18 Jul 2026

Parliament has adopted a motion presented by MP for Maun East, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile, which requested government to introduce a special guns permit quota for farmers residing in dangerous wildlife infested farming areas. ‎ ‎Presenting the motion on Friday before Parliament adopted it, he argued that Botswana has a high wildlife population, which contributed to tourism growth and national economy. ‎ ‎But he stated that the issue of human-wildlife conflict was an eyesore especially in areas adjacent to wildlife management areas such as game reserves and national parks. ‎ ‎He said the most affected districts were Okavango, North West, Tutume, Chobe, Bobirwa and Kgalagadi. ‎ ‎Mr Kekgonegile said residents strived to improve food security but their efforts were undermined by issues of human-wildlife conflict, which he said contributed high levels of poverty. ‎ ‎By introducing special guns permit quota, he said farmers in wildlife-infested areas could be able to protect themselves and property from animals. ‎ ‎While he appreciated that agriculture and tourism were all critical sectors of the economy, Mr Kekgonegile underscored the need to strike a balance between the two so that they equally benefitted the communities. ‎ ‎“Human-wildlife conflict is growing, especially in areas along the wildlife management areas as everyday residents were terrorised by animals such as lions, elephants, wild dogs and hyenas among others and such incidents do occur regularly,” he noted. ‎ ‎Mr Kekgonegile said most affected were subsistence farmers or semi-commercial, whose agriculture remained their source of livelihood. ‎ ‎“We believe that by introducing civilian firearms can be one of the best solutions to protect themselves from these dangerous animals,” he added. ‎Furthermore, he appreciated that there was compensation scheme in place, which he said, was inadequate, citing undervalued pay-outs and delayed imbursement among others. ‎ ‎He also stated that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) faced a lot of challenges, citing that currently, it was overwhelmed because of shortage of staff and stretched limited resources resulting in late response to assist farmers well on time. ‎ ‎Mr Kekgonegile also acknowledged the interventions in place such as building predator-proof kraals and chilli deterrents for crop raiding animals among others but noted that they were ineffective while some farmers could not afford to implement some. ‎ ‎“This motion does not refer to all districts but to those experiencing issues of human-wildlife conflict, particularly areas within the affected districts are the one deserving to have such guns. They will be issued to those who can safely handle them,” he added. ‎ ‎Responding to the motion, Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa stated that everyone was aware of the issues of human-wildlife conflict and introducing special guns permit quota for farmers would not be fair as other sections such as the business owners and even MPs just to mention a few, would also want to own guns for their safety and protection. ‎ ‎Mr Mohwasa stated that the government through its commitment to the African Union and the SADC Protocol dealing with the curbing of proliferation of firearms and indeed as a signatory to the international Arms Trade Treaty has adopted a position, which sought to limit the arms and ammunitions in the hands of the citizens in Botswana. ‎ ‎The commitment, he said was a bullet in the arms and ammunition act, adding that the government also had policies that encouraged co-existence of the people with wild animals, which had worked well so far. ‎ ‎‘So, this proposal will run counter the government commitment to curb proliferation of firearms and the policy of co-existence of people with the animals. I know human-wildlife conflict is a challenge but people issuing more guns will create waves of violence,” he added. ‎ ‎Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Major General (Rtd) Pius Mokgware noted that challenges advanced by the mover of the motion were valid but issuance of guns was not the solution, but rather a big mistake saying the government would regret on that. ‎ ‎He called for a permanent solution that was non-lethal, arguing that a weapon was legal equipment and before issuing it to someone, training and practical drilling were essential for safety and legality. ‎ ‎Instead of gun issuance, he proposed that the government come up with a well-developed compensation programme that ensured farmers were paid according to the market value so that they could be restored to the initial position. ENDS