05 Mar 2015

Sehithwa police in collaboration with the Botswana Defence Force and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks have intensified patrol at Lake Ngami to ensure compliance with the law.

The action came after government suspended fishing at the lake for a year until the challenges brought by fishermen were fully addressed. The fishing season was supposed to start March this year.

The fishing suspension followed communities’ concerns that fishing at the lake had brought about squatter camps and environmental issues, drowning incidents and criminal activities.

Sehithwa police station commander, Superintendent Zakes Masike said in an interview that the law enforcement bodies were seriously patrolling Lake Ngami to curb illegal activities.

He indicated that only one fisherman was arrested for illegal fishing beginning of March noting that the law enforcement were enjoying a good working relationship with the Fishermen Association and Lake Ngami Conversation Trust which are also concerned about the situation at the lake.

He appealed to the community to respect the government’s decision and assist in addressing the identified challenges to safe the lake and what it is capable of providing.

Chairperson of Sehithwa Crime Prevention Committee, Kgosi Manuel Nguvauva said they had welcomed the government’s decision even though it is hard on the fishermen.

He said the lake was a source of income for the locals as many were earning a living out of fishing but he indicated that the fishermen necessitated the decision because they failed to comply with the relevant regulations.

Kgosi Nguvauva also noted that there were a lot of criminal activities brought about by fishermen such as illegal fishing, murder and incidents of drowning due to alcohol consumption.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the fishermen had relocated to villages such as Nxaraga, Shorobe and Chanoga.  Kgosi Oateng Sethodi of Chanoga said the fishermen had squatted at his village and that they were experiencing similar problems encountered at Lake Ngami.

He emphasized the need for the department of Wildlife and National Parks to consult with village leaders so that they could appreciate the number of fishermen in the village and to create a smooth working relationship.

“Customarily, a visitor should report to the kgotla before he could settle in any village but we were surprised to see squatters around the village,” he added. ENDS