunayo. Sizamile ukuba uMambume azimele yedwa, kodwa ngoba besesaba umongameli Nelson Chamisa, benze ngabomo ukumvimba, okunye njalo bafihla inkohlakalo ezenzakala edolobheni leli besebenza beyi cabal

 “Izanu Pf ifana lamanye nje amabandla njenge Zapu, CCC. Asibuyeli emuva siya eSupreme Court ukuze sifake kuma records ethu ukwephulwa komthetho njalo sisazobaqonda nhla abe judiciary ngalokhu kusiyaphambili.”

Sibuze ohola ikhansili ye Victoria Falls, uMnumzana Ronnie Dube, ukuzwa ngobukhohlakali lobu obuphakanyiswa nguMkhwananzi, oma ngelokuthi kusazogedl’amazinyo.

 “Ngingeke ngiphawule ngokukhulunywe nguMkhwananzi engingamaziyo, okuqakathekileyo yikuthi uma inyamanza isifa iyaqhatsha. Uqhatsha laye uMambume iqiniso yikuthi akutshoyo nge corruption thina siyi public entity njalo kulemthetho ebekwe nguhulumende ukudila lakho lokho. Loba ngubani olubufakazi obubambekayo engaya kuZACC engayi kusocial media ngoba kayila sixazululo.”

Ukugcotshwa kuka Mutasa, yena oyale ukhululuma lomsakazo lo,  kubeyisiphangiphangi, nanku ngoba ihlekana ebelikulinkundla yokufungiswa kwakhe belingelebandla le Zanu PF kuphela, okuyikho abebandla le CCC abathi kukhombisa ukuba kukhona okunuka santungwana.

Sixoxe laye umamangalela uMambume, uMnumzana Akim Mutorera, othi ukungakhokhi kukaMambume wazibonela yedwa, kodwa wehlukelile ukuchaza ukuba ukoloda imali enganani.

Inhlanganiso ezimeleyo eye Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association ibingekho kuluncimbi, njalo bathe abasoze bayibambe ngekhanda, bazaphendula bengazwisisa okuyikho kanye okwenzakalayo.

SOURCE| VOA