Eba Kandovazu
THE family of Matala Mafuta, aged 71, who was instantly killed by an elephant yesterday in the Bwabwata National Park, will be paid N$ 100 000 by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
Mafuta, according to the ministry Spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, was attacked and killed by the elephant around 9h30. He hails from Omega 3 village. Muyunda explains that the incident occurred in the area of the village, which is within the park and is zoned as Management Resource Use Zone, Zambezi region.
Investigations found that the victim was on his way to his nearby crop field and was unaware of the elephant’s presence in the vicinity as it charged at him in close range, leaving him with no chance to escape.
“Community members heard the deceased screaming during the attack and they rushed to the scene but it was too late,”Muyunda says.
According to him, staff members deployed to the scene could not track the elephant as it had joined the bigger herd.
This year alone, eight people died as a result of human-wildlife conflict. Four people were killed by crocodiles, two were killed by elephants and two others were killed by hippos.
