12 Jul 2023

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has made efforts to improve internal roads, bridges and signage in national parks and game reserves in the North West District.

This was stated by the acting regional wildlife coordinator, Ms Pelotshweu Galebotswe Tuesday, July 11, when responding to a motion which had requested for the minister to address North West District council about the deteriorating roads within national parks and game reserves in the district.

Ms Galebotswe explained that the ministry had procured two graders last year, which had since been deployed to protected areas among others to repair internal roads. 

However, she noted that shortage of personnel was a challenge to patrol during tourism activities to ensure tourists complied with regulations.

Earlier on, when tabling the motion, Councillor Kenson Kgaga of Boro/Senonnori argued that the roads in Moremi Game Reserve had deteriorated having been constructed in 1975 and never maintained since.

Cllr Kgaga said efforts to engage relevant authorities in 1999/2000 hit a snag, adding that failure to maintain the roads hampered the growth of the tourism industry.

“We were told that the ministry has procured six graders and that each park will have its own grader but nothing is happening as the roads remain the same,” he added

Currently, he said, mobile safari operators, self-drive tourists and even government officers working in the game reserve experienced break downs time and again due to the bad state of the road.

“The mobile operators get stuck with clients and take long hours to get to the destination because they have to reduce speed in the park,” he added.

If some roads were well maintained, he said they could help reduce congestion in the game reserve. He said their region was a tourism hub hence it should be given the deserved attention.

Despite the explanation from the regional wildlife coordinator, other councillors supported the motion and insisted that the minister should come and address them.

The council also adopted a motion that request the Ministry of Agriculture to consider including ploughing field electrification package to the new upcoming integrated support programme for arable agriculture development.

They argued that the region was not performing well in terms of crop production because of the human wildlife conflict issues and believed that field electrification would be a solution.

A motion which requested the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to consider giving elephant quotas to community trusts that had registered and had no capital to start operations was also adopted.

Another motion adopted called on Tawana Land Board to consider issuing residential certificates to Boro residents whose homes had not been registered to maintain consistency and equitable distribution of land as the Tribal Land Act dictated. Ends