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Blessings Chidakwa Mashonaland West Bureau
Villagers in most parts of Nyaminyami in Kariba are facing acute food shortages after their crops, already affected by adverse temperatures and low rainfall patterns, were destroyed by wild animals such as elephants.

In an interview recently, Chief Musambakaruma pleaded with Government to source food aid for the district, adding that wild animals have also been wreaking havoc in the villages.

He identified areas in urgent need of food assistance as Kariba, Mola, Nebiri, Musambakaruma and Negande.

“Villagers in the areas are facing starvation, so we are appealing for Government intervention before people start perishing from hunger,” he said.

Chief Musambakaruma said cases of human-wildlife conflict were also on the rise due to the drought, with wild animals moving to human settlements looking for food. “Marauding elephants destroyed our fields, so the little yields that we were expecting has also vanished leaving us in a crisis situation,” he said.

Chief Musambakaruma said apart from elephants, lions and hyenas were also wreaking havoc in the area after escaping from conservation area.

“Lions and sometimes hyenas also end up in the villages and terrorising people in areas such as Mola and we are in discussion with Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe before we lose lives,” he said.

Human-wildlife conflicts have dogged villages locked adjacent to national parks with a marked increase usually recorded during drought periods.

Animals such as elephants roam around villagers is search of food.