UPND Ing’ombe Illede Ward Councillor in Chirundu district has bemoaned severe hunger that has hit his area resulting in the local community to depend on wild fruits known as Masau which they compete with elephants.
Robison Sianduba says the hunger situation in his ward has forced people to rely on wild fruits they collect from the bush, a situation he fears may result in lose of lives in the event of encountering elephants which also feeds on the same wild fruits.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Siavonga today, Mr Sianduba said that it was sad that the hunger situation in his ward has reached the extent where people could complete with wild animals for food.
He said that people in the area depend on the wild fruits which they collect in large quantities both for food and as a source of cash.
The Councillor said that subsistence farming which is the main source of livelihood has not been good this due to poor erratic rains and elephants which destroyed many fields leaving trampling people trapped in poverty and hunger.
And Friday Hamooya a resident of Mpambazana village in Ing’ombe iIlede narrated that he scours the bush daily for fruits, picking his way through the undergrowth as quietly as possible looking for any telltale signs of elephant activity.
“We are constantly living in fear of attacks by elephants when we go to fetch Masau in the bush. We have no choice but to do so while keeping very attentive to any form of noise just in case an elephant is nearby, as some people have been killed by angry stray elephants in the area while working in their fields or picking wild fruit,” he said.
Meanwhile Chirundu District Commissioner Maxwell Siamalimba said recently that government was aware about the hunger situation in the district.
Mr Siamalimba said government would do everything possible to alleviate hunger in the area.
That’s what lazness do, those pipo don’t farm.
Instead of fearing the elephants, slaughter some and share the meat! There’s food!
@Nubian Princess
Very good suggestion. But then that should be common sense. Had it been ku Lubemba that’s exactly what we would have done already. Starving sure namukwata ne nsofu in your backyards!
But Tongas sometimes!? Yes Numbian is smart, eat what God provides, including Elephants… Even Baboon, kulya fye.
Armchair hunters (and farmers): Did you miss the part about erratic rains and elephants destroying the crops? Impala, yes, but elephants are not easy to hunt. They are dangerous as well, and trample people. One would think the people commenting here had never lived in southern Africa.
@1.1 and then comes Sylvia and arrest them for killing wild-animals there is no good in your idea…
ba DC,
please be proactive and not reactive on such situations that border on human lives.
ensure that our govt do something pronto to avert a possible calamity that is looming in that area.
after all we have a ‘disaster mitigating board’ whatever, which is under the vice president’s office.
i believe they have not exhausted their allocation for this year, that is if they have even started spending it.
The Vice-President cannot get involved when there are no by-elections in that area! There’s no good return on investments for the PF in that area. May be if the area MP joins the PF then Scott’s Disaster Management Office will move in.
Was there a drought in the area? Why the lack of food?
Read the article again.
Sounds like they need a by-election to get some relief food.
That’s a valley in this modern age, MPs, dististrict need to have forcus on food reserves before it gets to this situation. Damn how backwards r u subsahara ??
That’s what happens when a party alienates the people from government by barring it MPs from cantact with powers that be. Its the people who suffer in the end.
It doesn’t make same …. People belong to the gvt NOT part. If hatred between political party prevail and deprive the people in certain areas.. Zambia will be heading to nowhere 🙁
D/comisioner corncernd wake up!U re playng with fire on yr bosom.Not with Sata watchng u failing him.Kindly act.
tell ZAWA to move the elephants, let the people collect the wild fruits freely and in huge quantities for sale and preservation. You can export Masau to europe and other places.
This report is misleading. In Zambia (and Africa, in general) we eat wild fruits and roots whether or not there is a drought. They are part of our normal diet. Mr. Councillor find another reason to support your request for funds.
My interpretation is that they are forced to go further in the bush than normal (where it’s more dangerous), and are relying mainly on masau for food as the food crop was too low. One can’t live on masau alone, especially if the area is deforested and other wild food sources are gone.
Rain can be erratic in this part of the country. Sometimes seasons start so well. They plant their crop only for rain to disappear when crops are Knee high. It only reappear after 8 weeks when the crops have dried and died. You cannot move the elephants as this is their territory. An elephant hunting licence is a price of a Toyota a villager cant afford. Zawa should consider making it cheap for locals.
hi my fellow zambians i want to add my comment on this issue especial to the so called chota this person is saying thats what laziness is all about dont those poeple of ing’ombe ilende farm well how i hope this animal chota could have a previlage of moving arround the country and learn on how such areas are people of this area are hard working but the matter is they are in the valley where they do not receive enough rains to see the croups mature so for the sake commenting positive lets all learn to think before we express our different view no one would love to survive from willd fruits watchout
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