Wardens threaten mutiny

ThisDay November 21, 2008



SOME armed game wardens within the Selous Game Reserve in the country’s southern zone have threatened to turn their rifles on the reserve’s endangered elephant population as a means of protest against cuts in their patrol allowances.

The wardens say that as part of their planned mutiny against the management of the game reserve, they are even prepared to undergo a bizarre role reversal and themselves resort to illegal poaching activities.

â€Since the (reserve) management have made the decision to ’pinch’ our allowances, we are ready to shoot down the elephants and sell their tusks to get what is due to us,’’one game warden told THISDAY by telephone from the Selous on condition of not being named.

The ominous warning came on the back of reports that the Selous game wardens are far from happy with the decision of the reserve management to cut patrol allowances by up to one third.

According to the warden, claiming to represent 400 of his colleagues in the reserve, the move has left them ’’angry and desperate’’ and prepared to go on a killing spree of elephants if the original allowances are not restored.

The armed protectors of Selous wildlife singled out for blame one John Mbwiliza, describing him as manager of the project and claiming that he was responsible for the allowance cuts.

Explaining that the Selous Game Reserve covering 50,000 square kilometers is divided into eight zones, the warden said the management had unilaterally decided to slash the zonal patrol allowances �for no apparent reason.’’

’’For example, if a game warden goes on patrol for 30 days, the manager cuts payment of the allowance to just 20 days,’’ he asserted.

It is understood that the standard allowance that Selous game wardens are eligible to receive is 25,000/- per night whenever they go on patrol duty against poachers.

Apart from the allowance cuts, the wardens also alleged that the annual budget allocated for running the vast reserve was being mismanaged.

When contacted personally by THISDAY to respond to the allegations, Mbwiliza declined direct comment, saying he was not authorized to talk to the media.

However, he added: ’’All game wardens who go on patrols are paid their allowances in full...if you have any queries, please contact the Minister (for Natural Resources and Tourism), Shamsa Mwangunga.’’

On her part, Ms Mwangunga told THISDAY when contacted that she was’’shocked’’ by the reported threats by the Selous game wardens to ’’turn their weapons on the same elephants they are being paid to protect from poachers.’’

She insisted that there was no justification for game wardens to kill elephants, and warned that the government would take stern measures against anybody engaging in poaching.

’’We can’t allow game wardens to engage in such illegal activities, whatever their reasons may be. I assure you, the government will take very stern action,’’ the minister stated.

She described the threats of mutiny made by the park wardens as ’’very serious’’, saying she will make an emergency visit to the Selous to try and resolve the matter.

According to wildlife sector experts, the animal population within the Selous and in other wildlife parks in the country has already dropped to an ’unsustainable’ point as a result of past and present poaching activities.

And as one of the more recent measures to fight the poaching menace, game wardens in the country have undergone retraining in skills that are supposed to help them deal with more sophisticated poacher weaponry.

Might just get a warden or 3 on a 10day lisence now

People may read and belive that elephants will disapear!!! Endangered elephant population in Selous? The article says the populations are at an "unsustainable" situation??? Populations in Selous are at an all time high, with the region including north mozambique approaching 100 thousand elephants... with bigger bulls showing up...