Stray donkeys and suspected thieves destroy maize in Old Pumula

STRAY DONKEYS

BULAWAYO — Residents of Old Pumula say their hopes for a decent harvest are being undermined by stray donkeys and suspected maize thieves, leaving families, especially the elderly, facing increased food insecurity amid worsening economic pressures.

Damage and community impact

Locals report that unattended donkeys roam into smallholder plots at night, trampling and feeding on maize, while thieves allegedly enter fields under cover of darkness to steal cobs. The losses are particularly acute for vulnerable households that rely on subsistence plots to supplement meagre incomes from informal activities such as selling firewood transported by donkey‑drawn scotch carts.

Old Pumula borders peri‑urban settlements, including Robert Sinyoka, St. Peter's, and Hyde Park Estate, areas characterised by limited infrastructure and few formal job opportunities. Residents say the combination of abandoned animals and opportunistic theft is eroding the modest safety net that homegrown maize provides.

Community concerns and reports

Old Pumula Residents’ chairman Francis Dube described mounting complaints about animals sleeping in fields and the resulting overnight damage. “I receive many reports of donkeys sleeping in people’s fields. One can only imagine the extent of the damage caused overnight,” he said.

Dube and other community leaders have also raised alarm over unusually cheap maize being sold locally by vendors offering 10 cobs for US$1, which residents suspect may be stolen produce. Such low prices, they argue, are unsustainable for legitimate farmers and point to illicit sourcing.

Elderly residents are among the hardest hit. Quandra Sibanda, who paid for seed and hired labour to plough her plot, said she can no longer harvest the crop she had hoped would feed her family. “It is heartbreaking. I cannot walk, but I bought maize seed and paid people to plough for me, hoping for a good harvest after the rains. Now all that hard work is being destroyed while we watch,” she said.

Calls for action

Youth and civic groups are urging residents to avoid buying suspiciously cheap maize, warning that demand fuels theft. Givemore Mangena, coordinator of the Pumula Youth Leadership Forum, said: “When people buy cheap maize, they unknowingly support thieves. Those who did not plough are now harvesting from others.”

Ward councillor Lazarus Mpandwe acknowledged the problem and attributed it partly to poverty and hunger. He said authorities will engage residents to find solutions and noted that many donkeys appear abandoned after being used for transport. “Some people use donkeys for transport and later dump them. These animals then stray into residential areas and destroy crops,” he said.

Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chair Winos Dube called for stronger enforcement of city by‑laws and urgent action by the Parks department to remove stray animals. He also urged decisive measures to tackle theft and protect vulnerable households.

Community leaders plan to escalate complaints to municipal authorities and press for coordinated responses that include animal control, enforcement against theft, and public awareness campaigns to discourage the purchase of suspiciously cheap produce.

Old Pumula maize theft 2026; stray donkeys Bulawayo