Our stray cattle fed to lions: Villagers

By Thupeyo Muleya

VILLAGERS living in Beitbridge West (Ward 8) along Shashe River, separating Zimbabwe and Botswana, claim their livestock that stray into Botswana are being fed to lions and hyenas by game rangers at Charter Game Reserve.

The border is not clearly defined and villagers who attempt to retrieve their cattle which stray into Botswana are arrested and deported through Plumtree Border Post.

In separate interviews last Friday, the villagers alleged that the game rangers were feeding their stray livestock to wild animals while others were being starved to death.

They said in some instances, the rangers would detain the livestock for two weeks without feeding.

It is understood they then release them to wild animals while others die on their way to Zimbabwe as a result of dehydration and hunger.

One of the disgruntled villagers of Shashe area, Mr Isaac Tlou said: "The situation here is frustrating. When we try to track our livestock to the game park; we are arrested and assaulted as poachers.

"If you are lucky you will be assaulted and released, but in other cases you will be handed over to police at Plumtree Border.

"A number of people have lost their cattle and donkeys, which are being fed to the lions. As villagers, we are appealing to traditional leaders and Government to intervene because this has been going on for some time," he said.

Mr Tlou said one of his cousins was recently assaulted by the game rangers while tracking his herd of 10 beasts that had strayed into Botswana.

He said the worst affected villagers were those from Shashe, Limpopo and Jalukanga areas.

Another villager from Limpopo area, Mr Tambulo Mbedzi, said he lost three beasts early this year when they died of hunger after being detained for a week in the game park.

He said at times the game rangers would slaughter some of the cattle for meat.

A senior official from the Department of Livestock Production in the area confirmed the developments, adding they were still consulting with traditional leaders on the way forward.

There has been an outcry from villagers living on the boundary with both Botswana (in the west) and South Africa (in the east of Beitbridge District) over the conduct of veterinary officers and game rangers in parks on these areas.

In 2008 villagers living in the Madimbo corridor along the Limpopo River teamed up with veterinary officers from their country (South Africa) to shoot hundreds of Zimbabwean cattle that had strayed into that country accusing them of spreading foot and mouth.

However, the Zimbabweans accuse their counterparts of fuelling cases of stock theft in that area.

No comment could be obtained from the Botswana side.
herald 21 september 2010