Chronicle EditorTawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
The $30 million boundary fence around Save Valley Conservancy will now be erected after chiefs from Bikita and Chiredzi met officials from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority where they ironed out their differences. The money availed by the European Union (EU) will also be used to start projects for illegal settlers inside the park once they agree to be resettled outside the conservancy’s official boundary.
Villagers settled in the area under the Land Reform Programme and had been resisting relocation to pave way for the boundary fence.
But increasing cases of wildlife-humans conflict in areas around the sanctuary has seen the chiefs taking a different stance.
The agreement to erect the fence came after the mauling to death of a 10 year-old girl by lions last month at Wasara Wasara Ranch.
Three villagers were also seriously injured by buffaloes at Lavanga Ranch in Chiredzi recently.
Some chiefs around Save Valley Conservancy, together with their subjects were opposed to the restoration of the boundary fence, fearing the project would precipitate their removal from land they occupied during the days of the Fast Track land redistribution programme.
Various chiefs around Save Valley Conservancy, who spoke during a public consultation forum organised recently by the parks authority, agreed on the need to urgently restore the perimeter fence.
Speaking at the forum, Chief Budzi of Bikita said cases of conflict between humans and wildlife around the conservancy were now unprecedented.
“Children miss school whenever a report of stray lions and buffaloes is made,” said Chief Budzi. “We have suffered enough, please Parks (and Wildlife Management Authority), the issue of re-establishing the fence is long overdue.
“I am even prepared for fencing work to start in my area because we have suffered from these wild animals for too long.”
Chief Ziki of Bikita, whose area share a common border with Devuli Ranch in the Save Valley Conservancy, said communities in his area were losing livestock and crops to the straying animals, hence the need to erect the perimeter fence.
“Whoever says they have an interest to run wildlife conservancy business must be serious and be prepared to regularly maintain the perimeter fence so that animals do not stray into surrounding areas,” he said.
In a separate meeting between parks officials and Chiredzi chiefs at Mkwasine Estates, Chief Tshovani of Chiredzi said villagers had learnt the hard way and now realised that the fence was meant to protect them.
He said villagers in his area now appreciated the benefits of having a perimter fence around wildlife sanctuaries after drawing lessons from the fencing of the Gonarezhou National Park, further south.
Chief Tshovani said even the Chitsa families who moved deeper into Gonarezhou and occupied what they claimed to be their ancestral land were now benefiting from the erection of a perimeter fence that separated them from wildlife.
“At first, the Chitsa families were against the installation of a perimeter fence around Gonarezhou, saying they wanted access to grazing land inside the park, but they learnt their lessons and are now happy a fence was eventually erected,” he said.
Chief Gudo of Chiredzi said though boundary disputes between conservancy operators and surrounding communities were rife, there was need to strike a compromise to end the raging conflict between animals and humans.
Save Valley Conservancy’s perimeter fence was destroyed by illegal settlers and poachers who are on the prowl in some parts of the wildlife-rich park.
Online Reporter