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Blessings Chidakwa Mashonaland West Bureau
Villagers in most parts of Nyaminyami are facing severe food shortages after their crops were destroyed by drought and wild animals.

In an interview recently, Chief Musambakaruma pleaded with Government to source food aid for people in the district.

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

“Villagers in these areas are facing starvation, so we are appealing for Government’s intervention before people start dying from hunger,” he said.

Chief Musambakaruma said cases of human-wildlife conflict were also on the rise due to the drought which has forced wild animals to move into human settlements looking for food.

“Marauding elephants destroyed our fields, so the little yields that we were expecting have 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 a conservation area. “Lions and sometimes hyenas also end up in the villages terrorising people in areas such as Mola,” he said.

“We are holding discussions with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority before we lose lives.”

Human-wildlife conflicts are common in areas adjacent to national parks. The cases increase significantly when there is a drought. Animals such as elephants roam around villagers in search of food when there is a drought.