'White farmers drive wild animals onto their farms'

The ban on hunting in Botswana next year will benefit only white farmers in their district, people of McCarthy's Rust in Kgalagadi South have told their Member of Parliament (MP) John Toto.

ByZOLANI KRAAI, Tue 26 Nov 2013, 17:00 pm (GMT +2)

Toto had just remarked at a recent Kgotla meeting that the decision by government to ban hunting was first announced by President Khama at a Kgotla meeting in Maun early this year.

People of McCarthy's Rust said the ban would not stop the routine driving and luring of wild animals onto privately owned farms near Khweyane communal land west of Tsabong.

"These farms are owned by foreigners and they do as they please in that area," said a villager named Tebele.

Another resident, Oduetse Dipone, regaled other villagers with stories of how this is done. "These (white) farmers will take advantage of the ban," he said. "And of course, with poor policing in the area, wildlife trafficking will grow. These guys take their time to bring down the fences and they will literally lure animals by use of salt blocks and water troughs."

In his announcement of the hunting ban earlier this year, President Ian Khama said: "In order for Botswana to protect its wildlife that draws thousands of people each year, government has decided that no more hunting licences will be issued from 2014.

"It is hoped that by banning hunting, it will be more difficult for poachers to launder their kills out of the country."

Khama said like other African countries, Botswana had seen a boost in the number of animals poached in recent years. The reduction in wildlife populations was becoming noticeable, hence a ban on hunting was deemed necessary in order to save the country's wildlife and safari industry.

On other issues, the people of McCarthy's Rust decried lack of accommodation for their primary school going children who are often transferred to Tsabong, 26 kilometers away, to further their education beyond Standard 3. McCarthy's Rust Primary School goes only from Standard 1 to Standard 3. According to one Gert Dejee, after Standard 3, the children must go to either Tsabong or Nhabe primary schools for Standard 4 to standard 7.

"This creates very serious challenges for us and our children in terms of accommodation and food, to say nothing of dropping out of school and poor results," Dejee said.

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I guess the next step is to ban hunting even on private farms!

They've created the excuse for it in the article. White farmers taking down fences, putting up salt licks and water troughs. What a fantasy! Instead of doing something about the poaching, which they claim to have been the problem, they instead ban legitimate hunting. OIA.

This is an age old tactic of the Africans. They will always find an excuse to blame somebody else instead of lifting their bums and do something for themselves. There is a real possibility that farmers do lure aimals to their farms, but if left in the communual land they will be poached out to supply the inhabtants of the area with food. Ehere will the animals stand a better chance of survvival on the communual land or on the farm. When will they learn that Manna does not fall from heaven.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
What a fantasy! Instead of doing something about the poaching, which they claim to have been the problem, they instead ban legitimate hunting. OIA.

Legitimate hunting that may have been able to pay the expenses for the local education troubles! Of course such folly is typical of governments the world over.