Botswana banks on fierce reputation as anti-poaching funds shrink

Botswana has become the final frontier for the continent's last free roaming rhinos
Botswana has become the final frontier for the continent's last free roaming rhinos

Anti-poaching activities have not been spared in the Government-wide spending cuts in the current and upcoming financial years. However, environment minister, Tshekedi Khama has an ace up his sleeve: the country’s reputation of helping poachers meet their Maker. Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI reports

With 200 rhinos awaiting translocation to the safe haven and final frontier that is Botswana, Budget cuts in anti-poaching could not have come at a worse time.  In the group waiting to come over are 40 black rhinos, the beasts that were declared extinct in Botswana in 1992, with only a few existing today in conservation parks.

For the upcoming financial year, which begins on April 1, 2017 the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism’s development budget has been slashed from P213 million to P165 million.

Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up