Concern over surge in human-wildlife conflict
GOVERNMENT is concerned with the human-wildlife conflict escalating at the Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy in Kwekwe and is taking measures, a senior government official has said.
Farmers were reportedly allocated land within the conservancy, leading to conflicts between humans, livestock and wildlife.
Speaking at a sports gala held at the conservancy, Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Larry Mavima, who stood in for President Mnangagwa, said Government had started taking measures to promote the co-existence of wildlife and farmers as well as miners surrounding the conservancy.
“We are talking about a peaceful co-existence with wildlife and giving the animals their space while at the same time providing humans with well-designed resettlement schemes that do not interfere with wildlife,” he said.
Minister Mavima said farmers and miners will be asked to fence their places to prevent wildlife from falling into disused mines.
“We will liaise with farmers and miners to construct fences around their farms and mines,” he said.
“This will go a long way to protect livestock, wildlife and human lives and it will limit animal migration.”
Minister Mavima’s sentiments came amid calls by the conservancy authorities that mining and farming activities were being given precedence by Government over wildlife.
In an interview on the sidelines of the annual event, Midlands Black Rhino Conservator, Mr David Strydom said Africa Chrome Fields (ACF) a recently opened chrome mining company was the major threat. “The ACF guys are destroying and devastating the environment as they carry out their mining operations,” he said. “Dams are now silted and are a now full of red soils making it difficult for wildlife to access water.
“Trees and vegetation in general has been completely destroyed by the mining activities by the company.”
Farmers have also been given land within the conservancy making it difficult to manage the wildlife.
“We are no longer able to control the game,” said Mr Strydom.
“We are losing animals on a daily basis due to poaching from the farmers and the miners. We are appealing to relevant authorities to assist by at least making the miners rehabilitate the vegetation by putting back trees.”
The 63 000 hectare conservancy also serves as an education centre with students from various tertiary institutions visiting the place for practical lessons.
The conservancy has only seven black rhinos left out of 50 last year, as a result of massive poaching. A KWEKWE man has been slapped with a mandatory 10-year jail term for tampering with a Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) meter.
James Ngirazi of Star Mine outside Kwekwe was convicted by Kwekwe magistrate Mr Storey Rushambwa of opening a ZETDC meter and tampering its reading.
Mr Rushambwa said he was invoking the Electricity Act.
“I have no choice, but to invoke the law in your situation, in as much as I might have other thoughts, my hands remain tied by the law and therefore the law should take its course,” said Mr Rushambwa.
The Electricity Act states that, any person who without a lawful excuse damages, destroys or interferes with any apparatus for generating, transmission, distribution or supplying electricity, shall be found guilty of an offence and will be liable to imprisonment for a period not less than ten years.
The State, led by Mr Freddy Ndoro, stated that on October 18, Ngirazi unscrewed two units of the meter terminal cover plate before tampering with the readings.
On the same day, energy technician Reynold Mlambo tested the meter, which was showing signs of being tampered with and reported the matter to the police, leading to Ngirazi’s arrest.