15 Aug 2019

Residents of Sankoyo have been urged to utilise their land effectively to improve their livelihoods.

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Sankoyo recently, Member of Parliament for Maun East, Mr Kostantinos Markus encouraged residents to also consider subdividing their fields to use for tourism activities  from which they could earn a living.

Due to the village’s proximity to Moremi Game Reserve and Okavango Delta, Sankoyo residents’ efforts to plough and rear livestock are being frustrated by roaming wildlife.

Mr Markus appreciated that President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi had allowed flexibility in some policies and removed impediments to multiple land use.

The changes, he said were meant to remove restrictions on land use to accommodate diversified economic activities within one piece of land.

The MP urged the communities to take advantage of such changes aimed at allowing citizens to unlock the full economic potential of their land and increase their production capacity.

He said members of the public could consider venturing into integrated farming or operate guest houses or any income generating projects to improve their lives.

Mr Markus, who is also the Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security raised a concern that residents were not utilising their ploughing fields.

He added that they should consider starting tourism projects.

He noted that some residents made efforts to plough and rear livestock but their efforts were in vain as elephants destroyed their fields.

Residents also learnt that government was making efforts to promote citizen empowerment in the tourism industry.

Mr Markus informed them that government intended to allocate vacant concessions to citizens and priority would be given to communities residing within the Wildlife Management Areas as custodians of the natural resources.

He also told residents that government had made a decision to re-introduce hunting but stated that it would be done in a controlled manner.

Currently, he said relevant authorities were working on the guidelines and once complete, residents would be engaged to appreciate and understand what is expected from them.

He was hopeful that most community trusts which relied much on hunting for sustenance would resurrect and implement suspended community projects.

MP Markus  also explained that the community would be given a hunting quota .

He further appreciated efforts made by the trust to complete refurbishment and expansion of the Kazikini campsite.

The trust was allocated P500 000 from the constituency funding to construct three ablution blocks.

Earlier on, Kgosi Gokgathang Moalosi of Sankoyo apologised for the low turn up of residents, stating that some of them had been employed in safari camps as three concessions were recently allocated and started operation.

About 100 locals, he said, had been hired and thanked the government for responding positively to the communities’ plea for the allocation of concessions to create employment opportunities. ENDS