29 Nov 2020

The Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security has facilitated the export of beef from Ngamiland District by licensing and authorising two private abattoirs in the district other than the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) to export beef out of Ngamiland.

The Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane briefed Parliament on November 26 that the three abattoirs in the Ngamiland District being the BMC, Batawana and the Ngami, exported 27 524 tonnes to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kuwait and Zimbabwe. He said 227 794 tonnes was exported to DRC, Kuwait, Gabon and Mozambique while 205 520 tonnes were exported to DRC in 2020.

“This is compared to 155.16 tonnes to Mozambique and DRC, 102. 87 tonnes to DRC and Kuwait and 89.64 tonne to DRC that were exported the previous year by the same facilities respectively,” he said when updating the House of the pledges made by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi at Maun Kgotla on September 2018.

The update was in regard to progress made in securing new markets for export of beef from the North West District.

He said to increase the market access for Ngamiland beef, the ministry of agriculture in conjunction with trading partners and collaborating partners introduced Community Based Trade (CBT) to focus on trade in safe commodities rather than geographical separation.

“The project will enable cattle in Ngamiland to access and trade in broader markets in addition to the ones stated above even in the green zones within Botswana”, he said.

Mr Tsogwane said the ministry was implementing the progressive control path away which would progress Hainaveld farms into a protection zone and ultimately progress it into green zone.

“The rest of Ngamiland is to have an endorsed control programme for Foot and Mouth Disease by 2022 and a Foot and Mouth Disease free status with vaccination by 2025,” he said.

 Vice President Tsogwane further pointed out that there had been the suspension of allocation of tourism land as a response to ensure that citizens played a more meaningful role in the tourism sector. 

The suspension, he said was to enable the government to resolve issues raised by concerned citizens regarding distribution and management of tourism industry land under the management of Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Development. 

He said a Cabinet Directive was also issued.  He explained that to date, a series of consultative meetings had been held with land authorities across the country to solicit their views and input regarding the implementation of the CAB directive on the transfer of administrative and management of Tourism.

Mr Tsogwane said handing of reports and recommendations to each one of the land authorities on way forward regarding disposal of vacant sites and renewal or non-renewal of expired leases had been produced.

“New lease templates have been developed to close loose ends on a lease signed for tribal and state land for tourism purposes”, he said 

Mr Tsogwane said in May 2019, the President issued a policy direction on creation of a citizen’s empowerment model for tourism which among others advocated that land allocated to citizens through tourism economic empowerment model be used as collateral by allottees to secure shareholding and or partnerships.

He said through the models, the existing vacant concessions should be solely reserved for allocation to citizen companies or consortia or joint ventures or community trust.

“Tourism land parcels be identified and reserved for allocation to citizen companies, community or joint ventures of companies or community of not less than five citizen consortia with no less than ten members each”, he said.

He said in the long term, upon expiry of the 15 years lease, existing concession operators should be engaged and persuaded to issue part of shareholding to citizens.

Mr Tsogwane said in the models for citizen empowerment, preferential allocation of 70 per cent and 30 per cent be given to new entrants to the tourism sector and existing participants respectively.

Maun West Legislator Mr Dumelang Saleshando had wanted to know the progress made in securing new markets for export of beef from the North West district and the steps taken to ensure citizen participation in the tourism sector and milestones reached. ends