08 Nov 2020

Kgosi Malope II of Bangwaketsi and Kanye North MP, Mr Thapelo Letsholo have committed to support the Bathoen II Dam Nature Sanctuary Management Trust. 

The duo pledged the support after presentation by the trust Chairman Mr Mwofiwa Dinake at the main Kgotla in Kanye recently.

In his report, the chairman decried of lack of support from the donor agencies, government department and general members. He said over the years lack of support limited the trust growth.

In his remarks Kgosi Malope II acknowledged that the trust had many challenges hence his desire to assist going forward.

He said together with the Member of Parliament, they will see to it that the trust was driving its plans for the benefit of the village, considering the many natural resources available for the growth of tourism.

Kgosi Malope II said his dream was to see Kanye being one of the tourism destination in the country.

He said Kanye had many potential for tourism growth therefore there was need for the leadership to actively take part in the activities of the trust.

Kgosi Malope II said he was pleased that even Members of Parliament in the village had shown interest to be actively engaged in the conducts of the trust.

“I want all of us to work in unity and revive the trust so that it can be fully productive and make a difference in our community,” he said. 

Kgosi plead with the community to consider extending the term for the current management up to January 14th to prepare for elections of the new committee.

He thanked the committee for the spirit of volunteerism and commitment to civil duty to ensure that the village achieved its dreams of growth.  

For his part, Mr Letsholo admitted that there were challenges faced by the trust that needed intervention. 

He pronounced his commitment to join hands with the trust to assist where necessary.

He noted that in their engagement, focus would be specifically be directed towards auditing and constitutional review so that it was aligned with the best practices.

Mr Letsholo noted that a robust strategy was necessary for sustainable local tourism in Kanye. 

“This would give us opportunities to make use of some of these natural resources, improve livelihoods at the same time preserving them for our future generations,” he said.

In his presentation, Trust Chairman, Mr Dinake expressed concerns that, lack of support was a major setback and hindrance towards their success, saying they were unable to audit finances because certified accountants were expensive.   

Mr Dinake acknowledged that the current constitution was outdated, as it had a lot of loopholes.

Some members of the public raised concern about the quality of report which they said was compromised as it was not elaborate. Ends