Mpumalanga farmers count costs after crops damaged by elephants Mandla Khoza, Times Live February 17, 2025 See link <https://www.timeslive.co.za/amp/news/south-africa/2025-02-17-mpumalanga-farmers-count-costs-after-crops-damaged-by-elephants/> for photos. Farmers in Mpumalanga are counting their losses after a herd of elephants escaped from a nearby game reserve, damaging their crops. The elephants escaped from the Songimvelo Game Reserve through a broken fence and marched into the Mooiplaas area, outside Badplaas, destroying crops at the weekend. Local farmer Lastborn Msibi said the incident happened in the early hours of Saturday. He said local farmers woke up to find their crops having been eaten or uprooted and some trampled by the elephants. Songimvelo is a provincial park managed by the Mpumalanga Tourism & Parks Agency (MTPA). Msibi said he was shattered by his loss as farming is his only source of income. He said adding to his pain is that he was preparing for the upcoming harvest season. “We have lost a lot as farmers. Maize farming is the only way to survive because we sell this maize to a company that makes mealie meal which gets sold in the shops. “I had planted 17 hectares. It's devastating because I spent thousands to plough each hectare. The destruction of my crops means I have lost all that money. I don't know how I am going to continue make a living [after the crop destruction],” Msibi said. He said he expects the government to compensate them as the owner of the elephants. “We don't have elephants. It's the government that needs to see us through this. We are black farmers who don't have money. We live from hand to mouth and that's how we survive,” said Msibi. MTPA spokesperson Simphiwe Shungube said the agency was looking into whether to reimburse farmers and residents. The elephants were sent back to the game reserve and the fence was fixed. “Saying we shall reimburse or pay for the damage is sub judice as we are still busy with other logistics surrounding that call from the community,” said Shungube. Residents told Sowetan that rangers from the MTPA had failed to locate the animals by Sunday afternoon. “Rangers came with their guns and took pictures of the damage. Residents have tried to put fences around their properties but it is not strong enough to keep the elephants away. We are not safe, especially at night because we can get killed,” said community member Themba Shongwe. https://www.timeslive.co.za/amp/news/south-africa/2025-02-17-mpumalanga-farmers-count-costs-after-crops-damaged-by-elephants/