Echoes of destruction by elephants: A call for compensation in Jambezi

Victor Sibanda

The communal fields of Jambezi, Victoria Falls, once flourished with the promise of bountiful harvests. But now, a shadow falls over the land caused by the rampaging footsteps of elephants. Every year crops lie in ruin, dreams of plenty replaced by the bitter taste of loss. The villagers, their livelihoods trampled, cry out for justice, seeking compensation from CAMPFIRE, the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources.

Elephants, once revered symbols of strength, now become harbingers of hardship. Their growing numbers, driven by conservation efforts and habitat loss, strain the carrying capacity of the land in Victoria Falls with hunger pangs gnaw at both beast and man, pushing them into conflict.

In Jambezi, the elephants are no strangers. Their trumpeting calls once filled the air with a sense of awe, but now they are laced with desperation. Driven by their own needs, they raid fields, tearing down maize stalks and uprooting millet, leaving behind a trail of devastation. The villagers, their hopes pinned on these crops, are left with empty granaries and the specter of hunger.

Environmentalist and educationist, Nqobile Mkwananzi said villagers in Jambezi need compensation from CAMPFIRE a committee which works under Hwange Rural District Council because every year elephants destroy their crops, giving rise to severe hunger.

“Their plight is not one of neglect. CAMPFIRE, a beacon of community-based conservation, has empowered them to manage their wildlife resources sustainably. But even the best-laid plans crumble under the weight of overwhelming odds. The sheer number of elephants and the vastness of their range make it near impossible to deter them entirely. Electric fences, once a deterrent, now lie in smoldering heaps, their wires no match for the determined tuskers. Villagers need compensation so as to cushion them from hunder necessitated by the jumbo. For example, CAMPFIRE may sell a single elephant and apportion the proceeds amongst residents as food security measure,” said Mr Mkwananzi.

A farmer in Mbizha said he is disappointed by CAMPFIRE’s inactivity when their source of livelihoods is destroyed. ” We are frustrated in Jambezi throughout the year because always shoulder the responsibility of coexisting with wildlife and we now demand recompense for the losses. We see CAMPFIRE, the very program we contribute to, as our only hope. We are asking for compensation, not just for the crops lost, but for the shattered livelihoods, the dimmed hopes, and the stolen food security,” said July Nyoni a resident of Takazwipila village.

Another peasant farmer from Gobaguru, Lameck Muchiimba, intimated that the local authority is being insincere with their plight. He said they cannot herd elephants as these animals are deadly. He said: “Our aim is to find a solution that addresses the needs of both humans and elephants. The echoes of destruction from Jambezi must serve as a wake-up call, urging us to find a way where the thunder of the falls is not overshadowed by the cries of a people yearning for justice and a full plate. We cannot suffer endlessly because of the jumbos that are straying into our fields and wreak havoc.”

The councillor of Neamnanga Ward, Paul Kapanda said he is equally worried about the loss the local farmers experience as a result of the marauding elephants. He pointed out that a lot of options were being looked at by council and very soon a solution will be struck.

“As councillors we had a protracted debate over the issue of elephants contributing to food insecurity in Hwange District as a whole. Yes, compensation through CAMPFIRE quota system is another option. Definitely something will come out to the farmers’ advantage. We are looking at the matter at council level. Jambezi community is the hardest hit by elephants. Crops are destroyed at tender level and during maturity causing starvation,” said the councillor.

Nemananga Ward headman, Mr Simon Chabwa said his subjects are living miserable lives because of elephants. He urged the local authority to redress the situation through compensating farmers who are affected. “Banhu bamuyabula kasa kasa. Izhou janyaja yomuno muJambezi apana kulya. Makole ose inhalation chete inobuzwa nezhou. Ngana banobona nozwemhuka yeji bejitatamile kana kuti walyilwa elipwe kulya kukwe,” said Mr Chabwa in Nambya language, translated to mean ”…people are suffering…I wish those in authority could drive the animals away from the fields or compensate the affected families.”

Efforts to contact Hwange Rural District Council were fruitless by the time of going to press.
According to African Wildlife Journal Vol.13 of 2024, Hwange National Park holds between 20,000 – 50,000 elephants, and if it were a country, Hwange would probably rank 4th in terms of elephant numbers after Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Hwange has one of the largest elephant populations of any protected area in the world. The elephant population has exceeded Hwange’s optimum carrying capacity of 45 000 and this explains why elephants are straying into communities looking for food and water.