Limpopo farmers living near the Kruger National Park say elephants escaping from the game reserve are damaging their crops, leading to a loss of income and the ability to feed their families.
The farmers from Madimbo, Masisi, Tshikuyu and Bende Mutale said more elephants have been ravaging their crops in recent months.
Sipho Takadzani, a father of two from Bende Mutale village, about 300m from the park, said he had been affected several times.
“Somewhere in the middle of June, the elephants came and damaged everything on my farm. It was a double loss because they first came around March and flattened my farm. We had just replanted our crops when they got damaged in June. We are starving because we survive on farming,” said Takadzani.
“Sometimes the elephants get into our community because they are running away from those who hunt them. We also fear for our lives.”
Takadzani said he lost more than R10,000 he invested in his two-hectare farm since November.
The farmers spoke to Sowetan just days after a soldier was trampled to death by a herd of elephants on the banks of the Limpopo River in Musina, near the SA National Defence Force’s Madimbo base.
Private Xavier Raynard was doing routine patrols on the Malala Drift Road when he was killed on July 27.
Pensioner Ramudzuli Mbengwa said he also suffered losses after elephants invaded his farm in July.
“I could not believe it when I went out in the morning and found my farm in that state. They ruined everything I have worked hard for. The sad thing is, no-one is willing to help us. We will start ploughing again in September and these elephants will destroy everything. This has been our reality for years,” said Mbengwa.
“I could not believe it when I went out in the morning and found my farm in that state. They ruined everything I have worked hard for. The sad thing is, no-one is willing to help us.
— Pensioner Ramudzuli Mbengwa
“I am in pain even now because no one is coming to rescue us. It’s sad to see that amount of work going to waste.”
He had planted maize, watermelon and brown beans which he aimed to sell to the local market.
Community leader Edward Siphuga said the community has been trying to get assistance from the provincial department of economic development, environment and tourism, but all they get are empty promises.
“No one is ever compensated for the damage. They require that we must send photos as evidence of the damage, but nothing happens,” said Siphuga.
The department raised concerns last week about 50 elephants roaming in the Vhembe district.
Department spokesperson Zaid Kalla said the elephants’ migration disturbs people’s livelihoods and destroys vegetable gardens, fences, and houses.
“Our rangers have to be on call 24/7 around the migration periods, as we receive an increased number of complaint calls daily,” Kalla said.
“We do attend to the complaint calls, and sometimes we monitor their [elephants’] movements. Where they cause damage, we intervene. Unfortunately, there is no compensation policy [for damage caused by wild animals] in the province to assist communities or farmers.”
SanParks spokesperson Ray Thakhuli said: “There are many reasons [elephants escape], one being that the animals can push down the [park’s] fence and walk into the surrounding area. Another reason is that people take [parts of] the park’s fence and they [animals] have an easy way to walk out.”
Thakhuli said that elephants continually move within the landscape, regularly moving between SA and Zimbabwe. Additionally, there would be an average of one report of elephants breaking out of the park per week during periods of high elephant activity linked to seasonal variations in rainfall and food availability.
“[The elephants] are herded back into the park by helicopter, where applicable, or euthanised where necessary. Environmental monitors also frequently report breakages for urgent responses by the authorities, and they also fix the fences where necessary.
“Communities are advised to report elephant presence to the relevant authorities and refrain from taking matters into their hands, or obstruct authorities in the implementation of their duties,” he said.
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