22 Jan 2017

The European Union (EU) under the Empowerment of Non State Actors Programme has boosted Khama Rhino Sanctuary with P450 000 towards the sanctuary’s Community Fire Management Programme.

In an interview, the deputy chief warden administrator at Khama Rhino Sanctuary Mr Thapelo Baiphethi said they will be working with five villages being Serowe, Mabeleapodi, Paje, Mmashoro and Tshimoyapula.

He said from these five villages, there were 16 Village Development Committees (VDCs) of which five members from each VDC will be chosen to be trained under the fire management programme.

“We train VDC members so that they can go and manage the Fire Management Teams established in their villages,” he explained.

Mr Baiphethi said the training was done so that in the event of a veld fire, as they were popular during winter, there would be trained people who could manage it before it destroyed the environment, property and even people.

He said through the same initiative, last year they managed to train 160 people from three villages; Serowe, Paje and Mabeleapodi.

From this 160, he said 30 were chosen from different government departments while 130 were people chosen by dikgosi in their villages.

“Fire is a national threat and because of lack of funds, it is difficult for government to assist small villages like Mabeleapodi. Through this programme we are trying to meet government halfway,” said Mr Baiphethi.

The 80 trainees chosen will go through an eight-month long course divided into theoretical and practical training. BOPA