Campfire benefits villagers
SOME areas that have borne the brunt of wildlife attacks have started benefiting from proceeds from wildlife management programmes such as hunting.
They are utilising the money to construct clinics and schools.
Environment, Climate and Wildlife minister, Mangaliso Ndlovu, told Southern Eye that the operationalisation of Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire) was benefiting communities.
“We have seen developmental projects in many areas affected by human and wildlife conflicts that we visited this week which include schools, boreholes and community gardens which all address the social needs of these communities,” Ndlovu said .
“In Chiredzi, we visited Rusununguko Clinic which is a local project in ward 32 of Chiredzi District (Chief Tshovani), whose construction was funded by Malilangwe Conservancy Trust.”
“The clinic is a welcome development in the area as it addresses the medical needs of the local community and currently it is the cholera camp for the area.”
Established in 1988, the Campfire programme was designed to place control of wildlife in the hands of rural communities, so that they can invest in wildlife and habitat conservation and in turn, receive dividends.
The project was seen as a vehicle for job creation, empowerment and diversification of livelihoods for rural communities.
“In this government-community interface, pertinent issues on how the community can eliminate and/ or minimise human and wildlife conflicts and also derive benefit from natural resource conservation efforts were discussed,” Ndlovu said.
“Therefore this is giving the ministry guidance in reviewing existing policies or in formulating new ones that are centred on the needs of communities.”