Elephants terrorise Gweta farmers

KEABETSWE NEWEL
Correspondent | Friday February 4, 2011 00:00

Councillor for Gweta West, Moses Bobeng, said wild animals have made life difficult for farmers who depend on the fields to eke a living.  'Farmers harvest nothing; this land is characterised by elephants, which come as a hard blow to us.  Once they identify a field they invade, on their way, they cut and destroy fences leaving the field open for everything that may wish to destroy the crops.  They then proceed to help themselves to the crops leaving nothing for the farmer,' he said.

Bobeng said most of the people in the village are poor and agriculture is their way of life.  He said the moment fences and crops are destroyed, it becomes difficult for the farmers to replace them as well as provide for their families.

He said lions are also rampant in the area and kill the farmers' livestock.

'At cattle posts, lions attack the kraals, kill and eat cattle and goats.  Farmers in this area are subjected to great losses connected to wildlife,'Bobeng revealed. He said not much is being done to address the situation.

Royal Mathumo, a Village Development Committee Chairman described the situation as 'a disaster.'  'Elephants are aggressive and dangerous; once you try to attend to them it is an invitation for trouble.  Lions as well terrorise goats and cows, they kill and eat the livestock at a very high rate, bringing a slowdown to the success of farmers,' said Mathumo.

He said since they asked for an electric fence to be erected around the village, the majority of the land has now been reserved for animals leaving the farmers with little land for agricultural purposes.  Meanwhile, wildlife officers are not even attempting to drive the wild animals away.

Kgosi Lesupang Matime, of Gweta village also confirmed that elephants and lions are hindering agricultural productivity in Gweta.  He also complained at the lack of assistance they are receiving from wildlife officers and said even the compensation they received was unsatisfactory.

'When animals such as Zebras destroy the fields no compensation is provided. There is also no fence compensations to those whose fields have been destroyed by the elephants,' Matime said.