Farmers from Musunda village, located in the Makuya area, were left extremely frustrated and angry last weekend after a herd of elephants had wreaked havoc on their farms, causing extensive damage to their crops and fruit trees.
The elephants, numbering five, were initially spotted in the area a fortnight ago but appeared to have disappeared. On Sunday morning (10 September), however, the community received the shock of their lives when they found that their crops, which were ready for the market, had been destroyed.
This unfortunate event will have a significant impact on the livelihoods of these farmers as agriculture is often a primary source of income and sustenance in rural areas.
One of the aggrieved farmers, Mr Joseph Munzhelele, whose five hectares of mangoes and four hectares of tomatoes were completely destroyed, was at a loss for words. "I am left with nothing as we speak now. All my tomatoes, which were ready for the market, are gone. To add salt to the wound, my green mangoes, which I earmarked for the achar market, are all gone too. I have been dealt a serious blow as I depend on my farm for survival. I do not even know on whose shoulder to cry on," he said.
According to Munzhelele, the invasion by these giant animals in their area is not the first. "For years, we have been at loggerheads with the Department of Economic Development and Environment over stray elephants. Each time we report these invasions on our farms, we are told to submit pictures to substantiate our claims, but we are never compensated. We have suffered enough. If government does not address this issue to our satisfaction now, we will be forced to take the law into our own hands. This time around, we demand to be compensated," said Munzhelele.
The local traditional leader, Vhamusanda Vho-Alidzulwi Africa Kwinda, said he was quite disappointed about the way the government was handling the issue of stray wild animals in their area. "We have been complaining about these wild animals, which have also become a danger to our lives, for many years. Year in and year out they come here with ease because there is no fence at the nearby Makuya Park. My subjects are losing a lot and are never compensated. Government should repair the damaged fence at the park or move these animals to the nearby Kruger National Park. We are very disappointed," he said.
The spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Mr Zaid Kalla, confirmed that they had received a complaint from the community on 16 and 17 August this year, but then the herd of elephants disappeared, so the matter was left there. "The recent damage that was caused appears serious, but unfortunately no one notified us this time. We have, however, recently deployed a team to the area. In order for us to contain these animals, it might mean that they will have to be taken down. As for compensation, the department is not involved, as no one came to claim them (elephants). With so many private game reserves, and some (elephants) crossing from Zimbabwe, it becomes very difficult to determine their ownership," Kalla said.