Muchinguri vindicates Platform for youth development

Platform for Youth Development Trust (PYD) welcomes the visit to Chipinge by the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate last week. Minister Muchinguri’s visit to Chipinge was a response to the distressed calls by villagers in Middle Sabi along Save Valley conservancy due to Human and Wildlife conflict.

Minister Muchinguri

Minister Muchinguri

The conflict which has existed for close to ten years has been escalating leading to loss of human life in addition to the destruction of crops and death of livestock belonging to the community. The visit is commendable as it gives confidence to the communities that government is willing to listen and intervene on the human-wildlife conflict.

Platform for Youth Development has been, and continues to be involved in advocacy to raise awareness on the dangers caused by wild animals and the cost of the damage to the local community. By September 2015, PYDhad compiled a report through engagement with the affected villagers. By then, three human lives had been lost, 450 livestock killed and crops worth over two hundred thousand dollars (US$ 200 000) destroyed.

At meetings done in Maunganidze and Maronga, stakeholders mandated PYD to petition parliament on the matter. A letter was then officially submitted on the 17th of August 2015 to the Clerk of Parliament inviting the Portfolio committee on Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality Industry for a fact finding mission. This is the engagement and advocacy that has eventually seen the Minister Muchinguri visiting Chipinge.

The visit has not only helped the villagers but more profoundly the Minister to interact with some of the facts that were officially presented by the Acting Chipinge District AdministratorMr. Freeman Mavhiza.The danger paused by the wildlife and human conflict has been mainly due to the broken fencebackdated to the Wildlife based land reform. Interpretation around the broken fence and the boundary can also be referred to the SeventhParliament first report of the Portfolio committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism of March 2012.During her address in Chipangayi, MinisterMuchinguri appealed to the conservators to erect a standard fence that will demarcate private property from the villages so as to stop the wildlife from endangering people. The Minister also pledged that the government of Zimbabwe will mobilize relevant stakeholders to help the community to build cattle pens that will make it difficult for lions to kill villagers’livestock. In March 2016, villagers of Chibuwe allegedly poisoned three lions as a reaction to the lack of meaningful dialogue between representatives of the villagers and the conservators. In the same vein, the Minister promised some torches or flashlights that will be placed on cattle pens to scare away lions during the night so that they will not have access to the cattle. Muchinguri is on record saying that the government is working on setting up a compensation fund for villagers whose crops and livestock would have been destroyed by wild animals. This is an expectation from villagers that Muchinguri will live by her words.

Wild animals causing destruction in Chipinge are lions, buffaloes, wild dogs, rhinoceros and elephants. Elephants have caused the greatest damage as their population has doubled and causing havoc.

Platform for Youth Development believes that the communities along Save Valley need a lot of awareness on how best they can co exist with wild animals.Traditionally, most villagersin Chipinge only relate with wild animals as hunted meat, which is different from conservators who are in business and consider wild life in terms of exportable trophies and photographic safaris

Platform for Youth Development has observed that there has been lack of support in ending this wildlife and human conflict from government due to a conflict of interest involving some of the personalities by government to intervene. Worth mentioning is the allocation of licenses to Indigenous beneficiaries in 2007, which had to be withdrawn because it was not based on business principles. Those allocated included Gen Rugege,Hon Sithole,Hon Senator Hungwe,Mr. Ndava,Hon Minister Mudenge,Hon Governor T.Maluleke,Mr. Cladman Chibememe,Rtd Lt Col D.Moyo,Mrs. Mahofa and Mr. A.Baloyi.Political interest that is partisan is still interfering with the business along Save valley conservancy therefore causing slow and uncoordinated implementation of the government policy. This political interference has also slowed the official visit by the portfolio committee on Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.

“We are committed to seeing a genuine and meaningful dialogue being instituted between the representatives of the affected communities and the conservators where government is the monitor. Our fear is that some elements in government need to be limited to policy implementation due to allegations of political interference. In addition to the visit by Minister Muchinguri, we are still expecting the portfolio committee on Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality Industry to fulfill its visitation for a fact finding mission” appealed Claris Madhuku who is the Director of Platform for Youth Development.

Post published in: Environment

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