Sikongo calls for water provision to elephants at Mangetti Farm

NKURENKURU, 23 MAY (NAMPA)- Kavango West Regional Council Chairperson, Joseph Sikongo, has called on the Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA) to consider providing water to the elephants in the region’s Kavango Cattle Ranch at Mangetti farm to prevent them from destroying farm lines.
Sikongo made the call during a consultation meeting between Kavango West Regional Council Management and NIDA at Mangetti Farm on Thursday.
Sikongo said that since NIDA is looking to revamp the farm by putting up proper farm lines, the provision of water to the elephants will prevent them from dismantling farm lines.
“Elephants are here now; they are part and parcel of our wildlife, and there is no way we can change them in the environment. Therefore, the agency should consider running the Mangetti farm like a business, so that they can generate income for the people of Kavango and change the status of the farm,” said Sikongo.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the National Council last year requested that the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism remove the elephants from the Mangetti farm and move them to the Mangetti National Park.
This, according to Sikongo would not solve the problem as the elephants will still come back to the farm.
“What we want to see is to provide water to them so that we benefit from trophy hunting. Once trophy hunters come here, the farm, through a fund attached to trophy hunting, will capitalise on it.
In response, NIDA Board Chairperson, Sebby Kankondi informed the meeting that the agency is considering accommodating the elephants, saying they are part of the region.
“We want to have a watering system for the elephants also, so that they become less troublesome. They become hostile when they are thirsty, and by providing them with water, we are mitigating the risk of elephant-human conflict. So those are part of what we are doing, and we start sorting out the head,” said Kankondi.
There are over 200 elephants at Mangetti Farm.
(NAMPA)
JLN/EK/HP