14 Jan 2016

The Okavango Community Trust (OCT) aims at widening its income base through diverse projects.

OCT general manager, Mr Themba Bitsang, said in interview that their vision was to develop a tourism facility in Seronga so as to reduce reliance on their concession areas.

“The lodge development will be a great achievement since it will broaden our stake in tourism as locals which is mainly in the hands of foreigners,” he said.

Mr Bitsang said OCT also planned to develop a cultural village in Eretsha.

It would enable the trust to buy artefacts from community members thus promoting their products.

The OCT chairman, Mr Mahundhi Maboga, said OCT started operation in 1996 and had two concession areas; NG22 and NG23.

Initially, he said, the community lacked knowledge in the tourism facility development, therefore leased one concession area to Okavango Wilderness Safaris (OWS).

He, therefore said the trust generated income through leasing on a yearly basis. 

NG22 had Vumbura South, Vumbura North and Little Vumbura lodges while NG23 was leased to Great Plans.

Mr Maboga pointed out that although OCT was a success, they once had a disarray with one of their investors in 2011, but the matter was amicably resolved.

Like other community trusts, OCT had projects aimed to help their communities. 

He said their lease agreement bound the investors to employ people from Okavango unless the required qualifications were not available.

 Mr Maboga said through its income, the OCT had community projects such as a mortuary, which started operation last year.

The morgue helped the Okavango community who used to rely on services in Shakawe, which was far and greatly affected the state of corpses prior to burial.

Other developments were shops for Beetsha and Gudigwa as well as four vehicles to assist the four nearby communities of Gudigwa, Beetsha, Eretsha and Gunutsoga.

“The vehicles help the communities in times of illness or funerals at free costs,” he said.

Mr Maboga said OCT had embarked on building one roomed houses for the underprivileged people in those nearby villages since 2015 with three houses having been already handed over and one pending.

He said with regards to the youth, they benefit through sponsorship on tourism related courses on annual basis.

Mr Maboga said OCT was in the process of opening a hardware store and a grinding mill in Gunutsoga and Seronga respectively which is expected to be completed early 2016. Ends