This was revealed by the ODC chairman, Gaopalelwe Ronald, during the recent Full Council session. In his address, Ronald indicated that they were unable to provide compensation to farmers and residents in their district who had been affected by wildlife. He further said that they failed to compensate the affected individuals during this quarter due to shortage of funds. Ronald indicated that they have 1, 003 cases pending payment amounting to P3.9 million. According to the ODC chairman, the district is faced with challenges of human-wildlife conflict as people have to co-exist with the wildlife. He stated that the most problematic animals for this quarter are elephants, which destroyed mostly crops, fences and other properties. “This quarter the District has received a total of 319 cases of problem animals of which elephants account for the highest number,” he added.
He also mentioned that amongst one of the cases, there was one farmer injured by a buffalo at Seronga during this quarter. In March, Ronald told Mmegi that they expected to see an increase in human-wildlife cases as a result of the drought. He indicated that they anticipated more wildlife to invade the farm areas in search of food and water as a result of the heat wave and drought. The ODC chairman also said because of erratic rainfall, they expected to see more wildlife conflicts than in previous years. It was also reported that lions have also been the District’s biggest problem animal this quarter because they kill their livestock. He also explained that during the same quarter of the year, they have successfully compensated 860 cases involving people and wildlife. "The District was allotted P5, 540, 000 for this fiscal year, and payments are ongoing," he continued. Ronald also indicated that there has been no loss of human life due to wildlife attack in the district this quarter. With human-wildlife conflict cases increasing over the years, the government has disclosed that it spent P38.4 million compensating for damage caused by wild animals between 2020 and 2021.
The then Minister of Environment and Tourism, Philda Kereng, told Parliament last year that the government spent P24.2 million on elephant compensations alone between 2020 and 2021. She continued by saying that the monetary damages incurred in 2020 and 2021 were P15.1 million and P9.1 million, respectively. “During the year 2020, my ministry received 3, 504 reports of elephant damage to ploughing fields across the country. In the year 2021, these reports totalled 4, 047,” she said. Kereng also revealed that six species other than elephants cost government P14.1million in compensation in the aforementioned years. Speaking on the hunting, ODC chairman announced during the same council session that the hunt for the citizens, community, and special quotas has begun during the council meeting.
He shared that the areas that are allocated quotas are NG1, NG2 and NG7 for citizen hunting. Areas of NG3, NG4 and NG13 are allocated community hunting quota. “Areas of NG8 and NG11 are allocated special hunting quota. NG8 is also allocated agricultural extension area quota,” he added. He further stated that the community trust allocated quotas includes Xaixai Thabololo Trust, Tcheku Community Trust and Agricultural Extension, which quotas are not yet sold and Qangwa Community Trust quota sold at P3, 410, 000.
