06 Aug 2013

The Wilderness Safari, organisers and sponsors of the Nedbank tour the Tuli 2013 mountain bike cycle tour, have been applauded for their support for future environmental and nature conservation.

Speaking during the official opening of the annual Tour de Tuli mountain bike tour in Northern Tuli Game Reserve on August 3, Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Mr Tshekedi Khama said community empowerment and education were important aspects of effective nature conservation.

He said the cycle tour was operated as a fundraising event to raise funds for a non-profit organisation called Children in the Wilderness (CITW) as well as facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and environmental education for rural children in Africa.

He further said the programme began in Botswana in 2001 and had benefited about 4 600 children in the camps in seven countries where Wildness Safari operated. He said children should be educated and given exposure about insights of how to look after environment and leadership of taking control of environmental conservation.

Minister Khama said the tour which operated as tourism sport also gave cyclists the opportunity of cycling through some of Africa’s most remote and beautiful areas, allowing them to enjoy every moment of Africa’s allure.

The event, he noted, offered game viewing opportunities, cultural interaction, border crossings, crossing the Limpopo River and also ensured that cyclists supported local communities.

He stated that irrespective of limited participation by locals in the tour due to logistic organisation, the tour put Botswana on the map in terms of warmth and hospitality.

On other issues, the minister said next year there would be a local team from Botswana participating in the tour because sport tourism brought low impact to environment.

Meanwhile, South Africa Minister for Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa said she appreciated and acknowledged the vision of the Tour de Tuli to facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and education of rural children in Africa.

She highlighted the positive impact of the tour on local communities to preserve nature and impart leadership skills. Ms Molewa said the monies raised through the tour helped with the sustainability of the Children in the Wilderness programme by hosting more children’s camps, Eco-Clubs and hosting quality staff training.

She appealed to the seven countries in which Wildness Safari operated namely, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe to come together and support it for the success and development of the initiate to be effective. She said the initiative created awareness on how to preserve and conserve nature. The 2013 Tour de Tuli started on Friday August 2 and would finish on August 7. The route consists of approximately 290km journey.

 It began in Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana and traversed through the Southeastern part of Zimbabwe and would end at Mapumbugwe National Park in South Africa. The places to be visited include Limpopo Valley Airfield, Amphitheatre Bush Camp both in Botswana; Maramani Camp, Fly Camp in Zimbabwe and Mapungubwe- South Africa.

The sponsors for this year annual Tour de Tuli are Nedbank at the tune of over R1 million (R1 008,000.00), Platinum sponsors are Super Group R800 000.00, Coleman R540, 000.00, Europcar R200,000.00 and Livingstone’s supply R200,000.00. ENDS