02 Jul 2024

Department of Wildlife and National has commenced roll-out of the National Elephant Management and Action Plan 2021-2026 (NEMAP).

The plan was launched by the Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane in April 2021. It was adopted following a series of workshops in elephant range areas in 2018.

The NEMAP provides a platform for participation by all interested and affected parties locally and internationally through proposed actions or activities, methods and targets.

“It is vital that all these key partners understand their roles to ensure that a coordinated approach is followed to achieve successful implementation of the plan,” said Mr Marco Pani, a consultant tasked with formulating the NEMAP on behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Mr Pani explained during a workshop in Selebi Phikwe that NEMAP was also targeted at maintaining viable population of elephants in the country through minimal interference and where necessary by adaptive management as well as ensuring that elephant population did not adversely impact on biodiversity, conservation, goals and community livelihood goals.

“It is vital that all the key partners understand their roles to ensure that a coordinated approach is followed to achieve successful implementation of the plan,” he said. Mr Pani emphasised on the need to have the plan disseminated to the districts and wildlife Offices in rural areas particularly in the elephant range and consequently to the communities which are the major force that driving this new phase in the implementation of the NEMAP.

He added that the main aim was to conserve optimal elephant population while ensuring the maintenance of habitats and biodiversity, promoting the contribution of elephants to local economies and to national development while minimising their negative impacts on rural livelihoods.

“The plan is to maintain viable populations of elephants in the country through minimal interference and where necessary by adaptive management and to ensure elephant population do not adversely impact on biodiversity conversation goals and community livelihood goals,” he said.

For his part, deputy director-operations in the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Mr Matshelo Makondo, said the roll out of the plan was delayed due to challenges emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the roll out was currently done at ministerial level to help wildlife officers to internalise the plan since they would be the ones spearheading its implementation.

The plan, he said gave an overview of elephant population, distribution as well as patterns and it went further to appreciate the importance of these species.

Mr Makondo  explained that the plan also addressed issues of human-wildlife conflict, poaching and interventions to minimise these challenges.

“We believe that putting this plan into action we will be able to address the problems emanating from interactions with elephants,” he said.  ENDS