Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]
COMMUNITIES in the Mabale area of Hwange, Matabeleland North province have called for collective effort in tackling the potential human-wildlife conflict, which could erupt once the Lake Gwayi-Shangani project is completed.
While the massive water project holds the key to driving rural industrialisation through irrigation and solving the perennial water challenges for immediate communities and Bulawayo, villagers have said their zone was a hotspot for human-animal conflict due to its proximity to the Hwange National Park.
They feared that human-wildlife conflict could escalate once the dam project was complete as animals would move from the park to the dam in search of water.
This emerged during a Lake Gwayi-Shangani community consultation meeting held in Mabale Village yesterday under Chief Nelukoba.
The Government is conducting a series of consultative meetings as part of a process of crafting a Lake Gwayi-Shangani masterplan.
The consultation meetings started on Monday in Lupane before moving to Hwange and Binga and yesterday Government technocrats visited villagers in Mabale under Chief Nelukoba who poured their hearts out regarding the project.
Various departments outlined how the project would be rolled out and allayed any fears that there would be relocations in the area.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority openly stated that communities should brace for an increase in human-animal conflicts as animals will move from Hwange National Park in search of water at the lake site. The community even requested to conduct a site tour of the dam, which is about 15km from the villages.
Chief Nelukoba said due to proximity to Lake Gwayi-Shangani, they expect to be the initial beneficiaries of water before it is conveyed to Bulawayo, which will be the biggest beneficiary of the water project.
“This is an important meeting as they have come to engage with us at the grassroots level as people who will be affected by the project. We expect the community to raise their concerns and upon deliberations, we expect feedback on the project,” said Chief Nelukoba.
“First of all, we want our people to be the first ones to get jobs. We also want irrigation projects, we also want access to water before it is conveyed to Bulawayo.
“They also speak of recreational parks, we expect our communities to benefit from these programmes. They should be owners of the project.”
He said the community was seriously affected by human-animal conflict as lions, hyenas, and elephants have left communities counting losses.
One of the villagers Mr Msunge Sithole said the Government should capacitate the community so that it benefits more from the projects.
“You are saying that there will be lodges among other business opportunities. We don’t have money, we are uneducated about what the Government will do to uplift this community,” he said.
“We need soft loans to start businesses. There will be tourism facilities but people are uneducated, there will be agricultural opportunities but all those opportunities will elude us because we are not educated.
“The next thing we will hear is that people are coming as far as Harare to claim these opportunities. We want the youth from this community to be involved in these projects,” Mr Sithole.
Villagers follow proceedings during a Lake Gwayi-Shangani community consultation meeting held in the Mabale area yesterday.
Another villager, Mr Paul Ncube said while the Government has outlined the national benefits to be derived from Lake Gwayi-Shangani, they felt the project will be detrimental to them.
“From the presentation, we are told that recreational parks will be established near the dam site. My question is how are you going to deal with wild animals that kill our livestock,” he said.
“Already we have a lot of animals invading our homes, how are you going to deal with the animals when they invade our homes? As you plan, put yourselves in our shoes, we are livestock and crop farmers,” said Mr Ncube.
Mrs Rosemary Siwela said there is a need for the Government to compensate villagers if they are to be part of Vision 2030.
“Lions and hyenas have devoured our livestock while elephants are destroying our crops. We want to be a part of Vision 2030 but how do we get there when we lose so much due to animals,” she said.
“We also want our children to be educated, we are failing to send our children to school. As I’m speaking, I don’t have a learned child as my livelihood was killed by lions and hyenas.
“We need some compensation as our progress is derailed due to human-wildlife conflict. If I tell you what I have lost due to animals you will say this granny is lying. From the age of 20 when I started my family, now I’m 65 years old, the only thing I have is counting the losses due to human-wildlife conflict.”
Ms Febbie Shoko said the community will benefit from irrigation projects from Lake Gwayi-Shangani as this will enhance food security.
“We are in agriculture region 5. The area is almost desertified and experiences frequent droughts. We have lost hope that we will get good pastures so looking at Lake Gwayi-Shangani, we hope more wards in our community can be incorporated for irrigation development,” she said.
In line with the proposed developments, some of the community members requested to transform their homes into tourist facilities.
Lake Gwayi-Shangani provincial co-ordinator Engineer Charles Makhula said the team of experts was taking note of the community concerns and will consider their submissions going forward. — @nqotshili
