Elephants wreak havoc in Hwange

Victoria Falls Reporter
April 10, 2010



PARTS of Jambezi in Hwange District are now in need of food aid as elephants have destroyed the villagers’ crops, leaving them with nothing to harvest, a local traditional leader, Chief Mvuthu said.
In an interview here yesterday, Chief Mvuthu said all along, the villagers were expecting a better harvest until the elephants descended on the area and destroyed the crops which had reached maturity stage.
He said the crops were now a write-off especially in areas such as Sidobe, Lupinyu, Borehole (Bh) 118, Bh114, Bh29, Bh28, Bh11, Bh27 and partly Bh10 and Bh26.
“The farming season was really looking good, it was indeed promising for the villagers who had worked hard, but unfortunately the elephants were just too much to contain. At the end of the day we have lost the war as there is nothing in the fields,” said Chief Mvuthu.
He, however, said there was still hope for villagers in Dibutibu and Chisuma.
“The villagers in those areas are still safe. The area has clay soils and when the soils are wet, the elephants do not go in because they sink in the mud and that is the reason why their crops were not destroyed,” said Chief Mvuthu.
He said the elephant population was just too large, adding that thousands of elephants needed to be culled.
“Even if today 1 000 elephants were killed, their population would still remain high, more need to be brought down and the villagers benefit through trophies,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Mvuthu said the constitution-making team had been in his area and the villagers had an opportunity to air their views and concerns.
The meetings were held at Cheumba, Monde and Mbiya areas.
“Unfortunately, some rowdy elements from a certain political party came drunk and disrupted the whole process. I call upon people to have respect for the elders, have respect for the system that exists anywhere so that they are also respected,” he said.

I'm ready to help them with their problem as I'm sure are lots of other AR members. Now were are the permits?? I'm sure the villagers and their local council will just continue to complain and do nothing to solve the problem.