12 Oct 2015

Member of Parliament for Maun West constituency, Mr Tawana Moremi has informed residents that the proposed Maun Eco tourism Park (METP) will result in some being relocated.

Addressing a kgotla meeting, he revealed that some residents have already received some letters of relocation to pave way for the magnitude project. He noted that the affected areas include among others, Boro, Sexaxa and some areas adjacent to the delta.

Mr Moremi explained that the feasibility report of the project was once presented at a full council and it had three options and wondered why they choose an option which relocate residents.

The leading objective of the proposed METP is to promote Maun as a primary tourism destination through the implementation of a community integrated tourism project.

 It aims to bring wildlife closer to the urban centre by realigning the existing Buffalo Fence and hence enhance the attractiveness and tourism potential for the Maun area. It also intends to provide social-economical benefits on a local, regional and national scale.

During the meeting, councillors gave the report a green light and called for continuous intensified stakeholder consultation so that the communities could understand the importance of the project and own it. They said project is ideal as it would promote tourism in the district and also create employment for the locals. Since some villages would be affected, they advised that an area of relocation of people and livestock be identified to avoid conflicts.

The area MP also briefed residents about the Livestock Meat and Industry Act which he said it has been adopted in the last siting of Parliament. Mr Moremi said  every farmer who sells 100 cattle, the government would take four of them as tax. He urged residents to get ready to pay tax for selling their cattle. Ends