Namibia: Villagers Demand Action on Elephants
Oswald Shivute
16 June 2009
From The Namibian

DESTROYED mahangu fields left in the wake of stray elephants from Etosha have Onanke villagers, in Oshikoto, blaming Government for their losses.

They accuse the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of not maintaining the game fence between Omuntele Constituency, in which Onanke is situated, and the Etosha National Park, and are demanding that Government compensate them for lost harvests.

According to residents, 26 mahangu fields have been destroyed by elephants over the last few months.

In a petition to Government at the end of May, Onanke headman Nikanor Paulus urged the Government to repair the fence around Etosha, that Nature Conservation officials be stationed in the area to deal with the elephants, and that villagers be compensated for crop and infrastructure damage caused by the marauding elephants.

Villagers also want a trench to be dug along the Etosha game fence to make it harder for elephants to cross into their area.