20 Oct 2016

Ngamiland deputy district commissioner, Ms Angelinah Leano says a decision has been taken to hand over some buildings at Ditshiping to Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust (OKMCT).
The buildings comprise of a cooperative and two houses, which had been idling. They were constructed through drought relief programme in 2003.
In an interview, Ms Leano explained that the decision was reached after an assessment, which revealed that there was no sustainability.
She said the technical advisory committee and trust were working on modalities of how best they could utilise the buildings optimally.
She said they decided to hand them over to the trust because it was the only community structure in place and believed it could use the facilities for the benefit of the communities.
Ms Leano said Ditshiping was situated in a wildlife management area and believed that the trust could use them for tourism related projects.
Prior to the decision, residents requested the office of the district commissioner to maintain the houses so that public servants who often brought services closer to the communities could use them.
Ms Leano noted that the worn out facilities could be maintained through Ipelegeng.
Regarding the issue of Ditshiping having an independent trust, the deputy district commissioner said the village was incorporated after establishment of the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) policy which emphasised incorporation of some villages so that they could optimise the resources within their localities.
In a recent interview Ditshiping chief, Kgosi Galebosi Tshekonyane said they wanted to have their own trust since their lifestyle was different from other settlements served by the trust.
The trust serviced six settlements and Kgosi Tshekonyane said they were not benefiting anything from the trust since it was incorporated.
He said they were forced to incorporate their village under the trust.
Another resident, Mr Meshack Boikaego said the trust had been operating for 15 years and there was nothing in place to benefit the community.
He said their livelihoods were still the same and dependent on fishing, cutting of grass and Ipelegeng programme.
He said the trust was paying attention to settlements such as Boro which were adjacent to Maun, noting the mokoro business was thriving because of support from the trust.
For his part, OKMCT manager, Mr Mr John Nyamurundira dismissed reports that the trust was failing residents of Ditshiping, noting that they were doing their best to distribute developments equally in all the settlements serviced by the trust.
He mentioned that they funded water project at Ditshiping and currently the residents were enjoying portable water, noting that prior to that residents fetch water from the river.
He said the trust also took the responsibility to maintain the borehole.
Other support that the trust extended to Ditshiping included transporting children to schools, patients to health services, employment of youth in camps and assistance in funerals to the tune of P1 000.
Mr Nyamurundira said the settlement has been benefiting more. He also revealed that residents should understand that implementation of permanent developments was not the responsibility of the trust as they complement government where necessary.
He also pointed out that if the settlement could break away from the trust that would disadvantage them. ENDS