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Luthando Mapepa Post Correspondent
MARAUDING elephants are causing the Musikavanhu Irrigation Scheme farmers sleepless nights by destroying their crops and their homes.
The elephants are reported to be coming from the nearby Humani Range. Most of the farmers’ winter wheat farming and market gardening were affected, with some of them saying they lost their crops which were ready for harvest.
Farmers have already engaged the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management which periodically visits the area gunning down the stray elephants.
On Wednesday, wildlife rangers put down two elephants, bringing the number of gunned elephants to five this summer season.
A farmer in the area, Mr Hlekani Mtetwa, recently lost to elephants 0,25 hectares of cabbages which were ready for market.
He said he got the shock of his life after waking up to find the whole field destroyed.
“The incident happened when I had invited cabbages buyers from Tongogara Refugee Camp to buy my produce. When I visited my field the following day to harvest my cabbages, I got the shock of my life after coming face to face with an empty field,” he said.
Another A2 farmer, Mr Mbezura, said they were appealing for assistance from authorities to save their crop which is under threat from wild animals.
He said their crops were not secured as the elephants had destroyed the perimeter fence around the irrigation scheme.
“The elephants move in a herd of 10 and invade our farms around 10pm.
“These elephants have caused us sleepless nights. We try to scare them away, but they are not deterred. We are afraid that lives might be lost if the jumbos continue straying into our fields.
“My citrus orchard was destroyed and now they are targeting my wheat which is almost ready for harvesting. I don’t know whether I will harvest anything. Half of my maize crop was destroyed last season. I don’t know where I will get money to meet wages, water and electricity bills,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management were fruitless at the time of going to Press as the given mobile phone was not reachable.
Online Reporter