26 Apr 2016

Residents of Khawa are enthusiastic about welcoming and hosting multitudes of spectators who are expected to throng their village early next month for the annual Khawa Dune Challenge spectacle. 

BOPA visited the area recently to get the views of the local community on the upcoming event, and those interviewed expressed happiness that at last the highly anticipated and ever growing event is around the corner.

Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Sophie Visagie said the event does not only bring fun, but also opens business opportunities.

She said during the two-day spectacle locals have the opportunity to set up stalls for small businesses where they sell local cuisine.

The VDC chairperson also revealed that the proceeds from the event would be used to develop the village.

The headman, Piet Manyoro said he was pleased that ever since Khawa started, the landscape of his village has dramatically transformed.

He pointed out that Khawa was unknown to the rest of the world, but that things have now changed thanks to the event which is now a national event that attracts multitudes from all corners of the country.

“It is through the event that most people were assisted with accommodation because only a few could afford to build themselves decent accommodation,” said Manyoro.

A conservative community with about 800 people and situated between breathtaking landscape dominated by sand dunes deep in the western part of Botswana, there are no job opportunities here and almost all the able bodied personnel have turned to Ipelegeng which acts as the main job provider by far.

The headman said although they like the dune challenge, it brings with it some challenges such as littering which pose a health hazard to their children.

He, however, acknowledged that even though they host different kinds of people during the event, they have never recorded incidents of wayward behaviour and implored his people to keep the good spirit they have shown over the years.

For his part, Khawa Trust chairperson, Piet Bock pointed out that the trust plans to host the event on its own.

He said they have seen positive results from the event, and that it was their wish that by next year they would fence off the campsite so that they could be able to control and maximise on gate takings from those who come to their village for the dune challenge. He said they would be able to host tourists who pass through their village en-route to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park which is just a stone throw away from their village. ENDS