By Martin Mashekwa/ZANIS-Kalomo
PEOPLE of Sipatunyana Ward in Kalomo District of Southern Province are living in fear as they have been terrorised by a herd of marauding elephants for the past week.
Area councillor, Howard Munsanje, has confirmed the development to ZANIS today saying the Jumbos have destroyed maize and pumpkin fields in Simwambwa, Kalefula and Shambula villages in chief Sipatuntana’s area of Kalomo.
The district administration has also confirmed having received reports of the marauding elephants and has since dispatched a team of local Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) officers to control the beasts.
“People here are appealing for compensation for their damaged crop. They claim that they cannot shoot the elephants as they will be prosecuted but their fields have been destroyed and do not expect any harvest. So, the Government should look into this matter seriously,” Mr. Munsanje said.
A week ago, the DNPW team managed to scare away another herd of elephants that was in the Bbelo area of Kalomo, driving them to the Mosi-o-tunya National Park in Livingstone. However, another herd has emerged and is reported to be in the forest thickest of Tom Hobson and Stuart farms where they eat up maize and pumpkin fields at night.
District Commissioner, Joshua Sikaduli says a crop damage assessment would be conducted to see the extent of damage caused by the beasts once the situation normalises in the affected villages.
