12 Jun 2014

Maun West MP, Mr Tawana Moremi says Batawana will do anything in their power to reclaim ownership of Moremi Game Reserve.

Mr Moremi was addressing a kgotla meeting in Maun on June 11 to update residents on the progress made on the issue of ownership of the reserve and Maun Education Park.

He said they wrote a letter to the Office of the President in October 2013 seeking government to reverse the ownership of Moremi Game Reserve to the Fauna Conservation Society of Ngamiland.

The MP said government acknowledged receipt of the letter by writing back in October 2013 but there had been no response from government pertaining to the issue ever since then.

“Former presidents had promised to send some people to address this issue, but that has not happened, we are asking that the place be returned to the tribe,” he said.

The Fauna Conservation Society, he said, was formed as an agreement by Batawana in 1962 to look after the fauna and flora in the area which led to the conceptualisation of Moremi Game Reserve and the Maun Education Park. 

He said the Fauna Conservation Society’s attempts to register in 1972 were futile until government took ownership of wildlife resources in 1979. He said they had also written to Tawana Land Board to inform the kgotla about the number of places in the Moremi Game Reserve and their revenue.

However, he lamented that while awaiting response from government, it was shocking to learn from land board that there was a directive from government in January 2014 that some natural resources be taken from tribal to government ownership.

He said the transfer which effected in February 2014 showed that a part of the extended Moremi Game Reserve, the Chiefs Island was affected while the original Moremi Game Reserve was not because the lease was renewed in 2013.

The meeting was also informed that a bank account had been opened to allow Maun people to contribute money which would help in expenses for addressing the issue, such as engaging an agent.

The residents who agreed with Mr Moremi and the committee vowed to support the mission at all costs. One resident, Mr Joseph Barati said the available documentation proved evidence enough that the two places, Moremi Game Reserve and Maun Education Park belonged to the Fauna Conservation Society of Ngamiland. ENDS