10 Jul 2016

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development continues to provide social services and support to RADs students residing in the CKGR who are attending schools outside the game reserve.

This was said by the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ms Botlogile Tshireletso in Parliament on Thursday on behalf of the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism.

Ms Tshireletso said the Ghanzi District Council also continued to bowse potable water, pending the drilling of envisaged campsites boreholes in the CKGR. The settlements of Molapo, Metsiamanong, Mothomelo and Gugamma had all been supplied with new water tanks, she added. 

The Ministry of health, she said is expected to restore mobile health services in CKGR “as and when the right equipment is secured.”

However, she said the Ministry of Minerals Water and Energy Resources (MMWER) had not been able to secure funding for the drilling of boreholes for potable water supply for the proposed campsites in the CKGR.

“Resultantly collaborative efforts are being employed to source funding for the boreholes, as part of the development and servicing of the proposed campsites and model village,” she said.

Parliament was informed that the main economic activities planned to empower the residents would come through the establishment of a Joint Community Trust of which accrued benefits shall be shared amongst all the residents of the reserve.

The trust would generate employment opportunities to improve the livelihoods of the residents as well as to conserve the environment, she said.  Potential community campsites and lodge sites have also been identified in consultation with the community.

The assistant minister said the post of the community facilitator had been filled by the Ghanzi District Council, through the employment of Mr Roy Sesana, on a three-year contract at B2 scale. He chairs the CKGR consultative community whose membership comprises six members from the five settlements in the reserve.

Earlier, she informed the House that the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MEWT) is a member of Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR) Inter-Ministerial Committee implementing a new dispensation for the CKGR residents, and the coordinating ministry is that of Local Government and Rural Development. She said the water, health and educational services formed part of the new dispensation.

The MP for Ghanzi North, Mr Noah Salakae had asked the minister to update the House on the new developments in the CKGR that were currently being spearheaded by MEWT.

He also wanted the minister to state whether water, health and educational services formed part of the package and whether there were economic activities planned to empower the residents.

The legislator asked if those economic activities included the people of CKGR only, or it also extended to the former CGKR residents who currently reside in New Xade.

MP Salakae also wanted to know the role of the newly appointed community facilitator and his salary scale. BOPA