Bennde-Mutale| “Age of hope” stunted with devastating effects on the Kruger National Park

THE first cock-crow signals the start of daily life at a small village of Bennde-Mutale in the far northern most part of South Africa – bordering Zimbabwe in the north and Mozambique through the Kruger National Park (KNP) in the east.

Residents navigate the rocky pathways to different directions in search of the scarce means of survival to supplement government grants which are the main sustenance in the majority of just over 700 households in the village.

Many go into the mopane forests to scout for natural resources like dry trees to chop into small pieces of firewood, and for the seasonal mopane worms. These resources eventually make their way to towns such as Thohoyandou, Makhado and Musina, and even as far away as Gauteng.

Other residents head to tomato farms where they face fierce competition for piece jobs from Zimbabwean nationals also battling fewer livelihoods back home.

Others rely on skills such as thatching and bricklaying, and small-scale farming of which the income is not guaranteed.

But to Mutodi* and Rendani*, the first cock-crow is the time that they – on certain days – would be separately navigating the bushy areas back to the village, carrying bags of large chunks of meat from animals they had poached in the KNP.

Poaching in the KNP’s Pafuri region recently reached unprecedented level, with devastating effects on wildlife conservation and tourism.

The devastation poaching causes was aptly captured by KNP regional ranger, Richard Sowry. He reportedly said: “Humans seem to think that there would not be adverse problems from it … We all see the problem because we are all connected ecologically.”

However, Mutodi and Rendani appear contradictory when they each speak about wildlife conservation and tourism.

On the one hand, they look to the future which presents diverse opportunities, especially for the youth. They paint a picture of their lives intricately connected to nature.

On the other hand, they express resentment of the conservation areas which they see as exclusionary and only a destination for high-end tourists, with no benefits flowing to the village.

Coupled with their poor family backgrounds, they refer to lack of opportunities in the village as justification for their illegal activities in the KNP.

Mutodi (23) was born in a family of five with no other household income except an old age grant for his grandmother.

He matriculated five years ago, but found himself wandering the rocky and narrow streets of the village until he was lured into poaching.

“I started poaching three years ago and I target buffalo and impala. I have my people who stay far away from my village who buys them. I can make up to R30 000 a month. No one knows I’m a poacher in the community because I don’t sell to them.

“It is simple to prepare to get into the park at night. In the park, I use a torch to spot the animals and a knife to skin them. I involve two other guys to help carry the bags of meat. The dangers I face in the park are the rangers, reptiles and predators.

“There are no jobs here, and remember we are staying just 1km from the KNP and the community is not benefitting. Opportunities in the village can help stop poaching – it’s simple and easy,” Mutodi said.

Rendani (24) was born in a poor family of five and dropped out of school at an early age.  He makes up to R8000 a month selling poached wild meat to local community members since 2021.

“Bush meat is very expensive, but I sell it cheap because I don’t want to keep it for long for fear of being arrested.

“I know very well that what I’m doing is detrimental to tourism, but I’m trying to make a living. If I get employed, I don’t think I’ll continue with poaching. I even hate myself for doing this, but I have to put bread on the table,” Rendani said.

Residents decry unfulfilled promises for survival, and unemployment rate which is very high. They speak of the era in which hopes were raised at the dawn of democracy in South Africa, and of which one prominent politician termed as the “age of hope”.

However, the age of hope in Bennde-Mutale is now stunted by conflict over natural resources. The slow but increasing controls over what can be collected as natural resources in the mopane forests have left many residents desperate.

The residents seeking employment on the farms are pushed to destitution and they return home, and slip deeper into poverty. Climatic conditions are also playing havoc with their small farming enterprises.

To local headman, Nelson Siphuga, poaching has to be addressed within the broader issue of wildlife conservation and tourism development in the area. He feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“The rate of poaching in my community is increasing at an alarming rate, and it very sad to hear about the involvement of young generation. As a leader of the community, I’m sometimes tempted to agree with their activities because KNP is mandated to educate the youth about fauna and flora, but there is no such a program.

“On the other hand, I wish there could be developmental projects – especially agricultural projects – to economically uplift the youth in the village. Sometimes we suffer lack of drinking water for up to a month,” Siphuga said.

KNP spokesperson, Ike Phaahla, is all too aware of the alarming rate of poaching which he described as “seemingly organised and connected to criminal syndicates”. He said authorities were working closely with communities, law enforcement agencies and the park’s environmental crime investigations unit “to get to the bottom of the matter”.

However, Phaahla held a different view on sentiments expressed by Bennde-Mutale residents that feel abandoned over promised benefits from wildlife conservation and tourism.

He spoke of economic opportunities presented to communities adjacent to the KNP such as incubation programs to enable entrepreneurs to transact with the park since 2017.

A scheme has been launched with Sanlam for those who succeed in securing business opportunities in the park to get loans, lalapalm fields have been developed for commercial purposes by community members and the park and the provision of seeds for medicinal plants.

“Looking at what the KNP is doing in communities cannot be described as ‘abandonment’.

“Our neighbours are deriving value out of the park, but they need to reciprocate by being the eyes and ears on the ground to ensure the viability of this national asset which gives employment and business opportunities,” Phaahla said.

(Mutodi and Rendani asked for their real identities to be concealed for fear of reprisals)