17 Jul 2019

Community trusts should create lasting projects to benefit their communities, Minister of Environment, Tourism and Natural Resources Conservation, Mr Kitso Mokaila, has said.

Mr Mokaila, who was addressing residents of Khwai recently, said the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Act would ensure proper management of trusts, noting that mismanagement of community trusts funds and lack of proper management were a major concern.

Once in action, the CBNRM act would protect the communities, something that would be a motivation for the communities to conserve their natural resources.

He said those who were found guilty of mismanagement of community trusts funds would face the law when the CBNRM Act was in place.

Mr Mokaila also stated that government desired involvement of Batswana in the tourism industry and therefore it was time trusts moved away from leasing concession areas and became active shareholders in operating the tourism activities in their areas.

Mr Mokaila said that could be realised by using the concession areas as security at financial institutions for financial assistance.

He further appealed to the Khwai Development Trust to use its funds for permanent developments as water and electricity connections, and roads infrastructure in their village.

The minister noted that the Khwai Development Trust generated about P8 million and P7 million in 2017 and 2018 respectively, the funds he said left less visible developments in the area with a large sum going towards employees.

Mr Mokaila also urged Khwai residents to dialogue with government and the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Natural Resources Conservation on issues that affected them instead of losing a great part of their profits in legal representation.

He noted that the role of government and stakeholders was to facilitate positive linkages for the trusts, saying the communities and government should not be enemies.

For his part, Kgosi Merafe Amos of Khwai said residents appreciated the minister for his consultation, saying they were disgruntled by lack of proper consultation in the previous years, hence taking some matters to court.

Nonetheless, he said the residents were willing to dialogue with the ministry to find a solution especially regarding Tsaro Lodg, which they felt was awarded to an investor inappropriately.

Regarding Tsaro Lodge, Mr Mokaila said there were changes in the Land Bank Policy, which would help the community trust to have a relationship with the land board and the investor as well as to receive benefits accordingly. Ends