After enduring months of drought brought on by the devastating El Niño phenomenon, villagers in Insiza district are now facing a new crisis — an invasion of warthogs wreaking havoc on their already fragile food security.
The animals, driven by hunger, are destroying fields of maize and small grains, leaving farmers in despair.
Nhlanhla Sibanda, a farmer from Sikongonya Montrose 4A in Ward 19, Insiza, told Southern Eye on Sunday that warthogs invade their fields at night to destroy their crops.
“They come and eat or bring down our maize,” Sibanda said.
“I farm maize, sorghum, and millet on my two hectares of land, but these animals are making it difficult for us to get a good harvest.”
“We also have kudus coming in from Bhangalume farm nearby.”
Sibanda said they were forced to sleep in the fields to protect their crops from the wild animals.
“We appreciate that these animals promote tourism, but they are harming us, especially now when we are already battling the effects of El Niño,” he said.
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“We are trying to preserve our crops, but these animals are making it impossible.”
Johnson Ncube, a 61-year-old farmer, made an emotional plea to authorities to deal with the problem animals.
“It is heart-breaking. Every grain means a lot especially in times like these when hunger is at our doorstep,” Ncube said.
“We are pleading with the government to assist us with wire to fence off the areas where these animals roam.”
Ncube said they could not afford to face another hunger season after promising yields.
“We need to harvest as much as possible,” he said.
“We cannot afford to lose what little we have.
“We cannot live on hope for tomorrow when today’s survival is already at risk. Something needs to be done.”
Despite the community’s cries for help, solutions remain elusive as killing the wild animals attracts a jail sentence.
According to Insiza Agritex supervisor Christabert Moyo, farmers have few legal options for dealing with the animals.
“The only thing they can do is stay up at night and chase them away,” Moyo said.
“We do not allow them to use a trapping system where they dig holes or trenches and cover them with grass to catch the warthogs.
“This method can reduce the species population in the community, so we discourage it.”
Moyo alleged that some villagers were knowledgeable of traditional methods of warding off problem animals exist, but unwilling to share with others.
“Even we, as Agritex, are not told about these methods because people fear we will spread them to others,” Moyo said.
“Some prefer to keep them secret, while others conduct rituals they do not want to disclose.”
The warthog invasion comes at a time when the district had begun to see some progress through the Building Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe project.
The initiative, implemented by the government with technical and management support from the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the Green Climate Fund, is aimed at strengthening climate resilience in agricultural communities.
The project has been providing resources, training, and support to help farmers mitigate the effects of climate change and improve their productivity.
Villagers have welcomed the initiative, saying it is helping to revive farming activities and uplift livelihoods.
However, with wildlife now adding to their struggles, some fear these gains could be wiped out if urgent action is not taken.
