Communities in Chipinge’s Mutema, Chibuwe and Mahenye areas are facing escalating losses from persistent human-wildlife conflict with elephants wreaking havoc on crops and livelihoods.
The crisis fueled by fragmented coordination and limited funding continues to threaten both community safety and economic stability.
The Platform for Youth and Community Development Trust (PYCD) has taken a leading role in advocating for stronger implementation of Zimbabwe’s CAMPFIRE model through a Participatory Action Research framework.
The organisation believes that sustainable coexistence between people and wildlife can only be achieved if communities themselves are empowered to shape conservation decisions.
PYCD has begun mobilising local stakeholders to review and reform the CAMPFIRE model identifying funding and coordination gaps that undermine its impact.
The goal, according to PYCD, is to build a sustainable, community-driven approach to wildlife management that safeguards both people and ecosystems.
In Chibuwe’s Ward 20 recent elephant incursions from the Save Valley Conservancy destroyed women-led community gardens and irrigation schemes wiping out produce worth over US$3 500.
With no formal compensation system in place, affected families received only salvaged elephant meat.
“Short-term relief from game meat, especially elephants, is not enough to offset economic losses incurred,” said local resident Catherine Vhutuza.
Communities are now calling for the immediate operationalisation of the long-promised Human-Wildlife Conflict Fund to compensate victims of wildlife damage.
PYCD Director Claris Madhuku said meaningful community participation remains the missing link in the CAMPFIRE framework.
“The CAMPFIRE model still remains our hope for increased local tolerance for wildlife. But without genuine empowerment, communities cannot truly benefit or be protected from recurring losses,” Madhuku noted.
The organisation is working with partners including the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and local groups such as the Chipinge Residents and Ratepayers Trust (CRRT) and Vemuganga Community Radio to strengthen local wildlife governance.
During parliamentary consultations in Chipinge earlier this month on the Climate Change Management Bill (H.B. 5, 2025) citizens urged legislators to place rural communities at the centre of wildlife governance and compensation structures.
Green Institute Director Blessing Matasva echoed the call for urgency.
“Due to increasing incidences of human-wildlife conflict we are engaging government stakeholders to operationalise the Human-Wildlife Conflict Fund to protect livelihoods, particularly for women and young people,” he said.
PYCD’s Research and Governance Officer, Allan Murozvi is leading Participatory Action Research aimed at devolving CAMPFIRE and ensuring communities directly benefit from wildlife resources.
Through collaborative efforts with the Chipinge Rural District Council and other local partners, PYCD hopes to pave the way for a future where communities live safely and sustainably alongside wildlife.
