Chama Diary: The Cost of Coexistence (Part II)

After losing 1,500 tomato plants to elephant raids, farmer Robert Mvula now sleeps outside in the cold to protect his last remaining crops.

Rural farmers living near protected wildlife zones face daily struggles as human–elephant conflict deepens hunger and poverty. The situation is compounded by the absence of effective long-term solutions and compensation systems, with government efforts limited so far to small-scale measures such as installing solar-powered fences.

By Ennety Munshya in Chama

In the first part, we reported on Julius Ngulube, a 49-year-old farmer from Kaozi Scheme in Chama district, Eastern Province, who is struggling to repay a K40,000 loan from the government-supported Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility (SAFF) after losing his entire maize crop—wiped out by drought and ravaged by elephants.

In this second part, we focus on Robert Mvula of Mundalanga, another small-scale farmer whose 1,500 tomato plants were destroyed by elephants while he was away at a funeral. He now spends his nights sleeping outside in the cold, guarding what little remains of his vegetable garden from the wild animals that threaten his family’s survival.

“We camp near our gardens to guard our crops from the animals. We depend on these gardens for our daily food, and we sell some to make ends meet. At night we light fires near where we sleep. When the elephants see fire, they are scared,” he told MakanDay.

He says farmers try different tactics to keep the animals at bay—tying small pieces of iron sheet to ropes so they clang in the night, hoping the noise will scare off the wildlife. But even these desperate measures often fail.

Around his garden, deep elephant tracks carve through the soil, a stark reminder of their destructive passage. Where nearly 1,500 tomato plants once thrived, only flattened stalks remain. For Mvula, the only hope is that government will one day provide lasting solutions to keep wild animals from invading people’s homes.

Another farmer, Chindongo Mphande, lost his cassava and groundnut fields to elephants in June and says that living alongside wild animals is a constant struggle.

When MakanDay visited his field, the destruction was clear: cassava and groundnuts lay uprooted across the land, with elephant tracks and droppings marking their destructive visit.

As a small-scale farmer, Mphande depends on his crops to feed his family and cover his children’s school needs.

“Whatever we try to plant vegetables, fruits, any crops we can eat, the animals attack and destroy everything,” he laments.

Human–animal conflicts in Chama are worsening an already difficult situation in the area – hunger crisis.

Chama district lies within a Game Management Area (GMA), surrounding part of the Musalangu Game Management Area (GMA), which serves as a buffer zone for the North Luangwa National Park and surrounding communities.

A study published in the International Journal of Research in Geography “Causes and Effects of Human–Wildlife Conflict in Zambia: A Case of South Luangwa Game Management Area” notes that crop damage, destruction of property, and human injuries or fatalities are the primary forms of conflict.

According to the study, 28% of respondents reported crop damage, 48% experienced property destruction, and 22% suffered human injuries or fatalities due to wildlife encounters.

The study further says that destruction of crops leads to significant economic losses for farmers, undermining livelihoods and contributing to food insecurity. The report also highlights the absence of a formal compensation mechanism, which worsens the challenges faced by affected communities.

In response, the government has proposed installing solar-powered fences in human–animal conflict hotspots in Chama District. However, questions remain about the feasibility of this approach, given the scattered settlement patterns in the area.

According to a ZNBC report of September 10, 2025, Eastern Province Minister Peter Phiri said Constituency Development Fund resources could be used to support fencing initiatives in vulnerable areas. He acknowledged the serious difficulties communities face due to frequent wildlife encroachment.