22 Jan 2018

Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Mr Carter Morupisi has implored communities to keep their surroundings clean as a dirty environment has potential to scare investors and tourists away.

Speaking during a community service on Saturday, in which all the permanent secretaries cleaned Kgaphamadi ward in Kasane, Mr Morupisi encouraged the residents to keep the township clean in order for it to continue attracting tourists.

Mr Morupisi, who together with other permanent secretaries all donated three garbage bins said Chobe contributes to the country’s economy through tourism hence his team found it fit to help keep it tidy.

Chobe council chairperson, Mr Paul Chabaesele applauded the team adding that since he came into the chairmanship, he came with an initiative to dedicate one hour of every month to cleaning the environment.

He said when trying to develop Kasane into a green land, he realised that it was time for the government to ban the use of plastic bags and instead consider recyclable material.

Plastics pollute the environment, he noted.

After cleaning Kasane, the team visited Ngoma Lodge, which is a joint community and privately funded project between Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT) and Africa Albida Tourism.

When briefing permanent secretaries, the general manager, Mr Jarryd King said the lodge, which is seven years old has 16 rooms and is different from other lodges in Chobe in terms of the rooms and the environment.

Mr King said he was excited about the developments taking placing as a result of partnership because some locals who started at the low ranks had since moved through the ranks.

He cited that one of them started as a labourer but has since become one of the managers while the one who was employed to wash dishes has become a chef.

He said the lodge employs from the villages in the Chobe Enclave, namely Parakarungu, Satau, Kachikau, Kavimba and Mabele.

The chairperson of CECT, Mr Amos Mabuku appreciated the PSs for visiting the lodge indicating that it showed the government’s commitment to empowering the rural communities.

He said CECT contributes to employment creation and implored the government to be flexible in terms of land acquisition for the trusts.

Mr Mabuku noted that the partnership was running according to the contract but observed that there was need to revisit the agreement as it had been overtaken by events.

He however explained that there was a scheduled meeting in which the challenge would be addressed.

Mr Mabuku highlighted that unlike other trusts, CECT employed locals who have the right qualifications to be in management positions such as the accountant.

In an interview with BOPA, the PS in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, Mr Jimmy Opelo noted that Ngoma Lodge is one of the best entities showing how cooperation between communities and the private sector operates.

He commended them for working well with the ministry adding that all community trusts should emulate CECT.

Mr Opelo noted that the ministry has a problem with how some trusts run their affairs but he was very happy with how CECT operated. Ends