Minister flees due to marauding baboons.

Matebeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Evelyn Ndlovu says she has been forced to vacate her house in Gwanda town because of marauding baboons.

Ndlovu said troops of baboons are giving residents of Gwanda sleepless nights as they invade communities in search of food and water. Ndlovu said the Matebeleland South capital has been recording a number of cases related to human-wildlife conflicts.

"Wild animals are destroying people's crops, killing people and cattle which is not a good thing," she said.

Ndlovu called on the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to find a lasting solution to save lives and property.

"This needs to be addressed because we have had baboons coming into the homesteads in Gwanda," she said,

"l myself left my house in Gwanda because l cannot stay there due to the fact that there is no peace.

"Winter crops have been destroyed and l think electric fences should be put up to keep the wild animals away."

Loss of habitat is driving wild animals into communities in search of food, resulting in human wildlife conflicts.

The wild animals, especially elephants, have killed people and left a lot of destruction.