MPs grill minister on park victims’ compensation

Members of Parliament have called on the government to quickly come up with a policy that will see compensation of people whose lives and property have been destroyed by straying wild animals from national parks. The lawmakers made the call yesterday following a report by Trade Minister, Monique Nsanzabaganwa on the contentious issue of compensating victims of the rampaging wild animals and possible solutions to the problem. Majority of the lawmakers found the Government approach and handling of the issue very wanting. In her report, Nsanzabaganwa said that there is no particular policy to compensate families whose members have been trampled to death or injured by the animals and those whose crops are destroyed by animals. She however added that a policy to compensate them is being drafted and will soon be forwarded to the cabinet for discussion. “This issue is currently being handled especially regarding preventive measures to minimise these cases,” she said. “Among other things we intend to re-demarcate and fence off national parks to keep wild animals within the confines of the parks, while at the moment we are digging a trench along park boundaries also meant to keep the animals away.” She however said that in regard to compensation, not much has been done and the government only ‘comforts’ the bereaved families with Rwf 50.000 to help in funeral arrangements, a remark which riled legislators. Nsanzabaganwa, who was flanked by Rosette Chantal Rugamba, the Deputy CEO RDB, Tourism also admitted that the compensation has been delayed by, among other things, confusion and lack of clear stand on how to deal with the issue between different institutions. She cited the case of Dubai World, a consortium which had been awarded a contract to secure Akagera National Park with an electric fence two years ago but has since not started the work. She however said that the Government has already re-advertised the tender to establish the fence separating human settlement areas from the National Parks, which will have low electric shocks that can fend off animals intending to escape, adding that the plan was budgeted for in this year’s budget. ar. In reaction to the minister’s revelation that the Boniface Nzakamwita, a caretaker of Mutware, the longest surviving elephant in the Akagera which has ravaged plantations is in jail and hence no one to look after it, MP Charles Kamanda said that the warder is out of jail and could still be reached to take care of the marauding beast. He also challenged the Minister on the idea of relocating people who leave near the boundaries of parks saying that it cannot work, because it meant that the vacated areas remained free zones for animals to roam and would escalate the problem of land scarcity. “Am categorically not convinced, I don’t see any solution in what the Minister has said. Yesterday people were killed and injured in Kayonza by rampaging buffaloes while in Nyagatare, it is reported that buffaloes are destroying valley dams yet when cows step in the park, owners are heavily fined, and should we say we value animals than humans?” MP Francis Kaboneka asked, referring to the report as ‘full of theories’. Other MPs questioned why a 2007 Presidential order to compensate the victims hasn’t been put into force. Nsanzabaganwa blamed the delays on lack of capacity and resources since there is no policy on the issue. She assured the MP’s that a new policy on the issue will be fast tracked to clear the problem. Ends