Stray elephants descend on irrigation scheme

The ward councillor, Clr  Enock Ndou, yesterday said Tshikwalakwala and surrounding areas were the worst affected.

 

He called on relevant authorities to intervene.

“A herd of elephants from Kruger National Park has strayed into Tshikwalakwala Irrigation Scheme and the animals are destroying crops and canals. This is an issue of grave concern particularly taking into account that  farmers are now preparing  to plant wheat for the winter cropping season,” he said.

“We are appealing to the relevant authorities to address this problem as a matter of urgency.”

Mr Eddie Hlongwane, a committee member of the irrigation scheme added:
“The elephants have pulled down the fence and canals and they have destroyed several crops and this continues to  frustrate our efforts to participate in the winter cropping season.”

The irrigation scheme, measuring 65ha, has been hard hit by a serious water shortage due to lack of funds to purchase diesel used in powering the engine pumps.

Established in 1963, Tshikwalakwala Irrigation Scheme is the second largest scheme in the district after Shashe and it has 208 plot-holders with each cultivating 0,2ha.

However, due to the acute shortage of water, plot-holders have been forced to reduce the hectarage.

Mr Hlongwane said out of four of the installed engine pumps, only one was working.

In May 2010, the elephants destroyed crops at neighbouring Shashane and Tshama-swiswi irrigation schemes.

They also killed three people, a 40-year-old man, a pregnant woman and her three-year-old toddler.

The trio, from Tshabili  village in Chief Matibe area, was trampled to death by one of the elephants in two separate incidents.

The body of one of the victims was picked up near his maize field and it was in an advanced state of decomposition.

The man was attacked while trying to scare the jumbo away after it had strayed into his maize field.

The other two victims, the woman and her baby were killed near the Limpopo River the following day.

The elephant was, however, tracked down and put down by a local safari operator.