Kanyunyu
JF-Expert Member
- May 2, 2012
- 335
- 495
ELEPHANTS KILLING:
For sometime i have been following this issue of elephant hunting ban being lifted and i have realised one big problem of the issue. Politicizing this issue by both Former president and the current. Let me be bold at tell you that the issue here is not about elephants but elephants being part of the weapons on the ongoing war between Khama and Masisi.
Both man are wrong here. Both. Masisi knew that Khama is a conservationist and felt he could hit him hard at the wildlife and tourism sector. It was a wrong move.
Khama who is internationally recognised as a conservationist and having connections every where, and as a former president used his status to his back on Masisi to tarnish his image internationally. It was also a wrong move as it now brought attention to the country.
Then we as citizens as usual had to take sides based on our political alliance. Those with Khama will support and defend Khama's stand and those with Masisi do the same. Even those clueless and with less understanding of the issue will just comment based on whose political side they are with, not on the merits of the issue.
The issue started with Masisi disarming the antipoaching Unit. A move we all didn't understand why especially during the era of high incidents of ivory poaching in Africa. And he said the BDF can do that. Somebody asked me why is he also not dissolving the DIS since the Military Intelligence, The BDF and the police can do all the DIS is doing? My answer was i don't know.
The Conservationists (Khama silently included) retailated with publishing a report by Mike Chase of the Elephants Without boarders. The report reached international media, attracting unnecessary attention. Whether contents of the report were true or false i don't know but this was a bad move by the Khama side.
With score at 1-1 Masisi pushed further by taking out Mike Chase. He then moved Tshekedi Khama from the ministry of Wildlife and tried touch on Joubert. Throughout this Masisi used local media and our naiveness to make us think he is doing this for the country.
Khama then laid a lil low and let his international "friends" fight Masisi. Masisi then hired an international Public Relations firm to fight off Khama's international friends. It was a wrong move by Masisi. And we hear now the PR firm has dumped Masisi. Which is a blow to him and somehow a point to Khama.
Masisi then removed Khama from the Tourism ambassordorship saying the position is not legal though we now hear Mma Atsile is diamond ambassodor which we wonder gore a yone e legal. That was a wrong move by Masisi.
Infact if Masisi was strategic he should have left Tshekedi at that ministry and Ian as an ambassodor for the time being ha a santse a implementa this hunting ban. And let them be the ones to explain to the international community why there is a lift in the ban. That would have either exposed Tshekedi and Ian's patriotism or helped ease the whole issue coz truth is makgoa le bone just like us ey understand whom ey want to understand. And that would also have prevented Ian Khama (and his local followers) from using international media to broadcast this issue.
Then the whole twist. Jiki Jiki we are told elephant hunting is because elephants kill humans. This was a move by Masisi to drag us all behind him because he knows how we Batswana value human life.
My naive question is how many people were killed by elephants from 2014 to date? And how do the numbers compare to those killed by elephants from 2014 dating backwards?
From 2018 April to date how many people were killed by elephants and if we have numbers of people killed by any other animal apart from elephants?
And if this people were killed by elephants in the wild, in the farms or in human settlements.
Ofcourse killing elephants will reduce their numbers but it is not clear nor scientifically proven that it will reduce the human killings. 20 elephants may just pass by while 1 elephant may kill a human being. Unless we say we kill them all.
There were about 2 elephants in Mmokolodi Nature Reserve and ey were almost the only elephants south of Gaborone but they killed a human being. Just a reminder.
Elephants as big as they are and as many as ey are they are a nuisance to our local farmers. They distroy farms and farm products. This is a sad story. But believe me Buffaloes have caused more harm to our farmers than elephants. If u look at how many Cattle had to be killed due to FMD which is spread by buffaloes u will get me right. But nobody is talking of killing this buffaloes.
Masisi should have engaged Khama (as a conservationist and a former president) on this issues. And together could have engaged the Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia amd Angola authorities on this elephant issue. Then they together should have engaged the whole of Africa on the possible moving of elephants. Now Masisi is telling us of the engahement ya the Angola, Namibia etc authorities while the damage is already there. That should have been the first move before the hunting ban.
Khama also instead of further tarnishing the name of the country internationally he should be urging his international friends to come and play a positive role in ensuring that elephant population is controlled without killing and also to invest in those communities living with elephants.
Now we have Masisi and Khama usimg the whole issue to fight each other.
For sometime i have been following this issue of elephant hunting ban being lifted and i have realised one big problem of the issue. Politicizing this issue by both Former president and the current. Let me be bold at tell you that the issue here is not about elephants but elephants being part of the weapons on the ongoing war between Khama and Masisi.
Both man are wrong here. Both. Masisi knew that Khama is a conservationist and felt he could hit him hard at the wildlife and tourism sector. It was a wrong move.
Khama who is internationally recognised as a conservationist and having connections every where, and as a former president used his status to his back on Masisi to tarnish his image internationally. It was also a wrong move as it now brought attention to the country.
Then we as citizens as usual had to take sides based on our political alliance. Those with Khama will support and defend Khama's stand and those with Masisi do the same. Even those clueless and with less understanding of the issue will just comment based on whose political side they are with, not on the merits of the issue.
The issue started with Masisi disarming the antipoaching Unit. A move we all didn't understand why especially during the era of high incidents of ivory poaching in Africa. And he said the BDF can do that. Somebody asked me why is he also not dissolving the DIS since the Military Intelligence, The BDF and the police can do all the DIS is doing? My answer was i don't know.
The Conservationists (Khama silently included) retailated with publishing a report by Mike Chase of the Elephants Without boarders. The report reached international media, attracting unnecessary attention. Whether contents of the report were true or false i don't know but this was a bad move by the Khama side.
With score at 1-1 Masisi pushed further by taking out Mike Chase. He then moved Tshekedi Khama from the ministry of Wildlife and tried touch on Joubert. Throughout this Masisi used local media and our naiveness to make us think he is doing this for the country.
Khama then laid a lil low and let his international "friends" fight Masisi. Masisi then hired an international Public Relations firm to fight off Khama's international friends. It was a wrong move by Masisi. And we hear now the PR firm has dumped Masisi. Which is a blow to him and somehow a point to Khama.
Masisi then removed Khama from the Tourism ambassordorship saying the position is not legal though we now hear Mma Atsile is diamond ambassodor which we wonder gore a yone e legal. That was a wrong move by Masisi.
Infact if Masisi was strategic he should have left Tshekedi at that ministry and Ian as an ambassodor for the time being ha a santse a implementa this hunting ban. And let them be the ones to explain to the international community why there is a lift in the ban. That would have either exposed Tshekedi and Ian's patriotism or helped ease the whole issue coz truth is makgoa le bone just like us ey understand whom ey want to understand. And that would also have prevented Ian Khama (and his local followers) from using international media to broadcast this issue.
Then the whole twist. Jiki Jiki we are told elephant hunting is because elephants kill humans. This was a move by Masisi to drag us all behind him because he knows how we Batswana value human life.
My naive question is how many people were killed by elephants from 2014 to date? And how do the numbers compare to those killed by elephants from 2014 dating backwards?
From 2018 April to date how many people were killed by elephants and if we have numbers of people killed by any other animal apart from elephants?
And if this people were killed by elephants in the wild, in the farms or in human settlements.
Ofcourse killing elephants will reduce their numbers but it is not clear nor scientifically proven that it will reduce the human killings. 20 elephants may just pass by while 1 elephant may kill a human being. Unless we say we kill them all.
There were about 2 elephants in Mmokolodi Nature Reserve and ey were almost the only elephants south of Gaborone but they killed a human being. Just a reminder.
Elephants as big as they are and as many as ey are they are a nuisance to our local farmers. They distroy farms and farm products. This is a sad story. But believe me Buffaloes have caused more harm to our farmers than elephants. If u look at how many Cattle had to be killed due to FMD which is spread by buffaloes u will get me right. But nobody is talking of killing this buffaloes.
Masisi should have engaged Khama (as a conservationist and a former president) on this issues. And together could have engaged the Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia amd Angola authorities on this elephant issue. Then they together should have engaged the whole of Africa on the possible moving of elephants. Now Masisi is telling us of the engahement ya the Angola, Namibia etc authorities while the damage is already there. That should have been the first move before the hunting ban.
Khama also instead of further tarnishing the name of the country internationally he should be urging his international friends to come and play a positive role in ensuring that elephant population is controlled without killing and also to invest in those communities living with elephants.
Now we have Masisi and Khama usimg the whole issue to fight each other.
