The Parks and Wildlife Management Amendment Bill that seeks to create a fund to compensate victims of human wildlife conflict, ensure local communities have more involvement with their resources and to professionalise wildlife experts generated debate in the National Assembly on Thursday last week.
Legislators, while appreciating the noble intend of the Bill, provided several suggestions aimed at empowering communities in the utilisation of resources in their areas and on the proposed fund to compensate victims of human wildlife conflict.
Conflicts between people and wildlife have been thorny threatening both animals and forests which are a back-borne of the tourism industry and critical natural resources.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment, Climate and Wildlife Cde Sam Matema (Zanu-PF) presented a joint report done by his committee and the Senate Thematic Committee on the Bill following public hearings legislators conducted.
In their recommendations, Cde Matema said the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife should provide a compelling justification for the proposed removal of wildlife ownership rights on privately managed land, ensuring alignment with constitutional property rights and international obligations.
"The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife should provide for a transparent and equitable quota management system in the Bill that balances the interests of both the authority and landowners.," said Cde Matema who is the MP for Buhera Central.
"The Bill should have a provision that clearly stipulates how the benefits will be shared and distributed among the communities surrounding the wildlife areas. The Bill should have a provision that clearly specifies how the Human Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund (HWCRF) would be resourced, managed and its proceeds distributed among the beneficiaries."
Cde Matema said the proposed amendments on the principal law had the potential to significantly impact the environment, tourism industry and communities.
"While the overall goal of protecting wildlife and promoting sustainable utilisation is commendable, the legislation requires careful consideration and refinement to address the concerns raised by various stakeholders," he said.
In his contribution, Mberengwa West MP, Cde Tafanana Zhou (Zanu PF) said the Bill must also include the issue of protecting money disbursed to the communities.
"We used to have Campfire. It is still there and the money was still disbursed to local authorities but the monies were not benefiting the people because sometimes the money was diverted.
"I implore the Government to make sure that the money benefits the intended beneficiaries which are the community members because they are the ones who are facing the challenges of human and wildlife conflicts," he said.
One of the key elements of the Bill is to establish a fund to pay compensation for those killed or maimed, and for property lost in human-wildlife conflict.
Clause nine of the Bill spells out the objective, source and disbursement modalities of the fund.
"There shall be established a Fund to be called the HWCRF whose objective shall be to offer some monetary relief to victims of human wildlife conflict, that is to say victims of any encounter with a wild animal resulting in the death of a victim, or his or her maiming (that is to say any permanent disablement of a bodily function) or any other physical injury to the victim," reads the Bill.
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"No person shall be entitled to monetary relief where they are injured, maimed or killed by a wild animal while illegally harvesting a wild animal or where they have negligently interfered with wild animals.
"Monetary relief shall be paid to the victim from the HWCRF upon a claim made in the prescribed manner by or on behalf of the victim no later than 12 months after the encounter resulting in the death, maiming or injury in accordance with the prescribed scale for disbursements."
The Bill stipulates that funds will be drawn from proceeds of the allocated hunting quota and the 0,5 percent human wildlife relief levy on revenue accruing to consumptive and non-consumptive tourism and wildlife based business and money that might be appropriated by Parliament.
The Bill comes at a time when the world is facing a triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
