Marauding elephants fenced off

From The Manica Post

Farming Reporter

THE problem of marauding elephants in the Middle-Sabi farming area is over, after Sango Conservancy erected an electric fence on the side that the elephants were using to invade the farming area.

One farmer in the area, Mr Charles Tawazadza, said elephants had caused considerable damage to crops and the electric fence was a welcome development.
Some people were reportedly trampled to death by the rogue elephants last year.
"There were agreements between Sango Conservancy and the farmers that the conservancy would erect the fence, while farmers would ensure that the fence is not vandalised.
"The elephants had caused a lot of problems to us, farmers. In 2005, I lost 20 hectares of wheat and five hectares of malting barley.
"I ended up failing to repay my loan from the bank and I had to use my other resources to pay up my bankers. I then took it upon myself that I will provide a power point from my farm to electrify the fence.
"As I speak, up to 8km have been electrified, but we need the whole 40km to electrified. I am even prepared to meet the cost of the electricity because this is a big investment," Mr Tawazadza said.
Wild animals coming from the nearby Sango Conservancy had been giving farmers sleepless nights, as they were invading and ravaging the farms on a nightly basis.
The marauding animals wiped out crops in Musikavanhu and Chibuwe irrigation schemes last year.
Every night, hippos and elephants come to destroy crops in the irrigation schemes.
The animals were gaining access onto the farms through a portion of the fence, which was pulled down by people, who get water from the Save River.
The Member of the House of Assembly for Chipinge South, Cde Enock Porusingazi, even brought the problem to Vice-President Joice Mujuru during a tour of the area in 2005.
Cde Porusingazi was concerned that the future of farming in that area looked gloomy, unless something urgent was done to redress the situation.
Cde Mujuru promised to take up the issue with the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Cde Francis Nhema, to map the way forward.

This is absolute dung, as anything that is written in the manica post is. The Save Conservancy fights constantly to keep this fence maintained, and those clowns across the river continue to destroy it, so that they can steal the wire, for snaring purposes amongst other things. I am in charge of anti-poaching along a lengthy stretch of the Save River, and I can't tell you what a problem these people are.Those whinging farmers stand by and watch as their own workers and family members destroy the fence, then they cry foul when the elephants cross. Then Parks comes and shoots the eles, usually wounding most that they fire at. This fool Tawadzadza does not have to fund any fence, if he just helps to ensure ours stays intact. Neither will he fund any fence - it is all just posture. Elephants destroyed the crops? I don't think so. Those farmers inability to farm destroyed the crops. They just want to sit on their asses all day, send the youth across the river to cut fencing wire and poach, and beg for compensation. I shall nip across the river in the next couple of days and tackle Tawadzadza about this article. I may tackle him literally. Bloody idiots, it's time they stopped declaring every day 'beer day' and learned a little responsibility. Members of the Save Conservancy are constantly trying to help the local communities and all they get in return is kicked in the teeth. My father is responsible for persuading a local chief to include 8000 acres of communal land into the conservancy, so that people may begin to appreciate the value of wildlife and stop poaching it all the time. Do we ever hear about this in the papers? No, of course not, all we hear about is how the conservancy animals thwart the peoples' farming efforts. The truth is that they thwart their own efforts long before the elephants cross the river, by failing to rouse themselves in the morning. When will they ever realize that this area is drought prone and not a suitable cropping area? Probably when they stop receiving food aid! Even if they did some work it would be difficult to make a living with crops here. And they never will do any work so it's a non-starter.

I apologize for the outburst. I am actively involved with this issue on a daily basis and just get a little emotional about it at times.

Dave,

No need to apologise... I got to see first hand these "re-settled" farmers at work. Several times almost ran over passed out drunks laying right in the paths... How the Lions didn't get-em I'll never know..

No apology needed. I saw those snares first hand at sango last year.