25 Mar 2024

Chobe Enclave Community Trust (CECT) villages will receive over P2 million each from the income generated in 2022 and 2023.

Presenting the financial statement for 2023 at the CECT annual general meeting in Satau on Saturday, Ms Curlie Sobo said the trust had generated an income of P15.8 million in 2023.

She said since the 2022 annual general meeting was not held the villages of Mabele, Kavimba, Kachikau, Satau and Parakarungu did not receive their share and that the funds were tallied with the P1.6 million 2023 income for each village.   

She said of the income generated by the trust in 2023, P8.7 million was earned through hunting, P3.9m was photographic concession fees, P1.7 million from variable community fees generated from Ngoma Lodge, P540 000 from general dealer sales, P500 000 tractor income and P316 000 brick moulding sales.

Ms Sobo said the remaining income for 2023 was budgeted expenditure for 2024.

Trust members quizzed officials on the criteria used to disburse funds and why the money could not be set aside for major projects such as road construction and lodging facilities in the enclave. 

Some members said funds should not be divided per village but instead invested in high value projects.

The community trusts general manager, Ms Moses Sinchembe explained that the money was disbursed as per the constitution which stated that income generated should go towards office operation and the remaining shared equally by the five villages constituting the trust.

He said it was the prerogative of each village to decide what to do with the money and not for the board of trustees to dictate.

The general manager noted that the trust generated an income of P9.1 million in 2021 and that P3.5 million was given to the villages and that in 2020 they made P9 million of which P1.2 million was shared by the five villages.

Mr Sinchembe also informed the meeting that the trust had introduced an Enterprise Development Fund where each village would receive a P100 000 grant to support small entrepreneurs. ENDS