 |
| Bikita East legislator Johnson Madhuku |
Believe Mpofu
The
Bikita community and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
(Zimparks) have come to the negotiating table after stray wild animals from the
Save Valley Conservancy have terrorized the community destroying crops and
livestock.
Stray wild
animals including elephants, lions, buffalos, antelopes and hippos have been
terrorizing Bikita’s Wards 24 and 25 with the community calling for a lasting
solution to the problem.
Bikita East
legislator, Johnson Madhuku, said the meeting was necessitated by the need to
find solutions to the crisis that was affecting Bikita emanating from the wildlife
presence in the community before the conflict claims lives.
It was
noted that wild animals were escaping from Save Valley Conservancy because of a
porous security fence.
“In the
meeting we agreed that a community on conservancy management fence will be set
up to manage and repair the boundary fence.
“Parks
is set to carry out programmes to teach communities on how to handle or scare
away wild animals from their fields as well as protect their cattle at night,”
said Madhuku
Madhuku
said the Budzi people were going to be funded on their projects like irrigation
since the little they had cultivated were getting destroyed by the wild
animals.
“One of
the worrisome issues raised was incapacitation of Zimparks. They don’t have
vehicles so they are immobile and when requested to come to the rescue of
villagers from these dangerous wild animals, they rely on well-wishers
including conservancy operators and local MPs, ’’ said Madhuku.
