07 Feb 2019

Tourism master plans for Letsibogo, Shashe and Thune dams have been completed and are expected to guide developments that will enable their sustainable utilisation for tourism.

Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Mr Kitso Mokaila said the implementation of the plans would commence from the 2019/20 financial year.

“Foreigners with residence permits are allowed to visit and do fishing in dams, and foreigners visiting the country and living in lodges or camps on a short term basis may visit dams and do fishing under licenses issued to lodges,” he explained.

Mr Mokaila said locals with fishing licences were allowed to fish in dams depending on the availability of set fishing quotas.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had wanted to know why dam tourism was not allowed in and around dams.

He also wanted to know why foreigners were not allowed permits to visit dams and fish for leisure, and why locals were given fishing permits but not allowed to fish in dams.

In another question, Member of Parliament for Boteti East, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe asked the minister if he was aware that Debswana had leased a contractors camp to a private company to operate a hotel while there were other hotels and guest houses in Letlhakane funded through the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency, National Development Bank or commercial banks recognised by the laws of Botswana.

MP Lelatisitswe had wanted the minister to reveal if the Department of Tourism was aware, and to state the type of license issued to the private company and who issued it.

He also wanted to know the number of rooms at the hotel and their rates, the rooms occupancy rate for the last two years, and whether Debswana was competing with locals on businesses reserved for them, and if so, how would the issue be resolved.

Furthermore, MP Lelatisitswe also wanted to know the number of guest houses, hotels, lodges and multi residential businesses in Letlhakane.

He also wanted to find out the effect of the hotel businesses funded by government.

Minister Mokaila said he was aware of the facility housing contractor employees in Orapa.

Mr Mokaila said no license had been issued to the private camp because of its nature of operation, saying the multi residential business did not fall under tourism licensed classifications.

He said their investigations revealed that the contractors camp was operating 600 rooms per sharing, thus making 1 200 beds, adding that their rates ranged from P30.36 to P56.70 per night.

Mr Mokaila pointed out that it was not easy to provide the occupancy rate because the facility was not licensed and therefore not submitting monthly returns.

“Debswana is not competing with locals on reserved businesses, as this is a contractor’s camp for employees of companies engaged by Debswana in their mining contractual works” he stated.

Mr Mokaila said there were 29 licensed tourism facilities within the Boteti Sub-district, Letlhakane included, adding that they were categorised into lodges, guest houses, bed and breakfast, camp sites, mobile safaris, selected services hotels, fully serviced hotels, self-catering facilities and category  of quad bikes and zipline.

“Let me reiterate that the said facility is not a hotel. It is just a contractor’s camp accommodating employees who could not be given housing by Debswana,” said Mr Mokaila.

He said management staff were charged P56.10 for accommodation, P53.72 for breakfast, P50.73 for lunch, P56.70 for dinner and P50.73 for packed lunch.

For skilled senior staff, Mr Mokaila stated that prices were charged at P51.20 for accommodation, P39.22 for breakfast, P39.22 for lunch, P45.26 for dinner and P39.22 for packed lunch.

For semi-skilled senior staff or junior personnel, Mr Mokaila indicated that prices were charged at P50.50 for accommodation, P35.65 for breakfast, P32. 68 for lunch, P35.65 for dinner and P32.68 for packed lunch. ENDS