The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

Tanzania: 'We Are Harassed by Game Warden'
Abdallah Bakari
15 November 2010


Liwale — Historically Liwale District in Lindi Region was home to hunters, even before 1974 when the government officially announced the area part of the Selous Game Reserve.

It was the only place where you could enjoy eating fresh meat among all southern regions, especially Lindi and Mtwara, since no domestic animals like cattle, sheep and goats were reared.

Guns, machetes, trap, bows, arrows and spears were the main tools used for killing wild animals for meat. Once one travels to Liwale he/she would normally carry many orders of wild meat from those left behind, and in this way Liwale became famous in southern parts of the country.

Unfortunately all goods preferred by residents are no longer available since in 1974 when the government announced that some of the land area would be part of Selous Game Reserve.

The southern bank of Mtandu river therefore became the border of the two areas. This resulted in residents being restricted by the game reserve wardens from encroaching on the Selous and getting harsh treatment from them.

But they have now forgotten all about the sweet taste of wild meat and its juice. The young generation that now inherited the good history of the area, like the use of borrows and arrows, traditional traps and other weapons used by grandfathers for hunting now regard these as grim evidence of their forefathers' harassment.

Mr Hemed Mpuguya, 52, a resident of Kikulyungu village in Mkutano ward, Liwale District, which is 70 kilometers north of Liwale town, narrates his harassment when he was arrested by game wardens fishing at Kiulumila dam near the village.

Sitting at his home on a small bed made using ropes, he says on the day of incident in June 2008 he was captured by game wardens clutching two small fish on the hand, while continuing fishing by using fish hooks.

"I won't forget the day when my brother, Mr Hashimu Mpuguya and I were arrested...they tied us with ropes, before starting to beat us by pieces of trees, likely to die," he says as tears stream down his face

He continues: "They took us with our fish to their camp where they said we were poachers. They beat us till we lost consciousness; they took us and left the forest."

According to Mr Mpuguya, it was 10.00 am when they were arrested, but they were not set free until 8 pm when they left for their home. By then they had great pains allegedly from being brutally beaten by the game wardens as they went to look for fish.

"On the next day officials from Selous came to my home and threatened to charge us as poachers. But after long arguments they fined us Sh100,000 each for what they called compound fines. My wife took me to Liwale hospital for treatment," he said while looking sorry.

The Mkutano ward councilor, Mr Mussa Pange, said harassing incidents were common in the area. He cited the example of himself saying a Selous game warden once caught him with a few pieces of wild game meat on his motorcycle.

"On September 18 last year I lost my motorcycle after being found by a Selous game warden with wild game meat. They took my motorcycle and fined me Sh400,000 while on the way to the court," said Pange.

He added: "In another incident at Kimambi village two women were beaten to near death after being found with a small piece of a wild animal skin when they were preparing themselves for cooking.

"They were admitted at Liwale hospital for a week, and this incident took place in June this year. In addition, they also paid a compound fine"

A Barikiwa village resident, Mr Halifa Mbuku, says poaching activities may have increased because of a decision made by reserve to stop giving 15 wild animals to the village freely. Instead they pay money to buy the animals.

"This is a village of hunters, when you stop giving them animals, they don't understand. Even if you give them millions of shillings, to them game meat is worth more than money... game wardens think that beating, harassing and fining can stop poaching, to me I say those incidents are likely to plant enmity," said Mr Mbuku.

The acting Barikiwa village executive officer, Mr Hussein Njonjo, confirmed two years ago that the village was receiving its share of 15 wild animals but the system had been changed. Now the Selous Gane Reserve is giving money to the village through the Magingo association.

"We were slaughtering shared animals and selling meat to villagers at low prices which were affordable to most of them...to the poor we had a system of giving them the meat freely, and everybody was happy, in contrast to present times," he said, adding:

"We opposed the new system, but they said we have no chance of changing their decision...the village receives Sh1.5 million from Magingo instead of the 15 wild animals."

Mr Issa Mwembe, the Magingo association chairman, said they agreed on the new system as Selous officials emphasized on sustainable use of natural resources.

"We get Sh24.1 million for all eight villages bordering the Selous... we divide this money into percentage. We give 50 per cant, 25 per cent remains at Magingo, !5 per cent is investment and ten per cent is for emergency," elaborated Mr Mwembe.

"For the sustainable use of natural resources we agreed with Selous that, instead of giving 15 wild animals to each village, they should pay us money...since last year when we made the agreement, we have detected that poaching incidents are increasing, so we are about to make a review," he pointed out.

He said many people who are found poaching in the game reserve are bitterly harassed by game wardens, and in many cases they are reported to a police station.

Liwale district commissioner Paul Chiwile said he had no information about the harassment unleashed by Selous game wardens. However, he did not support the residents.


"The problem is that they neither report such incidents to the police nor to my office. But all in all let the law take its own course...if a resident is caught poaching he/she should face the law, not beating or harassing him/her...I will work on allegations," he said.

An official of Selous Game Reserve, who preferred to remain anonymous because of not being the spokesman, said sometimes they have to use extra force to bring order to poachers who fight with game wardens.

"It's not easy to arrest poachers, if you are not strong they can kill you ... in the circumstances once arrested, they are harassed as a way of disciplining them ... but the intention is not to harass them. That's why we don't send them to court; instead we charge them with compound act," he said

sounds like the IRS

Other than it being a rather trumped up article it should also be taken with a large pinch of salt - this guy has been around a while and has made similar allegations on other open areas in the past.
Liwale is not part of the Selous G.R. - it was created as a buffer zone as are the Kilwa blocks, Ngarambe/Tapika W.M.A's on the eastern border, Tunduru and Muhuwesi G.C. on the south, etc. In fact, the entire SGR is surrounded by a buffer zone which is restricted to "tourist hunting" areas and have been allocated to registered hunting companies.

Pockets within these areas have still been kept accessible (in part) to resident hunters. It is also unfortunate that after all these years some
resident hunters cannot quite grasp the idea that the hunting of wild animals has to meet certain criteria and that laws are and have been in
place for decades, methods governing the taking of wildlife. The traps, spears, machetes etc. are no longer considered as acceptable methods of hunting.
The Liwale area unfortunately also happens to be a hard-hit area where poaching is concerned and if one were to go a little further south where
the presence of game scouts is limited, will find the area to have been vacuumed of game through rampant poaching.
As of now the same area is probably worst hit among "open areas" for elephant poaching in particular, resident hunters in general literally shoot for meat so anything that walks on four legs is fair game - the hunting license in hand is merely a document that legalizes their presence in the area.
Meat poaching is no longer the villager obtaining an animal 'now and then to feed his family' - but outsiders who come to plunder to feed the entire and neighboring villages for profit.

On a different note, some sympathy could be given to bona-fide resident hunters in that a large number of hunting areas once accessible to
them have been turned into hunting areas reserved for the "hunting industry" - the approach, excuses and accusations are not really the correct tools
nor supporting arguments towards their case.