The councillor of Mashare Constituency, Petrus Kashumali, has raised concern over severe crop damage caused by elephants in Baramasoni, Vikota, and Rupesho Tara Tara villages in the Kavango East Region. 

The herd of elephants was seen roaming in the fields, leaving a trail of destruction, with fields trampled and harvests lost. 

"I have visited some of the crop fields. I have seen the damage done by the elephants. It is really bad. Probably a call on the Ministry of Environment to maybe compensate the farmers. Daily, we give the information to the ministry; they come. The rangers are also tired because they are also understaffed, I am told. It's just that the elephants are too many this season; I don't know why or from where. They are not able to control them or even scare them. They are just within the community, very close to where people are living."

Kashumali further stressed that the community has raised concerns about the lengthy compensation process.

"The cry now on the ground is that people are saying if they should be compensated, the ministry should do it faster because they lost a lot, and they are demanding that they need to be compensated as soon as possible."