Wildlife victims dig in over unpaid claims

About 34 people, including survivors of wildlife attacks and relatives of people killed in human-wildlife conflict incidents, camped outside Mahango Game Park in the Mukwe constituency of Kavango East for more than a week, demanding that the environment ministry address their outstanding offset claims.

The group, who arrived on 29 August and departed after nine days last Wednesday, said they would camp at the park gate until their grievances were heard and the ministry addressed delays in processing their cases.

Community activist Aron Mundanya, one of the organisers, said the campers included people who had lost relatives in wildlife attacks, survivors who sustained injuries and permanent disabilities, and residents whose crops had been destroyed by wild animals.

Mundanya claimed that some affected families have been waiting for years for their cases to be finalised.

“Some [cases are] from 2023 until now. Some 2023, some 2024, some 2025 and some 2007,” he said while still camping at the gate.

He alleged that in some cases, ministry officials had visited affected communities, recorded the incidents and instructed victims or bereaved families to open bank accounts, but the money never arrived.

“Opening an account, nothing comes in,” Mundanya said.

He clarified that the group was not opposed to wildlife conservation but wanted government to recognise the difficulties faced by communities living alongside wildlife.

“We want to collaborate with the ministry because we are community members. This is our natural resource that we need to take care of,” he said. “But, we must not only value wildlife over human life.”

Dangerous conditions

Mundanya also questioned the rejection of some claims on the grounds of negligence, particularly in cases where residents use rivers for bathing and collecting water.

He said residents could not simply be expected to avoid rivers, where crocodile attacks occur, when some communities have inadequate access to alternative water sources.

“If the government did not provide water to us, how can we say that we must limit our movement to the river?” he asked.

Yesterday, Mundanya confirmed the group returned home on 9 September, after a meeting with senior officials from the environment ministry. He said officials had promised to re-evaluate the claims to ensure those who qualify are paid.

Terms and conditions apply

Ministry spokesperson Vilho Hangula, who spoke to Namibian Sun before the campers departed, confirmed that the ministry was aware of the concerns and said it was working to address them.

Hangula, however, said there was a need for greater public understanding of the Human-Wildlife Conflict Management Policy and how offset payments are determined.

“The long and short of it is, especially the case in Kavango, is that there is no way that the ministry can provide a general response to everyone,” Hangula said.

“Because every individual has a specific case, and cases are dealt with on individual merit.”

He said different cases require different documentation and evidence before an offset amount can be determined.

Hangula said some of the people who camped outside the park had already received offset amounts, while others had been asked to submit additional documentation, including medical evidence where permanent disability was being claimed.

“The offset amounts are given with the guidelines from the police and what the scheme says. Terms and conditions apply,” he said.

“We don’t just give them arbitrarily and out of the blue to say, 'Okay, so you were attacked, so here are N$100 000'. No, there are procedures.”

He advised complainants to make enquiries about their individual cases so that officials can trace the applications and establish what information or documentation remains outstanding.

“No amount of camping, not even if they stay there for many years, will help until we really take it case by case,” Hangula said.

He added that the ministry was also concerned about victims who qualify for offset payments but had not yet been paid.

“We are also not happy that we have some public members who have fallen victim and they qualify for offset and they are not paid. We are not happy,” he said.