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LUSAKA, Mar 30 - Elephants are terrorising villagers in Chieftainess Chiawa's area and have destroyed maize fields.
Chieftainess Chiawa complained to Lusaka Province Minister Patrick Ngoma when he toured the area at the weekend and urged the government to assist in bringing the situation under control.
She said the elephants had crossed from Zimbabwe and were causing panic in the area.
She said the matter had been reported to Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) but they had not responded.
Chieftainess Chiawa said villagers had been advised to grow crops on the upper land to avoid floods along the river banks, but now the wild animals were destroying the crops.
Mr Ngoma who was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Lillian Kapulu visited one of the affected farmers Mr Given Tembo of Kalombo village about 8 km west of Chiawa road where animal footprints were seen.
Meanwhile Mr Mark Burton, a farmer, has disclosed that he is exporting some winter maize to Zimbabwe through the World Food Programme.
Mr Burton said at a meeting held at Burton farm that about 7,000 tonnes of maize would be sold to Zimbabwe.
Mr Burton also offered to surrender 3-4 hectares of land for the community in Chieftainess Chiawa's area to build another health centre.
He said the project would benefit the community especially their workers.
This follows an appeal by Kafue health director Dr Charles Msiska who complained that the current centre lacked admission wards, maternity wing and staff accommodation.
The situation forced the medical authorities to refer cases to Chirundu's Mtendere hospital.
Dr Msiska said the department could not send an environmental health technician because of accommodation problems saying health services could only be improved if the centre could be expanded.
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