17 Mar 2022

Lobatse MP, Dr Thapelo Matsheka has challenged the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Conservation to look closely at citizen empowerment in the tourism sector. 

Debating the 2022/2023 financial year budget proposal for the environment, natural resources and conservation ministry on Wednesday, Dr Matsheka said there should be a strategy aimed at ensuring that there were more Batswana who owned businesses in lucrative value chains of the tourism industry. 

That, he said would result in locals benefitting more economically from the sector. 

He further said the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) policy had not resulted with communities benefitting enough from natural resources in their areas. 

He therefore asked for the policy to be reviewed. 

“My view is the policy is a halfway house through which communities (trusts) preserve the resources while majority of profits are not enjoyed by the community,” he said. 

He therefore said the best model should be developed to ensure communities derived more revenue from wild life resources in their area. 

He said Batswana were currently in the periphery of the tourism sector.

On dam tourism, Dr Matsheka expressed disappointment that the ministry was only now awarding sites to operators after more than a decade of talking about developing the sub sector. 

“Some of these things are delaying the empowerment that we want to see happening in the industry. Implementation of all these brilliant ideas is important to avoid denying Batswana opportunities,” he said. 

Dr Matsheka also expressed concern that little was being done to promote the abundance of heritage sites around Lobatse as part of the country’s tourism eco system. 

While Francistown East MP, Mr Buti Billy urged the ministry to tap into the massive tourism potential in the Francistown area. 

Mr Billy said dam tourism would prosper in the area because of water from Shashe and Ntimbale dams. 

He added that other heritage sites such as Nyangabwe Hill and Mophane club, and Francistown being one of the first gold mining towns in Southern Africa, would attract tourists. 

He said all those opportunities should be packaged to turn Francistown into a tourism destination. Mr Billy further urged the ministry to put more measures of addressing human wildlife conflict to reduce loss of human lives due to attacks by wild animals. 

Kanye North MP, Mr Thapelo Letsholo said tourism should be turned into a big economic driver for villages using history, culture, cuisine, monumental buildings and heritage sites. 

Mr Letsholo said heritage sites in Kanye North, such as Ntlhane and Pharing gorges near Kanye, Mmalogage gorge in Lekgolobotlo, should be tapped into to create revenue streams. 

“A robust strategy is necessary to formulate a sustainable local tourism in Kanye North, for tourism management and conservation. 

This would give us opportunity to use some of the natural resources in our backyard to enrich our livelihoods and preserve them for our future generations,” he said. 

Letlhakeng/Lephepe MP, Mr Liaket Kablay called the ministry to promote tourism activities around Lephepe, Sojwe and Shadishadi pans/swamps. 

He said the places had beautiful scenery that would attract tourists and generate employment. 

He also asked for construction of a cultural village in Diphuduhudu to preserve Sesarwa culture and generate income. Chobe MP, Mr Machana Shamukuni asked the ministry to reserve majority of concession sites in Chobe for Batswana. 

He said the concession sites were lucrative and would result in Batswana deriving wealth from the tourism sector. Responding to some of the issues, environment, natural resources and conservation minister, Ms Phildah Kereng assured that more Batswana would be given opportunities in concession sites. 

She said the Kazungula redevelopment would lead to Batswana getting opportunities in the tourism value chain in the area. 

The budget proposal comprising over P832 million in recurrent expenditure and P382million in development expenditure was consequently approved. BOPA