10 Oct 2018

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism says Botswana will go into Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) conference without any pressure.

Minister Tshekedi Khama said in an interview in London yesterday that Botswana had top notch conservation strategies.

“No, we would not be going into the conference under any sort of pressure because we are recognised as the best in the world; a feat many have not been able to equal up until now,” he said.

He appealed to donor countries to continue to assist middle economies such as Botswana and the rest of Africa in their wildlife conservation endeavours.

Lack of donor according to him, remained one of the primary challenges within the wildlife sector.

Minister Khama said Botswana’s wildlife needed to be protected at all costs.

On Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), he said a lot of focus had been given to Ngamiland and Chobe districts; something he said left out huge opportunities in some marginal areas that needed to be exploited.

“We need to exploit these marginal areas taking leaf from the diamond model so that in the end all may benefit,” he said.

CBNRM, according to Minister Khama, was the next big thing for Botswana.

On game ranching, he said he stopped the venture because communities were not participating and Batswana seemed not to appreciate the value associated with it.

His position was that everybody needed to be taken on board and be able to derive economic benefits that come along with the venture. ENDs