21 Aug 2020

The Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Phildah Kereng, says the Mapanda Community Trust benefitted from the 2020 hunting quota with receipt of over P273 000.

According to the minister, the trust’s mandate was to enable Lepokole community to utilise natural resources for economic activities through an agreement with the Botswana Tourism Organization (BTO), which intended to develop Lepokole Game Reserve.

Ms Kereng stated that the trust had acquired lease for a 1043 hectare plot with drilling of two boreholes powered by solar energy including introduction of various animal species in the park.

She also said the trust had been facilitated with development of water holes and a dam to capture rain water including adages of internal vehicle tracks and roads.

She also noted that BTO had facilitated acquisition of the required land for the trust and financed the needed infrastructure for the project on behalf of the government, adding that BTO was also providing oversight in management of the project.

As part of its mandate, the minister said BTO provided licensing and regulation services to facilities such as Lepokole Nature Reserve including various training sessions on different aspects of service delivery in the tourism sector through the Tourism Industry Training Levy fund from which employees of the Lepokole Nature Reserve had benefitted.

Ms Kereng also said BTO was also in consultation with the Mapanda Conservation Trust regarding future direction and plans for the project.

She added that BTO and the trust were also in the process of concluding an exit strategy for the former from the project.

“This exit strategy is aimed at maintaining improved business continuity through private sector involvement,” she said.

She was answering a question from Bobonong MP, Mr Taolo Lucas, who asked the minister to give an update on the performance of Mapanda Trust in Bobirwa Sub-district  and also the roles and mandates of  BTO in respect of the project. He also asked the minister if there were any plans to expand the project and if any, how the ministry would implement. ENDS