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Midlands Correspondent
BABOONS are wreaking havoc in the Musasa area of Shurugwi along the Boterekwa Pass, destroying a mature maize crop ready for harvest.
Farmers said if nothing is done to contain the situation, they might be left with little or nothing to harvest.
Some farmers who spoke to Chronicle during a recent visit to the area said they were now being forced to abandon their daily chores to spend the day guarding their fields against the menacing animals.

The Musasa villagers are also living in fear of the baboons which at times are daring enough to attack anyone trying to drive them off.
“We have been battling to keep the baboons off our crop since we came and settled in this area about five years ago. The baboons usually descend on the fields during the maturing stage of the maize crop and this is the time when we abandon all other household chores during the day to guard against the animals.

“The baboons have become so daring that at times they can attack people especially women. Only last week a female villager was attacked on the thigh by a baboon and is recuperating at Shurugwi Hospital,” said one of the affected farmers, Peter Shumba while at his makeshift guardroom.

Another farmer, Respina Mataruse, said she was contemplating buying a pellet gun as a way of scaring off the animals.
“I have since instructed my husband who works in Chegutu to buy us a pellet gun to scare the baboons away because they are no longer afraid of women. They can get into the field in your presence and ravage your crops. We have now resorted to guarding the fields with dogs and with at least a male counterpart so that we can scare them off,” she said.

Boterekwa Pass, which is a gateway to Zvishavane, Masvingo and Beitbridge, is a safe haven for baboons.
Meanwhile, the farmers have been dealt another blow following the depositing of sand in their fields by a Chinese mining company, Galechka, which is mining gold along Manzimudhaka River.

The villagers said the Chinese are excavating the riverbed, polluting and silting the river.
Environmental Management Agency education and publicity manager for the Midlands, Timothy Nyoka, confirmed the development. He said his agency had since ordered the mining concern to stop its activities.

Said Nyoka:
“We have received reports that a Chinese mining company, Galechka, has been mining along the riverbed of Manzimudhaka and depositing sand and rubbles into farmers’ fields. We have already ordered it to stop its operations and rehabilitate the area.

“EMA has also fined the mining company $6,500 for the offence. We also found out that the company was operating without an Environment Impact Assessment moreover it is illegal to mine along the riverbed.”

Cabinet recently issued a directive banning alluvial mining.