WINDHOEK: The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has increased payments for the human-wildlife conflict self-reliance scheme, effective 01 September 2024.

The announcement was made by MEFT Minister, Pohamba Shifeta, at press conference on Monday.

Compensation for funeral expenses, Shifeta said, will however remain at N.dollars 100 000, while permanent disability payments will increase from N.dollars 50 000 to N.dollars 100 000.

Persons injured by wild animals but who have not incurred body part losses will now be given an amount of N.dollars 15 000, up from the current N.dollars 10 000.

Compensation of injury with loss of body parts will increase from the current N.dollars 30 000 to N.dollars 40 000.

A farmer will receive N.dollars 5 000 for every cattle loss, N.dollars 800 for a goat, N.dollars 800 for a sheep, N.dollars 1 500 for a horse, N.dollars 1 000 for a donkey and N.dollars 1 000 for a pig.

For crop damages, the ministry will compensate N.dollars 500 for one quarter of a hecta
re and N.dollars 2 000 for one hectare.

‘Payment related to expenses for human death cannot be increased for now as this was increased from N.dollars 5 000 in 2009 to N.dollars 100 000 in the year 2018. The amount of N.dollars 100 000 is also sufficient to cover for funeral expenses. The anticipated impact will be to effectively support communities, individuals and farmers who suffer losses and damages caused by wild animals through the revised offset payments,’ Shifeta noted.

According to the minister, consultations to increase the payments under the human-wildlife conflict self reliance scheme were done during the National Conference held in May last year, which included Cabinet.

Source : The Namibia News Agency