28 Jun 2018

eSwatini’s  King Mswati III has promised to visit Botswana again after appreciating the beauty of the country’s treasure, the Okavango Delta.

Accompanied by Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama, the king visited the delta recently.  

The monarch is also in Botswana to attend the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) summit which starts in Gaborone today.     

After touring the delta,  King Mswati expressed appreciation for government’s commitment and support to the development of the tourism industry.

In an interview, he said Botswana tourism was blooming adding he was impressed with the way it was handled.

He said the beauty of the delta’s fauna and flora was so impressive that it earned Botswana international recognition and attention.

The king said there was therefore need to learn more and work on a relationship that would help the southern African region.

King Mswati III also said the delta remained one of the most attractive areas that would keep luring international tourists due to the existence of a variety of wildlife species there.

The delta, which is a World Heritage Site, remains outstanding owing to its natural processes, higher species concentration and habit diversity within a large protected area.

For his part, Minister Khama explained that King Mswati’s visit was not only for him to appreciate its beauty but also to learn how the country managed its ecosystem, protected its wildlife and conserved the environment.

He said the visit was also a benchmarking exercise.

North West District Council chairman Mr Duncan Enga said the king’s visit would open doors for other regional state leaders to visit the delta.

Mr Enga said it would further market the country and grow the tourism sector and eventually benefit the Ngamiland community.

“We expect more people to flood our country and traverse to the mighty delta to explore and experience life in there and also appreciate the beauty of the area,” he added.

Mr Enga also said they had an opportunity to discuss important issues with the monarch and had in turn learned more about eSwatini, and how its administration generated its own revenue to advance its development. ENDS