Cattle rearing and wildlife conservation

The chief accusation was the manner in which game wardens sighting cattle straying into wildlife reserves impound them and then selling the cattle at throw away prices between themselves, for selling on to proper cattle markets, a clear injustice. These accusations were made by several MPs, in which case the habit is widespread.

With the ministerial estimates already adopted by the legislature and becoming law to be implemented in the course of the coming financial year, it is difficult to propose that the sort of dispute or tension with parliamentarians would be sufficient for the minister to order something like a review.

It is the sort of pressure that is weathered by ministers and their close assistants routinely, unless Parliament decides to form a committee to inquire into the problem, and matters aren’t there yet.

We all remember this was the substance of Operation Tokomeza and on the look of it at least it’s evident that the adage is true, ‘old habits die hard.’

One formula that is being toyed by both the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development as well as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is a participatory format in wildlife conservation. The reason the format is being thought up or deliberated is that it would reduce costs and raise the level of information compliance among rural dwellers in most conservation areas.

Still this outlook is questionable since the relationship between game wardens and peasant communities in many areas isn’t bright, nor for that matter their ties with herders.

Expecting optimal compliance from a farming community which needs land to cultivate that is otherwise reserved for animals to feed upon is an unlikely proposition, nor can herders for the most part comply with wildlife authorities’ demands, except by fear of loss of cattle as it routinely happens.

In that case there is a cat and mouse relationship between conservation authorities and either section of the population, though their ties with herders are more problematic. Forming a partnership in that context is difficult unless there is commercial agriculture, first.

Muleba South MP Prof. Anna Tibaijuka, for instance, demanded that peasants be assured of land to farm before large tracts of land are designated as wildlife conservation areas, game parks or national parks.

How far each portion of land where farming pressures are on the rise leads or could lead to a revision of borders for wildlife areas is questionable, as government emphasis is usually on conservation rather than assurance of farming areas for the population.

When it comes to setting aside land for grazing the situation descends from problematic to chaotic as farmers don’t change land owing to weather, but herders tend to migrate.

Geita MP JosephKasheku told the House that cattle belonging to local herders were being impounded and auctioned to wardens, while cattle belonging to intruders from a nearby country are whisked back to the source.

It is not difficult to see in that situation that the government is being taken for granted in our case and is being respected in the Rwandan case, which is adequate demonstration of a mercenary attitude.

The wardens know few or no problems can come from those assisting Prof. Maghembe, while they wouldn’t be sure Rwandan authorities will take illegal cattle acquisition without proper procedures sitting down, acquiescent.