BENNDE MUTELE - The communities of the rural villages of Bennde Mutele, Dovho, Tshikuyu, Tshenzhelani, Ha-Gumbu, Sigonde and Masisi in Mutale next to the Kruger National Park are suffering, after roaming elephants have destroyed their crops in their fields.

Chief Muolimisi Siphuga of Bennde Mutele told Mirror that no one had harvested in the area this year after more than 25 elephants has caused severe damage in their fields. He said the elephants were first seen coming from the Limpopo River early in February. "They came in herds. First they were three, then eleven, nine and two. One family, who was sleeping outside saw them next to their hut. Since then they have been seen all over. They were seen in our fields, even during the day we saw them destroying our crops. We watched helplessly as they destroyed our maize, watermelons, peanuts and everything we had on the field. They also destroyed our fences, including the fence of the Makuya Park," said Siphuga.

Siphuga, who also added that the elephants caused damage in the orange community project called Tshumisano, which was sponsored by R40 000 by the Tshikondeni Yskor Mine, said they tried to inform the officials at Makuya Park, but they could not help them.

Now that there is nothing on the fields, they are afraid that the elephants, which are sometime seen at their homes during the day, would attack someone. He also complained that it was a normal process for them to see elephants from their homes every summer and then lions during winter. He said to make the problem even more serious, is that both elephants and lions are now roaming around their area. The elephants destroy their crops and the lions are feeding on their stock animals.

Mutale Mayor Masindi Manyuha, who only became aware of the current situation after Mirror’s inquiry, said he was aware that every year the same community experiences this problem. He said that the Department of Nature Conservation was to be blamed as they had proclaimed the neighboring Matshakatini Nature Reserve, but they don’t do anything to protect it. "This is an annual problem. Normally these elephants come from Zimbabwe and cross the river to this side, as there is no fence. Now that the Veterinary Service, under the department of Land, Environment and Agriculture has erected a fence, these elephants cannot go back. The Nature Reserve people should come and shoot one to scare them as they do in other years."

At the time of going to press, Azwindini Mutshembele of Nature Conservation said they were making plans to address the problem. He also confirmed that it was a seasonal problem.