19 Mar 2017

Littering along the Chobe River is a serious concern to the tourism township’s leaders and the residents at large.

The waste materials, which are mostly plastic bags, tins and bottles, are doing harm to the tourism sector, which Kasane prides itsself in.

In an interview, a representative from Botswana Guides Association (BOGA), Mr Mist Setaung said they had realised that since the river was next to the Water Front Mall, people bought food stuffs, and then leave the litter by the river bank after food consumption.

He said this reflected badly on tourists who visited Kasane from different corners of the world and said through his Kasane sub-committee, they had also realised that there were some residents staying near the river, who threw litter into the river.

Mr Setaung condemned such acts and urged all Chobe residents to take good care of their river because it played a pivotal role in their lives.

“I have decided to engage the concerned parties to see how we can work together to rectify this problem,” he said.

One of the local guides, Mr Kaiser Mpho of Dreams Safaris also condemned this littering, noting last year December, they had visitors from abroad who were concerned about these plastic bags floating in the river while they were on a boat cruise.

He also suggested that some of these residents needed awareness lessons on how to conserve their river for a lasting life span, adding that notice boards and dust bins could help alleviate this problem.

BOPA also visited the river bank and witnessed that indeed there were plastics thrown in the river and a concerned local young resident, Mr Kenneth Chika noted that some residents were being irresponsible by failing to dispose litter properly.

He however added that there were no waste bins along the river bank, noting that it iwa high time notice boards were put beside the river banks so that they could help regulate and remind people to dispose litter in the right places.

For his part, Kasane Central councillor, Sharps Munihango encouraged the residents of Kasane and Chobe at large to take good care of the Chobe River and always remember that natural resources like a river were not renewable nor bought.

He said residents of Chobe should remember that there were aquatic creatures, which depend ed on the river such as hippos and crocodiles, whose lives awee jeopardised by the careless littering. ENDS