Wildlife hunting is increasingly becoming the main 'driver' for not only socio-economic development but also for wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation, in southern African communities that co-exist with wildlife.
When a group of SADC journalists went on a study tour to Mozambique's Tete Province-based Tchuma Tchato Community in 1999, they saw a Community that lacked almost all the basic needs. A very poor community, where only the fishes and waters of the Zambezi River were seemingly the main sources of their livelihoods. Local residents could be seen fishing, using canoes and engine powered old boats. They did not fear the monstrous sized crocodiles that are a common sight in that part of the mighty Zambezi River, about 600 kilometres away from the point it empties itself downstream into the Indian Ocean. The few crops they grew continued to be destroyed by wildlife such as hippos and elephants.
Back then the visiting SADC journalists were told that wildlife hunting had recently been started in the area. Part of the revenue generated from it was going to improve people's livelihoods, including creating jobs. It was very difficult for most of the journalists to imagine that hunting could ever bring revenue to meet the missing basic development needs for the local residents.
Twenty-two years later, hunting has stunningly brought roads to the Tchuma Tchato Hunting Community that was almost inaccessible using an ordinary vehicle. Without a school, 22 years ago, Tchuma Tchato Community's Bawa Village now has a hunting revenue built primary school. Tchuma Tchato Community only has one secondary school in Zumbo Village. Another secondary is urgently needed in the far away Chintopho Village, where hunting revenue would be used to construct it.
Unlike before when the Tchuma Tchato hunting communities fetched water from the banks of the crocodile and hippo populated Zambezi River, risking life and limb; today they are fetching it from hunting revenue drilled boreholes.
"Using money from hunting we have built a community school, drilled community boreholes and bought maize grinding mills," said the Tchumatchato Community Chairman, Clemente Mr Shumba. "We are enjoying the hunting benefits that have taught us to value and conserve wildlife and its habitat."
Wildlife that is hunted there include elephant, leopard, buffalo, fish, lion, hippo, warthog and crocodile. Tchuma Tchato is literary translated into English as 'our wealth.' Wildlife revenue is the only significant source of wealth for the Community.
Safaris De Moçambique LDA Operations Manager, Mr Justin Rodger, said that The Tchuma Tchato Community's Tete Province-based hunting area boasts of having Tete's biggest elephant population.
The Safaris De Moçambique LDA owner, Mr Simon Rodger said in an interview that their company has drilled 18 boreholes in the area, for both the community and wildlife.
"The company maintains all roads, including community roads as well as using these as a tool for fire management," said Mr Rodger. "Meat from hunting is distributed fairly to communities. Through conservation committee or gestao."
Mozambican community's promising hunting revenue powered development
Wildlife hunting is increasingly becoming the main 'driver' for not only socio-economic development but also for wildlife and wildlife habitat conservation,...
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