20 Nov 2016

Lake Ngami Conversation Trust chief executive officer, Mr Galefele Maokeng, has invited business entities that wish to work with the trust to avail themselves and make a business case.

He said the trust, as a community entity, was ready to work with everyone once they make business case to showcase their strengths and capabilities.

Mr Maokeng said in an interview that their mandate covered 100 per cent management of the lake noting that physically they could not do everything and appealed to interested parties to approach the trust management and present their cases on why they wanted to be engaged.

He said they wanted to work with entities which would represent the interests of the communities. Lake Ngami forms part of the Okavango Delta system due to its resources such as fish and the trust has been completely mandated to manage the lake.

Mr Maokeng said their mandate calls for managing the resources thus; promoting conservation and sustainable utilisation of the resources found in and around the lake, harvesting of the resources for the overall betterment of the communities and to ensure resources are used in a commercially viable manner.

Asked about their relationship with the newly formed Lake Ngami Fish Marketing Cooperative Society which intends to facilitate marketing of fish products, he said ‘currently there is no working relationship as they have not received any proposal from the cooperative management which seeks for cordial working relations.’

He admitted that of course the cooperative chairperson wrote to the trust introducing the cooperative but did not show any interest to work with them.

There were some allegations that there was animosity between the two entities, which forced the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to intervene. But, Mr Maokaneng said recently they had a meeting with the TAC to iron out some issues between the two entities and some resolutions were made.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the cooperative, Mr Bareetsi Bogaisang dismissed reports by the trust that they failed to implement the resolutions made by the TAC.

He explained that the TAC promised to organise a meeting where the two entities would introduce the cooperative to the communities.

He also stated that they had clearly presented their business case to the trust but it seems they are reluctant to work with them. ENDS