16 Jan 2017

Following an advice from the relevant authorities, Mababe Zokotsama Community Development Trust has resolved to terminate a contract which was sub leased to a certain safari company at NG41 to operate camp sites.

The decision follows the recent visit to Mababe by the deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism accompanied by Botswana Tourism Organisation District Technical Advisory Committee and some government officials to discuss their plea as they had long requested to change the lease to photographic tourism.

It was reported that NG41 was leased to a safari company as a hunting concession for many years but the community was not benefiting following the hunting ban.

The community requested the ministry to change their lease for NG41 to a photographic tourism as currently they were not benefiting from it.

In an interview, the Village Development Committee chairperson, Mr Molatlhegi Matsamo confirmed that the deputy permanent secretary and his entourage visited them to address the issue of NG41 noting that they were given two weeks to resolve the matter.

He said during the discussion, it was realised that the trust made a mistake as they did not follow the mother lease.

He said they were advised that they could have taken a letter of consent from the department of lands because the mother lease does not allow sub-leasing hence a decision was made to terminate the contract of camp sites with the investor whose lease was expected to end by July 2017.

Mr Matsamo also revealed that the community also complained that the current investor was not serious about their welfare hence they supported the decision.

“This means the camp sites are now in the hands of the community and the trust would operate them for their benefit,” said Mr Matsamo.
Furthermore, he said the decision had made a big difference as they managed to create job opportunities for the locals noting that so far 10 jobs were available.
 

He said once they are issued with a license, more jobs would be created. During a meeting last year with the Minister of Lands Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Kgosi Montle Kebualemang requested that the lease be abolished because it was not working for the community and yet it was near completion.

He said that before hunting ban, they used to generate P3m a year adding that the ban has affected their coffers and their plan to develop their village. BOPA