North West District Councillors have emphasised the urgency for government to review the wildlife damage compensation policy to adequately address the effects of human wildlife conflict.
The council this week adopted motions by councillor for Kgosing/Kubung ward Magonamo Mmolainyane that seek to push the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to bring eminent changes to the policy. This as the ministry is already undertaking a review of the policy to better assist victims of human-wildlife conflict.
While the current compensation policy has provided some relief to the affected victims, repeated calls have been made especially by those in wildlife prone areas for government to revise it and ensure that it correlate with the severity of the damage caused.
In his first motion, Mmolainyane wants the ministry to also classify other animals such as snakes, spiders and scorpions as dangerous because they may also cause death.
Currently, the animals covered under this policy and considered dangerous and eligible for compensation in the event of death or injury include lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, as well as crocodile in exclusion of the proposed.
The councillor also called for the inclusion of hyenas, jackals, antelopes, baboons and monkeys on list problematic animals eligible for compensation as some cause destructions in ploughing fields while others are involved in livestock killings.
He also requested the ministry to pay farmers who either lost their livestock or have their properties damaged by these problematic animals to be compensated at a market price of the lost assets.
This as government currently covers only 35 percent of the market value of livestock killings and damages caused by predator animals including leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, rhinoceros, buffalos, crocodiles, and hippopotamuses while those involving elephants and lions are compensated at 100 percent of their value.
Addressing full council meeting recently NWDC deputy chairperson, Vepaune Moreti revealed that the district has been allocated an amount of P5 000 000.00 for payment of compensation for financial year 2025/2026.
According to him, A total of 231 farmers were paid compensation amounting to P819 728.70 while 251 reports are pending to be paid compensation amounting to P2 000 000.00. A total of 484 reports are awaiting attendance and assessment.
Moreti said efforts to assist farmers are hindered by frequent break downs of vehicles which had long passed life span, bad terrains and insufficient funds for service and repairs.
“The district has experienced reports exacerbated by invasion of problem elephants hence the destruction of human properties especially at Hainaveldt Ranches. Although preventative methods of scaring were used it was sometime difficult to use due to dense vegetation,” the chairperson added.
Meanwhile, the chairperson noted that the escalation of reports of human wildlife conflict with animals intruding farming land and causing damage to property, killing livestock and generally being a nuisance to communities is due to abundance of water.
“On an unfortunate situation, two elderly men were attacked and killed by elephants at Dikgathong and Boro settlements during the quarter and ex-gratia payment is being prepared,” he revealed encouraging to report dangerous animals’ sightings promptly and desist from engaging in risky activities that might end with loss of life or injury.
