04 Sep 2019

Maun Administration Authority has officially handed over P500 000 worth of facilities to Sankoyo community. The facilities comprises three ablution blocks at Kazikini camp site.

The project was funded through the constituency community projects programme.

Residents suggested the project with hope that Kazikini would generate more income to carry out community development projects and also create employment opportunities.

Speaking during handing over of the project, former Member of Parliament for Maun East, Mr Kostantinos Markus, said the campsite would go a long way in stimulating economic activity in the area.

He said he was aware of the challenges faced by the communities.

The challenges, he said, included high rate of unemployment especially among the youth, shortage of water and poor roads.

“In spite of the challenges that we face, I am hopeful that the Kazikini camp site offers some light at the end of the tunnel. I wish to indicate that in implementing the project, we do not use a blanket approach,” Mr Markus added.

 Instead, he said they should engage dikgosi and village development committees to identify priorities of each community and then implement projects that would address their needs.

Mr Markus some projects undertaken in the area included drilling of boreholes to alleviate the existing acute shortage of water.

Prioritizing the refurbishment of Kazikini camp site, he said, was also in order as the project would yield immediate benefits for the community through providing jobs and income for the locals.

Mr Markus who is also the assistant minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, appreciated that the area was not conducive for farming due to the existence of wildlife and other unfavourable conditions.

He emphasised the need to capitalise on the existing opportunities in the tourism sector to improve the communities’ lives and develop villages.

Tourism, he said, was identified as one area that could diversify the economy, hence the need to exploit every opportunity.

It was reported that the camp site hired 17 residents while 112 had been hired in the other four camp site operated by the community trust.

Kgosi Gokgathang Moalosi thanked the council for ensuring their dreams were realised.

The camp site, he said, opened doors in 2001 since they wanted to generate more income for community development projects and also create employment for residents.

The facility had grown and was making better profits.

Therefore, Kgosi Moalosi called on relevant authorities to support and hasten assistance to communities like Sankoyo.

He decried that the project had delayed, adding that it could have been implemented in the 2017/18 financial year.

“Tourism is a sensitive business and the moment we start a project we market ourselves at the same time because we are competing with others. Once we fail to deliver on time, the guests will go to other camp sites,” he added.

Kgosi Moalosi said the community was dreaming big and had plans to upgrade the camp site into a tented one, hence calling on all relevant authorities to join hands with them to achieve their dream. ENDS