09 Sep 2018

Members of the Consortium of African Funds for the Environment (CAFÉ) have been applauded for choosing not only Botswana but Kasane as a venue for their just-ended 8th general assembly.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, Assistant Minister of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Mr Machana Shamukuni said by so doing, they had exposed the country’s tourism products to the world. In addition, the Kasane community had benefitted from the CAFÉ assembly as they had an opportunity to offer services such as entertainment, he said.

Mr Shamukuni also said the shared experiences from the presentations and discussions facilitated by counterparts from the region and other parts of the world would result in better management of the country’s precious resources left by its forefathers and entrusted to the current generations to pass on to the next.

He explained that consortiums such as CAFÉ had been established as viable mechanisms for securing investment and funding for environmental priorities in Africa saying such funds could enable the likes of Forest Conservation Botswana to finance conservation projects thereby ensuring sustainability of Botswana’s national treasure.

Mr Shamukuni noted that sustainable use of natural resources was one of the priorities outlined in the country’s 11th National Development Plan and Vision 2036.

Consequently, he said, government had put measures in place to ensure that the environment had the ability to generate more goods and services while allowing it to recover and continue to boost economic growth.

The assistant minister expressed the hope that the CAFÉ members would serve as brand ambassadors for both Kasane and Botswana.

He thanked the media for covering the event and called upon journalists to ensure that the outcomes of the assembly were disseminated to a wider audience.ENDS