24 Jun 2018

- Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Machana Shamukuni has implored the business community to help government develop communities.

Mr Shamukuni, who was speaking at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Wilderness Safari and Chobe Fresh and Dry Fish Association in Parakarungu on June 22, said businesses should develop the habit of ploughing back to the communities they operated in.He appreciated Wilderness Safari for allowing fishermen to fish on some of their properties given that Chobe people were dependent on natural resources, fishing included.

He said the gesture by Wilderness Safari to empower the fishermen was in line with government objective of poverty eradication as fisheries were one of the projects under the programme.

Mr Shamukuni noted that currently there was high demand for fish in the country as most of it was imported; therefore the fishing project was of a great deal. He said the agreement between the tourism enterprises would also assist in teaching the tourists how the river benefitted the community.

He, therefore, urged the two parties to keep the agreement alive. He urged the fishermen to also work in partnership with Botswana Defence Force and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) to fight poaching as the area was a hotspot for such a vice.

Wilderness Safari community development officer, Mr Lesego Moiteela said his company was committed to empowering the communities they operated in.

He explained that they had been working closely with many trusts in Maun and Chobe.

He said since 2016 Chobe Wilderness assisted five villages in the Chobe District.

The chairperson of Chobe Fresh and Dry Fish Association, Mr David Mbanga thanked Safari Wilderness for acceding to the association’s request of allowing fishing in their concession.

He appealed to DWNP to address the issue of allocating fishing licenses, specifying the village where fishing should take place, but should rather sanction fishing in a specific river. ENDS