25 Nov 2020

Government should consider earmarking Lobatse as the centre for the promotion of heritage tourism.

 Debating the State-of-the-Nation Address, Lobatse legislator, Dr Thapelo Matsheka highlighted that the old town had so much to offer and contribute to the tourism industry due to its breathtaking natural landscape and heritage sites.

Dr Matsheka emphasised the role of tourism in economic development, saying the tourism sector had linkages across the economy as it represented the largest contributor to income and employment creation.

He stated that the inclusion of such sites into Gaborone conference itinerary would also unleash greater opportunities in Lobatse.

He said the proposition of Lobatse being a heritage tourism centre was a catalyst for the revitalisation of Lobatse as it had the greatest potential to absorb a large number of unemployed youth.

The intention to transform Lobatse into a heritage tourism hub, he said was to ensure sustainable socio-economic and cultural development combined with the preservation and active enhancement of cultural resources.

Dr Matsheka indicated that heritage and cultural tourism were notably some of the fastest emerging competitive tourism segments internationally, hence the need to take advantage of Lobatse.

Despite being the first in Botswana to have a 5km tarmac road, Dr Matsheka said Lobatse also hosted Africa’s liberation icons such as Samora Machel and Nelson Mandela.

He said the town hosts the Samora Machel memorial in Peleng West, where one can find the very house that he occupied at the late Mr John Kgaboesele’s during the fight for the liberation of Mozambique, while Mandela’s monument is at Mr Fish Keitseng’s residence in Peleng Central. He said it was imperative to link the historical sites in Lobatse by redoing the route or tourist trails and opening appropriate recreational facilities to support such heritage sites visits.

He stated that the rehabilitation of the old Lobatse quarry for recreation purposes would also attract more activities in the town.

Further, Dr Matsheka noted the strong link between land use and tourism development as well as economic activities.

 “Lobatse is surrounded by farms, therefore, government initiative to unlock value in farmlands presents an opportunity for employment creation as it also allows private farm owners to set up health restaurants and build limited rooms to cater for tourism, hence promoting farm tourism,” he said.

With regard to Botswana Meat Commission, Dr Matsheka highlighted that BMC remained an integral part of Lobatse as the core of the beef sector.

He thus applauded government for hastening efforts to reform the beef industry and the small stock. 

Dr Matsheka, who is also the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, said the advent of COVID-19 had impacted on the country’s economic growth, adding that government had set aside P1.3 billion for the industry support fund. 

The Industry Support Fund, Dr Matsheka said, was one of the interventions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and assist businesses to meet their working capital.

 He said of the P1.3 billion disbursed, P100 million would be for the informal sector, with only Local Enterprise Authority registered informal entrepreneurs poised to receive a once-off P1 000 grant.

He said P900 million would be allocated to general industry, P200 million to tourism and P100 million to agriculture. ends