Examentrainers

Farmers forced out so the lions can roam free

By David Blair, in Macavene

1		In the floodplain of the Olifants river,
		green shoots of maize grow as if by a
		miracle in an immensely dry expanse
		of bush.
2		These precious fields, watered all
		the year round, make the people of
		Macavene village in Mozambique
		dependent on no one but themselves.
3		Yet thanks to the creation of one of
		Africa’s biggest game parks, they will
		soon have to abandon the floodplain
		for new homes in a dry region. There,
		if drought strikes, they will need				most important treasure here,” said Mr
		western food aid.				Mongue.
4		Macavene and seven other villages		10		“But in the place where we are
		find themselves inside the new Great				going to move, we will need the rain. In
		Limpopo Transfrontier Park. For the				the years of drought, we will suffer.”
		first time in generations, Africa is		11		Whenever the rains fail, millions of
		expanding the area of wilderness				Mozambicans are kept alive by the
		roamed by elephant, lion and				World Food Programme. Their
		buffalo.The steady invasion of human				dependence on handouts is a key
		beings into the habitat of wildlife is, for				barrier to the country’s development.
		once, being [id:56922] .				The Limpopo Park may only make this
5		This vast conservation area, soon				worse.
		due for an official opening, will span		12		Mozambique is already one of the
		three countries and cover 14,000				world’s poorest countries and few
		square miles – almost twice the size of				areas have enough land or water to
		Wales.				accept families resettled from the park.
6		By removing all boundary fences,		13		“We have been asked to move to
		South Africa’s Kruger National Park				the Chinhangane area,” he said, “but
		will merge with a new reserve in				the owners of that land are refusing to
		neighbouring Mozambique and with				accept us. They say there is no room
		Gonarezhou Park in Zimbabwe.				and no water for us. It’s up to the park
7		Today, 6,000 Mozambicans live				authorities to sort it out.” But the clock
		inside the park. All will be uprooted,				is ticking.
		turning over land they have cultivated		14		Mr Mongue and his family live
		for generations to herds of wildlife.				barely 25 miles from the Kruger Park.
		They have agreed to move and				All that stands between them and
		compensation will be paid. [id:56923] , they				2,000 lions, 1,000 leopards and 14,000
		are quietly dissatisfied.				elephants is the Kruger’s reinforced
8		“Our wish of course is to stay here.				boundary fence.
		This is our land, we know this place,		15		Once that is removed, game will
		we were born here,” said Julio				overrun Mr Mongue’s fields. Already,
		Mongue, who has lived in Macavene				elephants have ruined crops nearby.
		for all of his 59 years.				People in Macavene say leopards
9		Every day Mr Mongue and his wife				killed two cows a fortnight ago. “The
		Salmina tend their fields in the				government values animals more than
		floodplain, helped by their six				us,” said Enoque Cossa, 22. “If nothing
		daughters and four sons. In a dry				is done for us, the foreign tourists are
		region, they can feed themselves even				going to benefit more than we will.”
		if the rains fail. “These fields are the