Acting Minister of Wildlife and Tourism, Mabuse Pule, has revealed that the government intends to issue a total of 20 elephants, and 10 leopards for farming communities to kill to raise funds to mitigate effects of human-wildlife conflict.
This is one of the strategic measures the government has adopted to compensate farmers whose crops and livestock are regularly destroyed by these animals.
“To date wildlife compensation is fully paid for by the government through the Ministry of Finance subventions to my ministry. The budget allocated for this ranges between P25-30million per annum and we admit it is not enough”.
The minister said they are reviewing the rate of compensation rates payable to farmers and that the list of species that attract compensation is awaiting approval.
He added that other initiatives include exploring alternative compensation models such as a problem animal quota that includes 20 elephants and 10 leopards to be hunted within agricultural extension areas during 2023 hunting season.
“This is the first time such a quota has been issued and it is intended to enable farmers and other users of the agricultural extension areas to sustainably and legally hunt problem animals which they have had to kill but without economic returns accruing to the farmers. This new model and policy shift is meant to allow farmers to derive an economic value from wildlife which should enhance and co-existence and reduce human-wildlife conflict,” Pule said.
However, there were concerns over why the minister seemed to favour foreign trophy hunters over locals. Infact MP for Nata Polson Majaga said he has killed many elephants to protect his constituents and therefore his company should be given priority to be engaged in trophy hunting.
The minister said the initiatives will be focused in the northern part of the country where human-wildlife conflicts are common especially between people and elephants.
He said there are opportunities for farmers’ syndicates to benefit from this arrangement.