Botswana Tourism Land Administration Reverts Back to Land Boards

Botswana Land Boards will once again begin allocating tourism lands starting from April 2019 since 2014. In 2014 the administration of tourism lands was transferred from the land boards to the parent Ministry of Lands, an unpopular move deemed by some as a violation of Botswana's land administration laws.  

However, from April, the administration of tourism lands will be restored back to the land boards.This is part of the changes introduced by the government of Mokgweetsi Masisi.

 Meanwhile, another change pertains to the way leases for tourism concessions will be granted. Head leases for Community concessions will be signed between the community trusts and Land Boards.  The community trusts will in turn sublease to tourism operators as it used to happen before the advent of the land bank. For other concessions, leases will be signed between Land Board and tour operators. However, the changes will not affect the terms of the existing leases.

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OKMCT launch housing Project

Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust (OKMCT) Launches Housing Project

OKMCT has launched a housing project that targets needy beneficiaries in the six settlements of its operations.

The six settlements covered by OKMCT are Ditshiping, Daunara, Boro, Xharaxao, Xuoxao, and Xaxaba.

On Monday, March 26, 2019, the Trust handed over 12 houses for 12 different beneficiaries in a ceremony held at Xaxaba settlement. Two people from each of the six OKMCT settlements each benefited a one roomed house and a toilet.

OKMCT manager, Seikaneng Moepedi said: “Through this project OKMCT targets to improve housing and sanitation conditions for the communities where we operate. Having a decent housing will bring dignity for our communities who live in wildlife areas; ensure their safety and protect them from unfavorable rainy and winter conditions.”

Moepedi told the gathering that OKMCT worked with Village Development Committees in each settlement to nominate deserving beneficiaries.

OKMCT Chairman Therisano Maratapelo told the gathering that OKMCT Board express gratitude to its joint venture partners: Sanctuary Retreats, Silver Spears and Johan Calitz Hunting Safaris for donating beds for all the housing project beneficiaries. Maratapelo said the trust fully welcomes the donation as it will ensure all the beneficiaries have beds to sleep comfortably.

 He said the trust also bought all the beneficiaries food packages which were also presented during the handover ceremony.

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Global Animal NGOs writes to President Masisi on Hunting

picture credit:Vaaju.com

13 March 2019

Submitted by telefax (+267 390 4017) and electronic mail (op.registry@gov.bw)

Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi His Excellency, President of the Republic of Botswana,  Private Bag 001, Gaborone  Botswana 

Your Excellency, President Dr. Masisi,

The undersigned organizations representing millions of members and supporters around the world sincerely and humbly request that you do not reinstate trophy hunting and that you also do not allow regular elephant culling.

In recent years Botswana has been hailed as a shining example of wildlife conservation, and a safe haven for elephants, who are free from harassment by trophy hunters and where poaching is relatively low. Nonetheless, we are saddened by reports from the Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephant (MIKE) Programme under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that have pointed to an uptick in poaching in Southern Africa. In particular, Chobe National Park has experienced an increase in elephant poaching, according to the most recent MIKE report.  We also acknowledge your concern about the prevalence of human-elephant conflict in Botswana. 

However, trophy hunting and elephant culling do not deter poaching, nor do they resolve human-elephant conflict. A successful elephant management plan should be sciencebased and sustainable in order to promote the long-term peaceful co-existence between humans and animals. 

We are not aware of any country or community that allows trophy hunting and that also has no poaching or human-wildlife conflict. On the contrary, some of the highest levels of poaching of elephants and rhinos occur in countries that allow trophy hunting of these animals. For instance, the number of rhinos poached in Namibia has increased from zero in 2014 to 80 in 2016 according to Namibia government’s Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis bicornis) Management Strategy despite American trophy hunters having paid over one million U.S. dollars to the government of Namibia for the right to kill one of the few remaining critically endangered black rhinos on the continent. In Tanzania, the Selous Game Reserve, which is open to trophy hunting and once held the largest elephant populations in the country, lost 80 percent of its elephants between 2007 and 2014, despite the prevalence of elephant trophy hunting in the country. The results of the DNA analysis confirmed that 7 out of the first 10 ivory seizures made between 2006 and 2011 originated in the cross border ecosystem of the Selous and Niassa Game Reserve, another elephant trophy hunting area. 

In fact, trophy hunting is harmful to wildlife conservation. Trophy hunters tend to target prime age breeding males, the killing of whom disrupts the social structure and causes cascading negative impacts on populations, such as increased infanticide that results from the removal of dominant male lions and leopards. Conservationists have warned that trophy hunting is often poorly regulated, monitored or enforced and lacks vigorous, regular scientific reviews. The IUCN Red List assessment for the lion states that trophy hunting may have
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contributed to population declines in Botswana amongst other countries.  Furthermore, the big cat conservation group Panthera remarked that there is little evidence that trophy hunting fosters increased tolerance of leopards or other large carnivores. Therefore, offtake by trophy hunting likely compounds pressures on local leopard populations as new individuals move in to fill the niches caused by trophy hunting.

Elephant culling is not a permanent solution to human-elephant conflict. It may remove the problem for a time, but it will not control the continued growth of the elephant population, or the movement of elephants into the areas vacated by the culled elephants. Furthermore, culling causes immense social disruption, which can result in increased elephant aggression and abnormal behaviour for many decades. This in turn, can be, detrimental to residents and tourists alike. There are many proven, science-based techniques which are successful at mitigating human-elephant conflict in other African countries. We urge you to employ non-lethal options instead of culling.

Elephants are an iconic African species, beloved by millions of people around the world, many of whom travel to Africa every year to personally observe the splendor of elephants and Africa’s other majestic wildlife. 

Botswana should take pride in being one of the last refuge areas for elephants. With attention drawn to the apparent upswing in poaching, we’d applaud your government’s effort to combat elephant poaching to keep Botswana’s elephants safe. We urge you to uphold Botswana’s upstanding conservation legacy by continuing to prohibit trophy hunting in public lands and not allowing elephant culling. 

Your Excellency, we extend our most sincere gratitude for your consideration of these comments.

Sincerely,

Iris Ho何燕青 Senior Specialist, Wildlife Programs and Policy, Humane Society International  Email: iho@hsi.org Tel: +1(301)318-2423  Address: 1255 23rd Street, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20037, USA 

cc: Dr. Jeff Ramsay, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Media, Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology. jramsay@gov.bw

Signatories (in the alphabetical order by the name of the organizations): Jill Robinson, Founder & CEO, Animals Asia Foundation

Jan Creamer, President and Founder, Animal Defenders International

Cathy Liss, President, Animal Welfare Institute
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Toni Brockhoven, Chairperson, Beauty Without Cruelty SA

Yu Dezhi, Executive Director, Beijing Capital Animal Welfare Association

Howard Jones, CEO, Born Free Foundation

Julie Kluck, Campaigns Associate, Born Free USA

Drew Abrahamson, Founder & Director, Captured In Africa Foundation
 Sarah Uhlemann, International Director & Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity
 Karen Botha, Chief Executive, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Michele Pickover, Director, EMS Foundation (South Africa)

Elodie Gerome-Delgado, Programme Leader Wildlife, Fondation Brigitte Bardot

Fiona Miles, Country Director, FOUR PAWS South Africa

Abbas Mvunghi, Founder, FP-Wildlife, Tanzania

Dr. Christian Felix, Member of the Board, Future for Elephants e.V.

Stefania Falcon, founder, Future 4 Wildlife – Africa

Dr. Louise de Waal, Green Girls in Africa

Nicola Beynon Head of Campaigns, HSI Australia

Masayuki Sakamoto, Executive director, Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund

Sigrid Lueber, President, OceanCare

Jim Ries, President, One More Generation™

Gregg Tully, Executive Director, Pan African Sanctuary Alliance

Carl Thornton, Founder & Director, PitTrack K9 Conservation

Daniela Freyer, Co-Founder, Pro Wildlife

Alfred Sihwa, Director, Sibanye Animal Welfare and Conservancy Trust, Zimbabwe

Alexia Abnett, Founding Director, Southern African Fight for Rhinos (SAFFR)

Michael O'Sullivan, Chairman & CEO, The Humane Society of Canada

Kate Brooks, The Last Animals
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Dave Du Toit, Vervet Monkey Foundation

Julie Sherman, Executive Director, Wildlife Impact

Belinda Wright, OBE, Executive Director, Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI)

Kate Nustedt, Global Program Director, Wildlife, World Animal Protection

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Masisi looks to KAZA to solve the Elephants headache

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism Kitso Mokaila has revealed that underfire President Mokgweetsi Masisi will soon call an elephant summit in Kasane to be attended by members of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Park to discuss ways of controlling the marauding elephants.

Mokaila explained that the summit is one of  Presidents Masisi strategies to find a solution to the problems posed by elephants in Botswana and the region.

Masisi’s move may be seen as a departure from the former President Ian Khama administration which had become impatient with the progress  on KAZA.Former Minister of Environment Tshekedi Khama once accused neighbors of failing to fulfill their obligations in the development of KAZA, which is a regional initiative meant to promote the free cross-border movement and conservation of wildlife in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Angola.

KAZA is viewed by conservationists as a solution to the elephant numbers in Botswana.

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Mokaila demands operators support in the Elephant Saga

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism Kitso Mokaila has reminded the local tourism industry to remember where ‘its bread is buttered’ and fight alongside government in the ongoing issue of the return of trophy hunting.

Mokaila was speaking  during a ceremony organized by Cresta Hotels in Gaborone on Tuesday to welcome him back to the ministry.

Mokaila said: ” We will not back off and change our minds in terms of what we are going to do. As HATAB you must remember where your bread is buttered and support us.”

Botswana has of late faced a storm of international condemnation after it announced plans to return trophy hunting.

Mokaila also revealed that Botswana will finally have a Tourism Development Strategy.  .He said the new tourism marketing drive will include community-based tourism.

According to Mokaila, past tourism marketing plans marketed Botswana  as an exclusive wildlife destination and therefore excluded the communities.

He said: “Part of why we are currently  under attack internationally  is that we have always sold Botswana  as an exclusive  wildlife destination and  ignored to include our communities who conserved these animals. We are going to rebrand this.”

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HATAB Okays Minister Mokaila

HATAB Board Chairman, Dr Thapelo C. Matsheka's welcoming statement for the Hon. Kitso Mokaila

HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM ASSOCIATION OF BOTSWANA·TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019

Dr Thapelo C. Matsheka, Chairman, HATAB.

Minister Mokaila, It is with profound gratitude that I warmly welcome you once again to the ministry.

I am Reliably informed that when you left the ministry in 2013, Cresta Marakanelo held a similar event for your send-off, and we are here again today to receive you back. Already you have been with the ministry for almost 4 months now, and let me confirm that we have thus far met with you as HATAB to appraise on the status of the tourism industry. Since we had already submitted our 2018 HATAB annual Conference Resolutions to your ministry for action, I am happy you have resolved most of the issues of which some of them had been pending resolutions for a substantial period of time. Amongst them being:

1.Government crowding out the private sector, such as instances where Botswana Tourism Organisation was competing with the private sector through events.

2.Tourism Levy

3.Appointment of the substantive Chief Executive Officer at the Botswana Tourism Organisation

4. The lifting of the Moratorium for development at Kasane

5. Kasane Kazungula redevelopment plan just to mention a few together with many others that you are still going to conclude.

It is indeed exciting that you have charted a new path of instilling hope within the sector. As we celebrate your return Hon Minister, I would like you to know that you have set the bar, our expectations are high as we believe we stand for the same ideals with Government being the development and growth of the tourism industry for the greater benefit of all.

We are hopeful that the different policies and legislative instrument that the ministry is currently reviewing and developing will be able to provide direction for example:

1. The Rapid evaluation of the tourism policy of 1990,

2. The development of the tourism policy,

3. And the national Tourism Strategy development.

We are engaging our members through the sector meetings for private sector input and comments on the developed draft tourism policy, and we will share them with your Ministry upon completion for consideration. Hon Minister these pieces of policies and the legislative instrument has been overtaken by time and are now impediments to doing business. I would like to urge the ministry that we move with speed for their conclusion. Hon Minister as you probably know, HATAB remains committed to continued and concerted efforts to promote and sustain increased private sector, and Cresta is a great example of this investment.

I do not necessarily wish to give a long speech, having Highlighted the few points above, and noting that there are many others that need to be discussed, I am confident that we will formulate a positive way forward on all issues affecting the industry. And thus reiterate our commitment as HATAB to continuously work with the Ministry in ensuring that tourism remains at the helm of the Botswana diversification program.

Thank You.

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UB ADVOCATES FOR SELECTIVE HUNTING

BW Government

The University of Botswana has backed recent recommendations made by the cabinet sub-committee on hunting ban regarding the lifting of the ban.

In a statement released by the university regarding its academic position on the ongoing global debate on possible lifting of the hunting ban, researchers at the University of Botswana (UB) are of the view that the hunting could be used as a conservation tool if carried out selectively on certain wildlife species and in collaboration with registered community trusts.

The university recommends selective hunting of specific wildlife species such as elephants and buffaloes, both of which deprive farmers of harvests owing to crops damaged by elephants and valueless pastoral farming caused by Foot and Mouth Disease prone buffaloes.

Hunting the two species, the institution argues, would do well in compensating for loss of arable and pastoral farming.

The university said focus should be placed in hunting old males who have already put their genes into the population.

“Hunting is a conservation tool when applied appropriately with the knowledge of wildlife populations, and can be used to manage the distribution of the elephant population in Botswana which impacts negatively on the vegetation,” one of UB’s recommendations reads.

The university also calls for involvement of Management Oriented Monitoring System (MOMS), a monitoring approach that involves communities in monitoring the natural resources in their local environment, including wildlife numbers.

Over and above hunting, the university calls for a human-centered approach towards conservation policy formulation.

“Conservation cannot succeed in the long term if local communities are alienated from wildlife and excluded from all decision-making processes over wildlife and no consideration given to their concerns,” the institution states.

UB posits that ignoring human well-being to achieve conservation goals is not only morally wrong, but often defeats the sustainable development aspirations. Sustainable conservation of wildlife, they argue, must consider a socio-ecological framework which includes human well-being and welfare.

The hunting ban which was introduced in 2014 was motivated in part by a study conducted by Elephants Without Borders (EWB) in 2012 which concluded that some wildlife species had been decreased by hunting and poaching amongst many factors.

There were no community consultations carried out to factor in the views and opinions of the communities which co-existed with wildlife and were directly affected.

Following EWB’s findings that certain species were in decline, a blanket hunting ban on all wildlife species was instituted in January 2014 in spite of evidence that pointed to increasing elephant populations nationally.

The University of Botswana thus argues that the same findings pointed to a steady increase in elephant populations dating back to 1992.

The institution notes that the elephant population was still on the increase even prior to the implementation of the hunting ban in 2014.

This is backed by findings from aerial surveys conducted by both the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) as well as findings by Elephants Without Borders (EWB).

“The DWNP study observed that the elephant population has significantly increased to a total of 207 545 with 297 per cent growth between 1992 and 2012,” the statement says.

Although EWB’s findings differ from DWNP’s putting the population at 122 831, the NGO does acknowledge that Botswana’s elephant population is relatively large and show either increasing trends or mild and non-significant declines.

Both the two aerial surveys by DWNP and EWB, however, concurred on the decline of other wildlife species such as duiker, gemsbok, hippo, ostrich and springbok.

It has been established however that the fertility or calving rate of elephants exceeds mortality rate.

UB estimates that the calving rate for elephants stands at 7.2 per cent per annum with low mortality rate which is too insignificant to affect the annual increase in elephant population.

Hosting such a huge elephant population has translated into Botswana paying a heavy price with escalating human-wildlife conflicts, loss of human lives and loss of vegetation and bio-diversity. Researchers at the University of Botswana estimate that about 40 000 elephants descend upon Chobe National Park daily for water, destroying vegetation in the process. .

“We should also note that the 1991 Draft Elephant Management Plan recommended 54 000 elephants for Botswana’s rangelands, therefore, the current numbers are way beyond the carrying capacity and this is not sustainable management of natural resources,” reads the statement.

UB also notes that the hunting ban has resulted in the decline of tourism benefits previously enjoyed by local communities through Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBRNM) programme in the form of loss of jobs, income, scholarships and social services such as funeral insurance. Photographic tourism, which was meant to replace hunting, has also proven unfeasible in most concession areas.

As Botswana mulls over the possible lifting of the ban, proponents of re-introduction of hunting argue that there is need to promote hunting as a conservation tool and ensure increased citizen benefits and participation from the tourism industry which has proven to be minimal.

With a porous tourism sector resulting in revenue leakages estimated to be over 70 per cent according to researchers at UB, there is little direct benefit and value derived by citizens of from the tourism sector.

Moreover, bookings are made with companies headquartered outside Botswana, making it impossible for Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) to tax the companies.

The university therefore calls for political willingness by the government to facilitate policies and strategies that benefit the citizens of Botswana. (BOPA)

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NGAMILAND COMMUNITIES STATEMENT ON SAFARI HUNTING IN BOTSWANA

STATEMENT ON SAFARI HUNTING IN BOTSWANA

By

Community-Based Organisations as represented by Ngamiland Council Of Non-Govermental Organisations

1.0   Introduction

1.1        Community-Based Organization (CBO) as represented by NCONGO would like to appreciate the handing over of the Hunting Ban Consultative Report to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana by the cabinet sub-committee led by Minister Hon. Frans Van Der Westhuizen.

1.2        CBOs would like to support the recommendations by the Cabinet Sub-committee that conservation Hunting should be re-introduced in Botswana. The re-introduction of hunting will go a long way in alleviating rural poverty by re-introducing tourism benefits lost in 2014 when the hunting moratorium was initiated. Hunting will also mitigate against human wildlife conflicts especially crop damage, livestock predation and the destruction of property especially by elephants. Elephants are causing deaths to our people and have injured many. As a result, the hunting of elephants will result in these animals relocating from human settlements to far away protected areas where they are meant to live.    

1.3        Community Based Organizations (CBO) calls for the strengthening of the Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme in Botswana. It is our strongest believe that the CBNRM programme is one approach that can result in meaningful tourism benefits to communities not only through hunting but through other tourism development projects.  

1.4        As communities, we do not take kindly to those who are attacking our Government and all initiatives meant to re-introduce hunting and uplift our livelihoods and reduce human wildlife conflicts in our local areas. It is believed that Botswana is a sovereign state and we have a right to discuss and decide on issues which directly affect our livelihoods and well-being. This is said in reference to the elephant distribution and populations which are threatening food security and lives in our local areas.

1.5        Finally, we would like to encourage the international community to financial support conservation initiatives in Botswana especially the management of elephants such that they be reduced to carrying capacity levels and have them managed away from human settlements.

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Jonah Busta Amos voted the new Chairman of Khwai Development Trust today during the trust Annual General Meeting in Khwai.

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BOGA to construct a jetty in Serondella

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism has given a green light to the Botswana Guides Association to develop a jetty at Serondella in Chobe. BOGA chairman Kenson Kgaga said minister Kitso Mokaila gave them an official confirmation during a meeting in Gaborone on Tuesday.BOGA will undertake the project soon, he said.

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Machaba add for Botswana Camp GM

BOTSWANA CITIZEN CAMP GENERAL MANAGER

Botswana camp in the Okavango Delta is looking for an experienced Botswana Citizen graduate lodge manager.

The applicant must preferably be a graduate with at least 5 years management experience and 1 – 2 years general management experience in the hospitality industry. Camp Manager position: dealing with stores and logistics, lodge and vehicle maintenance, housekeeping, the bar and restaurant, staff issues and general professional lodge operations while dealing with the entire guest experience & activities.

The applicant should be prepared to live in a remote environment and above all be up for a challenge!

The following skills & qualifications are required for these roles:

• Botswana Citizen
• Graduate

• Experience in F&B
• International exposure essential
• Leadership
• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent project & time management skills
• Ability to hire & develop great staff, awareness of human resource issues  
• Strong interpersonal skills, the applicants should be sociable extroverted individuals who enjoy spending time with others
• The ability to organize & plan ahead is essential
• A firm grasp on logistics and stock control
• A proactive, positive and upbeat attitude
• Proven ability to cope with stress, conflict & crisis intervention
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to exercise patience
• Experience in technical, maintenance & vehicle management for luxury safari camps
• Enjoy taking initiative & creative problem solving
• First Aid Qualified
• Lodge General Management Experience all Departments
• Conservation Experience
• Drivers License

Competence in Microsoft Word, Excel & Outlook is essential.

Applicants must email their CV’s and References to:

The Human Resources Manager.

Machaba Safaris

Mr T: 76887659 /Gomo 77114849

Email: hr@machabasafaris.com/hr2@machabasafaris.com

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

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BOGA Meets Mokaila

Botswana Guides Association is meeting the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism on Tuesday to discuss the issue of a moratorium on mobile tourism licenses for new applicants. goverment passed the moratorium citing congestin in the parks. However, recently the government announced that they will lift the moratorium for NG 19 and 41. But BOGA has stated that they want the moratorium to be lifted nationally, not just in NG 19/41. " Both NG 19 and 41 are private concessions operated by Khwai and Mababe trusts respectively. Boga chairman, Kenson Kgaga said:"it's more costly to pay entrance fees into these concessions than into Moremi Game Reserve or Chobe. we want the C-licence to cover all the areas, Chobe, Okavango, and Kgalagadi, Boteti; not to be selective. Doing that will be empowering Batswana who are the majority in the mobile safari sector."

The other issue BOGA is discussing with Mokaila relates to how firewood is collected in the protected areas. BOGA want the ministry to allow mobile safari operators freedom to gather firewood inside the parks something the current policy disallows. BOGA states that it's more cumbersome for the operators to carry firewood into the parks.  

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Botswana government in a response to a query from Botswana Guides Association announced that government is about to lift a moratorium on C-licenses for mobile safaris at Ng 19 and NG 41 in 2019. A response from the Ministry of Environment addressed to BOGA has explained that a survey study was conducted in the two areas in November 2018. Government placed a moratorium on mobile tourism licenses to new applicants operating in the Okavango Delta. This policy aimed to reduce congestion in prime tourism locations and encourage greater usage of Botswana’s other tourism resources.
However, Khwai residents have long criticized the moratorium as an inconvenience to the mobile startups in their area.

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