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Ngorongoro rangers accused of pulling out herder’s teeth
What you need to know:
- Rangers in the conservation area have been accused of beating and wounding people.
- President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered rangers to stop such incidents.
Arusha. A resident of Salei Village in Nainokanoka Ward, Mr Joshua Ole Patorro (15), has been admitted to the Karatu District Hospital after his two teeth were extracted while grazing cattle in the Ormoti area.
Mr Ole Patorro claims that it was the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) rangers who assaulted him on Friday evening when they found him grazing in the area.
Patorro told reporters that he had taken his livestock to a water fountain when he was arrested by the rangers.
NCAA deputy commissioner Elibariki Bajuta yesterday told The Citizen that he had seen reports about the incident on social media and that he had dispatched a team of officers to follow up on the matter.
“I have contacted the police, who have no information about the incident. As I’m speaking, my officers have arrived at Nainokanoka where they will visit the hospital and collect accurate information,” he said.
He said that after getting the correct information about what had happened, he would make it public and disclose the next steps.
Ngorongoro Member of Parliament Emmanuel Shangai condemned the incident, saying it is part of a series of incidents of human rights violations against residents living in the area.
Mr Shangai said in recent days, there have been incidents about herders being restricted from grazing livestock in the areas of Olmoti and Embakai, something that he said was wrong because herders have always taken their livestock to those areas to drink water.
“Livestock must go there for grazing; however, rangers have been arresting and beating herders. I am currently seeking an audience with deputy commissioner Bajuta so that we can discuss ways of forging good relations between the NCAA and the community,” he said.
Laetole councillor James Moringe called for an end to arrests of herders and livestock seizures, saying the area was not out of bounds for pastoralists.
Over 5,000 residents, who were living within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, were relocated to the Msomela area in Handeni District, Tanga Region.
They moved to pave the way for conservation activities after the human population increased from 8,000 at the NCA establishment to over 197,000, thus affecting conservation and tourism activities.
Rangers in the conservation area have been accused of beating and wounding people.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered rangers to stop such incidents.
