Okavango community trust navigates challenges
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday September 7, 2026 09:08
One of the matters it currently has to contend with is a High Court case in Maun that is before Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa.
In the suit, OCT is represented by Dingake Law Partners, while Osei-Ofei Legal stands for Okavango Wilderness Safaris (OWS).
The trust and the investor dispute is over NG22 tourism concession whereby OCT and OWS are taking opposing positions on the company’s right to continue operating in the concession.
The concession, including the Wilderness Vumbura Camps, benefits the five villages.
OCT chairperson, Lekgowa Moedimang, stated the other difficulty they had to overcome was when Okavango District Commissioner refused to release funds amounting to P873, 000 for August which included salaries.
He told Mmegi that normal the pay day is 22nd of every month, but during August, salaries were to be paid on 21st.
That, however, did not happen despite the trust having submitted claim forms to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) secretariat being Department of Wildlife and National Parks on August 18.
The claims were then forwarded to the District Commissioner’s office based in Gumare on the same day, said Moedimang.
“The following week (August 24), we wrote a complainant letter to the District Commissioner about the delay in releasing funds,” he said in an interview.
“We informed him that we have employees that should be paid. That is totally not right, because in our trust we have never had issues of misuse of funds, we do not want that to change, even when our term ends, we will hand over to another board.”
He explained that after they requested for funds, they were informed that the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi had instructed that if in one of the requests there is legal fees for the lawyer, it should not be approved.
However, Moedimang mentioned that in the contrary there were no legal fees request in the claim despite the trust having had lodged a case against the investor.
He highlighted that the delays in releasing funds led to total disruption of trust’s services.
According to Moedimang, the legal battle against the investor started when the 15-year lease contract came to an end. Following the end of the lease, the investor wanted renewal, but an agreement was not reached.
He explained that they are seeking an interdict from the High Court to block OWS from conducting tourism and safari operations in the concession or interfering with the trust’s ability to market or lease it to another operator.
The OCT is also seeking holding-over rental fees.
“The investor even complained to Mmolotsi and he visited the five villages for consultations. On many occasions, TAC tried to intervene in the matter,” Moedimang explained.
“We held two meetings alongside Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) board who wanted to know what the problem was. Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) team which included the former chief executive officer (CEO), Keitumetse Setlang also attempted to resolve the impasse. The standoff started when the contract ended.
“The contract was left with 13 years, two years we were with them and when the contract ended, they brought the proposal. We informed them that they had already spent two years, which means they were left with 13 years, which they refused to accept. Here we are talking about business, we do not want it to suffer.”
Moedimang said there was also an issue of annual 10% and the investor was proposing that we should reduce the increment to five percent.
He highlighted that all government leases are at 10% increase, and the royalties also benefit the state.
On the other hand, he said they had also informed the investor that the trust was conducting management plan in 2019 of NG22 concession.
Moedimang added the government had financial challenge and was not able to conduct management plans and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) were given the responsibility.
“A consultant was appointed to conduct the process, with consultations held in all the five villages and the residents agreed to the proposal in 2024. Our other investor in NG23, Great Plain Conservation won a case against Tawana Land board and they donated P1.6 million to the community,” he said.
“During those consultations, the residents agreed that the funds should be used for the management plan. OWS contributed P75, 000 towards the project. The management plan draft was presented this year in Maun attended by all wildlife and environment related departments and the plan is now at Okavango District Physical Planning, they requested for some additions such as zonal maps of the concession, and the consultant has submitted them.”
Moedimang explained that subdividing the concession will allow additional tourism operations and create employment for the residents.
OTC runs businesses in all the five villages with a workforce of 69 employees and five escort guides.
It has a morgue and a lodge at Seronga, and a hardware in Gonutsoga to reduce distance travelled by residents from Shakawe and Gumare to buy building material.
At Eretsha, the trust has a garden, herbarium and a cultural village, a learning centre and a general dealer are operating in Beetsha.
Moedimang explained that they have engaged trained tutors to assist students who had not passed their Form Three or Form Five in conjunction with Botswana Open University.
He said in Gudigwa they are also operating a general dealer because the area has poor roads, adding that the facility also assists operators from NG12.
The Moedimang-led board was elected into office in January 2025 and it is currently serving a three year term that will end in December 2027. According Moedimang, they have a good working relationship with the villagers and whenever there is an issue, consultative meetings are held within the five villages.