04 Apr 2018

Government has terminated mineral prospecting licences in the Okavango Delta following the decision adopted during the 40^th session of the World Heritage Committee.

An official from department of National Museum and Monuments, Ms Getrude Matswiri said when presenting at the on-going initiatives within the delta since the inscription as a World Heritage Site.

She explained that government was requested to conclude negotiations with the remaining licences to terminate all prospecting activities within the property’s buffer zone and to continue monitoring and managing prospecting licences and mining operations outside the buffer zone to avoid any adverse impacts on the property.

The committee, she said reiterated its position that mineral exploration was incompatible with World Heritage status which was supported by International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM) position statement of not undertaking such activities within the World Heritage properties.

Ms Matswiri mentioned some of the factors identified at the time of inscription and those affecting the property such as lack of wildlife monitoring programme, animal sanitation and disease, mining; management and governance; management systems/plans, engagement of local communities and indigenous peopl, upstream and downstream developments among others.

Some of the decisions, she said were implemented by independent organisations such as Southern African Regional Environmental Programme (SAREP). 

Ms Matswiri further stated that although there was a welcome progress in some of the recommendation, some were not implemented because most challenges could be addressed through the review of the Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP).

She emphasised the need to review the plan which she said did not cater for the requirements of the World Heritage, citing that there was no issue of budget in the plan. She said currently, they had received funding to the tune of P27 million to review the plan.

Ms Matswiri said although the funding was inadequate, she appreciated that it would help to carry out some sections of the plan and also believed that government would provide the rest of the budget. 

She said they intended to engage an expert who would guide them in the exercise which would start this month . 

Many of the prescriptions of the plan had not been  implemented and that the institutional arrangements for its implementation have proved ineffective hence the need to review the plan, she explained.

In addition, Ms Matswiri stated that since the delta became famous, there were many interested parties who wanted to start tourism activities.

For his part, Mr Andreas Leburu who represented Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC) appreciated the delta’s recognition, but expressed concern about poor consultation of communities especially indigenous people.

He said one of the recommendations had stressed the need to take on board all stakeholders, but indigenous people were left behind. He also stated that promotion of cultural heritage had not been accorded prominence. 

Mr Leburu also suggested that the delta needed a single governance unit and that an association of Ngamiland people needed to be formed to tackle Ngamiland issues. ENDS