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Pastoralists ’invade Usangu Game Reserve’
2006-03-02 09:14:17
By Gerald Kitabu, Mbeya
The management of Usangu Game Reserve has accused Mbarali District authorities of abetting the invasion of the reserve by pastoralists.
In an interview with The Guardian, the manager of the wildlife sanctuary, Roman Masawe, said law enforcers and top district officials were protecting the people who have invaded the reserve with their livestock.
He said due to rampart corruption, the livestock keepers were deliberately grazing in the reserved areas.
The manager regretted that as a result, the situation had incited hostile relationship between the game reserve management and livestock keepers.
’This wetland area (Ihefu) is here for national interest. It is the source of Ruaha River, which, drains its water into Mtera dam used for power generation.
But it is surprising to see that the district government authorities and law enforcers have been in the frontline to protect livestock keepers’ complained the Game Reserve manager.
A survey conducted by The Guardian in Mbarali District revealed that the invasion of the Wetland areas such as Usangu by the livestock keepers had the blessing of some politicians from the region.
When interviewed the Member of Parliament for Mbarali constituency, Asterina Kilasi, apparently credited the move by the livestock keepers’ to graze in the wetland.
’These livestock keepers are Tanzanians, they have the right to graze anywhere in this country. In Shinyanga, where they come from, there is no pasture because of the long period of drought.
If they are to be evicted from this place then the government must give them an equally good alternative,’ she stressed.
At the same time the MP also defended paddy growers who, to a large extent, have diverted a lot of water to their farms while making little effort to ensure that the amount that has not been used is returned to its original course.
’We are experiencing a severe drought.
I think it is proper for the farmers to irrigate their farms so that they can later earn some income from the crop, but the government should work on improving the farming methods and infrastructures that will be environmental friendly,’ she was emphatic.
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