25 Jun 2025

Community members in the Tsabong District have been urged to fully utilise the provisions of the newly proposed Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) Bill.

Speaking during the consultative meeting on CBNRM held in Tsabong on Tuesday, Ministry of  Environment and Tourism, deputy permanent secretary, Ms Abigail Khumoyame emphasised the  importance of the bill in combating financial misconduct.

“It is vital because it would reduce corruption and mismanagement of trust funds,” stated Ms Khumoyame, adding that embracing the bill would ensure communities truly benefited from their trusts, promoting prosperity and economic development.

She said the comprehensive bill aimed to usher in a new era of sustainable resource utilisation and enhanced community beneficiation. Ms Khumoyame explained that the bill had been in development since 2019, and it sought to address long-standing challenges within the CBNRM framework, such as poor governance, maladministration, misappropriation of resources, and a lack of accountability within Community Based Organisations (CBOs).

It also aims to rectify the absence of explicit legal standing for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in managing agreements between the government and CBOs, and between CBOs and their partners, she said.

 “The intended objectives of the CBNRM program was not achieved as desired,” Ms Khumoyame noted, underscoring the need for this new legislation.

The legislation was designed to provide a much-needed legal framework for CBNRM, define the rights of CBOs, establish support structures, and improve the overall management and security of these community entities.

For his part the acting principal natural resource officer, Mr Maika Maika said that the government’s long-standing support for CBNRM, which commenced in 1989 as a joint effort with USAID, was rooted in the belief that direct benefits to communities were essential for sustainable natural resource conservation.

He said that the approach had yielded significant economic returns, with controlled hunting alone generating P105 million since 2022. Furthermore, in 2022/23, CBOs employed over 7 000 people and generated more than P134 million from various activities, Mr Maika said and pointed out that once enacted, the bill would mandate the registration of all CBOs as well as establish a dedicated CBNRM department to oversee their activities and provide crucial capacity building.

“It would also create a national CBNRM board that would advise the minister and resolve disputes. Stricter regulations on CBO board member qualifications and financial management, including annual audits and a holding account with the district commissioner as a principal signatory, are also key components,” said Mr Maika.

The bill also outlines clear dispute resolution mechanisms and imposes severe penalties for offenses like embezzlement and fraud. The widespread consultations for the bill have involved various stakeholders, including Technical Advisory Committees, NGOs, development partners, and other government ministries. Existing CBOs will have a 12-month period from the bill’s commencement, to register under the new act. ENDS