04 Apr 2022

 Leader Of Opposition (LOO) in Parliament, Mr Dumelang Saleshando has requested government to reconsider allocation of eight tourism sites in the Chobe National Park to avoid congestion of the park.
Through an urgent motion on Friday, Mr Saleshando requested Parliament to ‘resolve that the expression of interest issued by the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism last month be withdrawn, and that the plan to allocate eight tourism sites be reconsidered to ensure fairness, transparency and strict adherence to the current Chobe Management Plan of 2021 and other government policy strategies such as the Chobe River Front Decongestion Strategy’.

Tabling the motion, Mr Saleshando said various researches indicated that the Chobe National Park, especially the river front area, was congested with tourism sites.
He said erecting additional camp sites would temper with the wildlife corridor inside the park and exacerbate human-wildlife conflict.
The legislator pointed that the 2018 Botswana Journal of African Studies, Volume 32 clearly showed that the park was congested.
“The Journal cited congestion as one of the main problems identified by the study done at Chobe National Park,” said the MP.

The LOO also argued that the fact that the ministry had developed a strategy paper on the decongestion of the Chobe River front, clearly indicated that the ministry was also worried by the congestion problem at the park.
Mr Saleshando further complained that requirements of the plan such as the need for applicants to have been in possession of tourism licenses for at least two years would disqualify many Batswana from being allocated the sites.
However, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng, opposed the motion.
Ms Kereng denied that there was congestion of camp facilities at the Chobe River front except for  congestion of tourists at the river front, sometimes.
She clarified that the proposed eight camp sites were demarcated at various areas of the park, not just the river front.

She said through the sites, government wanted to open opportunities for Batswana businesses to participate actively in prime tourism areas.
“The State of the Nation Address was clear that we would give camp sites in the Chobe National Park and the protected areas as a general strategy.
We will also do that in the game reserves such as Khutse, Central Kalahari and the Kgalagadi Transfontier Park.
We have identified about 48 camp sites for allocation to Batswana,” said the minister.
She added there was transparency in all the processes concerning the camp sites.

Good Hope/Mabule MP, Mr Eric Molale was also against the motion on the basis that the move to allocate camp sites in the national parks and game reserves was aimed at empowering citizens in the tourism industry. He further argued that there was fairness in all the processes.

Mahalapye East MP, Mr Yandani Boko, however, supported the motion, pointing that government allocated the camp sites against professional advice from researchers and consultants.
The debate on the motion was on when Parliament adjourned on Friday. ENDS