TALKS to end tensions between wardens and some villagers in Tarime District living near the northern fringes of the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) have started.Dozens of village government and traditional leaders, conservators and local journalists gathered at a hotel in Tarime town at a crucial workshop held to seek solutions the sour relations. The workshop was jointly organized by the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA)and the Mara Regional Press Club (MRPC) .
TANAPA is a body responsible for protection and conservation of 16 national parks in Tanzania. The SENAPA top management welcomed the move describing it as a starting point that will help to improve relations between the organisation and the local communities.
"This is now a bridge to enable us bring back good relations that existed between SENAPA and residents of the villages near the park," Mr William Mwakilema , the Chief Park Warden at the world famous wildlife sanctuary.
He was impressed with the presence of local and traditional leaders hailing from the villages with some herders who have of late been invading part of the park in search of pasture and water.
The villages are Kegonga, Mangucha, Masanga, Kitawasi and Gibasso. A few residents from the villages went as far building huts inside the park . The huts were burned during Operation Tokomeza in October this year.
In July this year, TANAPA Director General Mr Allan Kijazi warned that human encroachment in SENAPA was not only threatening the ecology of the area but also hurting the tourism industry in the wildebeest migration routes.
The local leaders cited lack of grazing areas in their villages as a major source behind their conflict with conservators. "Livestock is the source of the dispute," Mr Maranya Kius, the secretary of the traditional leaders from Kegonga village said.
They seem to oppose what they described as new beacons (borders) separating them from the country's second largest national park covering around 14,763 square kilometres.
"The problem is lack of grazing areas and we were not involved to put the new borders," Mogesi Mwera a traditional leader from Mangucha village said. The Chief Park Warden asked the villagers to respect the existing borders as efforts are being made to find solutions.
"Let's talk one language and respect the existing borders as efforts to seek solutions are underway ," Mr Mwakilema appealed. Grazing in national parks is illegal, according to the law.
Mara Regional Commissioner Mr John Tuppa has also visited the villagers and urged them to stop invading SENAPA, one of the top world's amazing parks in the world .
Experts and other conservation lovers are calling for the introduction of a land use plan in all villages located near the park. Mr Tuppa has already ordered the Tarime District Council to support introduction of land use plans in villages located near the park.
According to the laws of the land, once any wild animal gets outside becomes under the control of the Director of Wildlife Division in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. But the Chief Park Warden said his organisation has been assisting to return the jumbos into their habitat whenever they get information from credible sources including village government leaders.
"We are providing mobile phone numbers so that we can be called for help to return the elephants to the park," he told the workshop. Stray elephants have remained a major concern in villages near game protected areas in several parts of the country. The animals cited as the source of food insecurity and underdevelopment in the villages.
SOURCE; By Mugini Jacob, 13 December 2013Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)
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