19 Jun 2022

Ministry of Environment and Tourism has raised a concern about Community Based Organisations (CBOs) that go into partnership with investors without informing the ministry’s technical advisory committee.

Addressing the North West District full council, the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, Mr Boatametse Modukanele said the ministry and the committee would only find out about such partnerships when deals had gone sour and the CBOs had been swindled out of funds.

Community trusts hold power over the land or natural resources that government had accorded to them and therefore it was unethical for CBOs to give that power to private investors to hold lease to those natural resources, he added.

Mr Modukanele said it was imperative for board of trustees to inform advisory committee and ex-officios in their locality about the operations of the community trusts so that they did not end up making bad decisions.

He said mismanagement of funds was very common among CBOs and therefore the ministry had engaged Ngamiland Council of Non- Governmental Organisations (NCONGO) to train and up-skill board members in Ngamiland on good governance.

Mr Modukanele pointed out that his ministry had in the past suggested that there should be a minimum education requirement for people who sat on such boards and for the CBOs to have a provision to allow for experts from elsewhere to also sit on the board to help cultivate growth.

He informed councilors that as per the rationalisation exercise, talks were ongoing for the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) portfolio to be transferred from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to the new Ministry of Entrepreneurship.

He said guidelines would be put forward to ensure core values of CBOs being conservation of natural resources would not be diminished.

Mr Modukanele said the 2022 hunting quota was P12 million, which was less from the 2021 quota as it stood at P16.6 million.

He said hunting generated income for CBO. He rebuked CBOs that signed deals with private companies before quotas were released.

Seronga/Gunotsoga Councillor, Mr Boipuso Mangurunga expressed worry about CBNRM portfolio being transferred, stating that their core mandate was to conserve natural resources so that they benefited people in that locality hence its transfer would mean focus would be on income generation.

Bojanala ward Councillor, Mr Luke Motlaleselelo said there was need for extensive education for board of trustees, so that they were well versed on contractual matters to avoid instances where they signed partnerships that went beyond their lease period as per the Department of Lands certificate.

He further expressed his objections over board of trustees that overstayed in office hence requested the deputy permanent secretary to liaise with advisory committee to advice boards to hold elective Annual General Meetings. Ends