20 Feb 2024

Certain establishments and social clubs have shown interest to support the envisaged North West District Council chairman’s 20km charity walk billed for March 9 in Maun.

Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture, Mr Buti Billy, is expected to be the guest walker at the event which aims to raise funds towards resuscitating the chairman’s fund whose purpose is primarily to assist during emergencies in the district such as disaster occurrences and social issues.

Briefing the media on the preparations for the event, the Council Chairperson, Mr Itumeleng Kelebetseng, said efforts to lure potential sponsors and mobilise the community were bearing fruit.

Wilderness Safaris, Kwando Safari, Halfway Ngami Toyota and NTT Nissan are among companies that have promised to support and participate in the event, Mr Kelebetseng said.

Kgosi Tawana Moremi of Batawana he said was also in favour of the idea and had shown a desire. “My efforts to mobilise and solicit support from stakeholders seem to be paying off as many have shown interests to come on board,” he said. 

“It is pleasing that they see the need for the fund which will augment council’s coffers, to assist disadvantaged persons.”

Mr Kelebetseng said the initiative had potential to diversify existing products and have a positive effect on the lives of the community.

He said the initiative could make Maun a tourism destination of choice and be more appealing to potential tourists with different interests hence urged the media to assist to report about it widely as it was possible.

The Council secretary, Mr Thatayotlhe Balapi, said the walk would hopefully attract more initiatives which could raise more capital for the chairman’s fund which had been inactive for a long time.

He said the fund was a community based initiative hence they were mobilising many stakeholders to take part in it.

“We found it necessary to resuscitate the fund because the council does not have provision to fund it. The charity walk, is one of our strategies to raise funds and more activities will follow going forward,” he added. ENDS