26 Feb 2017

Residents of Khekhenye in the Letlhakeng sub-district have been urged to use their indigenous skills and knowledge to earn a living.

Speaking at a kgotla meeting at the village recently, senior wildlife ranger, Seaomeng Kgosana said skills and knowledge such as poetry, dance, song and drama can be used asmoney spinning tourist activities.

Kgosana advised residents to take advantage of their natural resources and start a cultural village where they can showcase their talents to generate income.

She noted that Sesarwa culture can be a pillar of tourism attraction in their village only if there was commitment and will power among residents to develop their village.

“Tourism is a sector that can make a huge difference in people’s lives, so I urge you to stand up and utilise wildlife programmes to improve your standards of living, especially that you have a unique way of doing things. Tourists are more interested in the arts like paintings, dances and the likes of traditional healing processes,” she said.

Kgosana further urged residents to form a trust as another way of attracting tourists, saying that they can use veldt products like kgengwe, moretologa, and motsotsojane to make end products like morvite, cooking oil, washing powder and drinks.

On other issues, Kgosana informed them about other programmes under their office, such as rearing of guinea fowls, which she said had low maintenance and management cost compared to other fowls.

Other projects, she mentioned included fish farming and game range, which she said were important because they were profitable.

Kgosi Molepi Letlatlawe said Basarwa had a rich culture that was unique, and thus encouraged them to fully utilise government initiatives to earn a living.

Kgosi Letlatlawe said with commitment, their cultural activities would become a major player in the tourism sector and that by showcasing their talent they would attract more tourists, resulting in increase in revenue to benefit the community. ENDS