BOGA Meets Mokaila

Posted by Botswana Safari News on March 04, 2019 | 1 comment

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.