Residents of Kamutjonga Village in the Kavango East have rejected a suggestion by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism for them to establish a conservancy in their area.

Kamutjonga is among several villages in the Mukwe Constituency affected by human-wildlife conflict involving roaming elephants.

The village is situated outside the Bwabwata National Park's Mahango Core Area in the Kavango East's Mukwe Constituency.

Villager Theophilus Kakoro accuses the Ministry of Environment of failing to effectively intervene to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and instead forcing the villagers to accept the establishment of a conservancy.

Kakoro says the ministry has not consistently compensated owners of crop fields ravaged by marauding elephants.

In an interview with nbc News, Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism Spokesperson Romeo Muyunda advised the villagers to seriously consider forming a conservancy, noting that offset payments processed through conservancies can be delivered faster.

The Ministry believes villagers could get more benefits from wildlife conservation in terms of trophy hunting concessions if they agree to establish a conservancy.