Mmegi

The ‘trapped’ Western panhandle villages

Losing battle: Villagers in the north-west fight endless wars against wildlife. The communities in four Western panhandle villages have found a solution for themselves PIC: USAID
Losing battle: Villagers in the north-west fight endless wars against wildlife. The communities in four Western panhandle villages have found a solution for themselves PIC: USAID

Stuck between rampaging wildlife and few income options, the people of four villages in the Delta's Western panhandle are pioneering sustainable wildlife solutions. If only the Land Board would play its part, they say. MBONGENI MGUNI writes

Villagers in Tubu in the Western panhandle are getting desperate. While other areas in the north-west enjoy healthy seasonal incomes from their controlled hunting quotas, Tubu villagers believe their allocation is too small especially when compared to the damage wildlife, particularly elephants, cause to their limited attempts at subsistence agriculture.

Controlled hunting quotas are designed to ensure communities benefit from the values of the wildlife resource. The revenues received by communities from the quotas also strengthen the sense of stewardship of these animals for their conservation.

Editor's Comment
A promising step for public schools, but...

For too long, the state of many public schools has been a source of shame. We have all seen the pictures and heard the stories of broken windows, unreliable water and electricity, topped by classrooms that are not fit for proper learning. The establishment of the Education Infrastructure and Management Company Ltd (EIMC) signals that authorities are finally ready to take this problem seriously. We must commend the government for this initiative....

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