Residents of Victoria Falls have called on authorities for better protection from wildlife after two people were killed in separate elephant attacks in the resort town last week.
The incidents happened along Kazungula Road and the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road in Chinotimba, just days apart.
In the low-density areas on the town’s outskirts, where homes sit near wildlife corridors, elephant sightings are becoming increasingly common.
Nkosana Ndebele, a resident, said people are now living in fear. He added that elephants can appear suddenly on the roads at night, making it unsafe for drivers and children alike. Said Ndebele:
“You can be driving home at night, and suddenly, there are elephants in the road. Our children cannot even walk freely. Now two people are dead in just one week. It’s too much.”
In Garikai, a high-density suburb also affected by elephant incursions, residents said that the animals are destroying crops and wandering dangerously close to homes. A resident said:
“These elephants are wreaking havoc. They destroy our maize, they break fences, and when they move through the location, everyone runs. We are not safe.”
Similar concerns have been raised in Mkhosana’s Omfelandawonye area, where residents say encounters with elephants are becoming increasingly common.
Omar Chuma, a resident, said people are now afraid to walk early in the morning or late at night for fear of running into the animals.
Kelvin Moyo, chairperson of the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association, has called for stronger protection measures and support for the families affected by the recent attacks. Moyo said:
“We are deeply saddened about the two incidents of our residents killed by the elephants in a space of one week and we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families.”
He also urged residents to avoid walking at night and called on tourism companies to provide transport for staff finishing late shifts.
The area’s MP, Vusumuzi Moyo, raised the issue in parliament on Tuesday, saying it went beyond just wildlife management. He said:
“My issue is not merely about wildlife management. It is about national development, constitutional responsibility, and ultimately, protecting human dignity. In a space of a week, two families are mourning the loss of their loved ones.”
He called for the Parks and Wildlife Act to be swiftly implemented in communities bordering protected areas.
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