11 Dec 2024

Hukuntsi District Commisioner, Ms Veronica Rabakane has hailed three organisations for their efforts in combating human-wildlife conflict.

The three; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Birdlife Botswana and Department of Wildlife played a role in the construction of 13 predator kraals contructed for some farmers at Monong and Zutshwa. 

“We need to earnestly foster co-existence between human and predators through such inclusive collaboration amongst stakeholders and design management approaches that can transform social tension and conflicts for the benefit of our people and environment,” she said this during the handover of kraals recently.

She further said she was optimistic the move would go a long way to address losses farmers face due to predators. 

“It is very crucial to take care of the kraals and put them to good use as they will help reduce human wildlife conflict thus empower our community to support conservation in the area,” Ms Rabakane said. 

She further there was need for the community to own up issues surrounding wildlife conservation and establish potential prospects for living harmoniously with wildlife, adding that in order to achieve that concerted efforts within the community were necessary. 

Thus, she called on the community especially the youth to volunteer their services, join and assist in day to day running of committees in the village. 

Ms Rabakane said they should participate in such forums, which were representative bodies established as intermediaries between government and residents, which aided in government decision-making process. 

She said such representation was crucial in gathering information and passing it to government, adding that although there were no remuneration in some of the committees, government was working to ensuring in future there could be allowances for members. 

“There are so many committees in the village. We need to ensure that there is active participation in each of them in order to holistically address all challenges affecting our village,” she said. 

Monong Farmers Committee chairperson, Mr Setlhabeng Motshabisi decried loss of livestock to predators. 

He said the loss was mostly a result of wild dogs, adding that it was saddening that up to date there was no compensation due to predator attacks to their stock. 

He also said committees in the village were not functional as youth were reluctant to volunteer and join committees. 

On overview of the project, Department of Wildlife representative, Mr Kgosietsile Tau said the project aimed to coordinate capacity for combating wildlife crime and enforcement of wildlife policies at district level. 

Mr Tau said the first components of the project entailed integrated landscape management practices at community level to reduce competition between land uses and increase agro-ecosystem productivity, while the other one entailed development of community based natural resources management for conservation to secure livelihoods and biodiversity.

Also, he said project aimed to address such losses as the landscape around them were dominated by herds of angulates and predators. 

Mr Tau therefore implored beneficiaries to utilise the predator kraals through keeping their livestock in the kraals at night as predators mostly attack at night. 

“This is part of an ongoing study to finding a lasting solution to addressing predator attack which is bedevilling our farmers, so we plead with all of you to utilise these kraals,” he said. Ends