09 Mar 2015

Lack of funding for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) hinders their development, says chairperson of Organisation of Wildlife Victims Welfare (OWVW), Mr Oefile Tladi.

Mr Tladi said despite lack of funding and manpower, they were determined to reach their mandate and objectives of reducing deaths or injuries caused by wild animals and increasing safety in wild life areas by conducting public education.

Speaking at the Organisation of Wildlife Victims Welfare’s Organisational partnership and website launch, Mr Tladi said NGOs played a vital role in building and enhancing democracy.

OWVW was established as a wakeup call following the incident that took place during Independence celebrations in 2013, in which a mother was killed by crocodiles while swimming, leaving traumatised children who witnessed the accident, he said.

The partnership brought together, Cheetah Conservation Botswana, The Great Realm and Zoological Garden for Botswana Trust. Mr Tladi said they have proposed to government that people in tourism business be requested to pay levy, and the money be channelled to assist the organisations dealing with wildlife.

“We have to preserve the dignity of our tourism industry around the country, particularly that it is the second income generator after diamonds,” he said.

For his part, Mr Samuel Mokgadi who hails from Molepolole and a farmer at Motshabi village near Mosetsanamontle Wildlife Ranch, who is a victim and survivor of a leopard attack, shared the traumatising experience he went through last year November.

Mr Mokgadi also shared the agony he went to get assistance from the Wildlife offices in Mochudi and Molepolole after his calf was killed by wild animals.

He called on government to increase the compensation money, saying it was too little.

For her part, a professional counsellor from Great Realm, Ms Annastacia Sentle said they were aware of difficulties people who had been attacked by wildlife go through on a daily basis if they did not get counselling for post traumatic disorder, excessive fear and insomnia.

“We provide group counselling on anger management techniques and therapy,” she said. ENDS