Drought Drives Okavango Polers Out Of Business
Boniface Keakabetse | Monday February 29, 2016 15:21
Due to high levels of unemployment, polers relocated to the delta to find work, but now another relocation is imminent as the river which for years had been their source of life is drying up.
In Boro, in the North Eastern part of the delta, there used to be a thriving informal settlement commonly called ‘DRC’, which was established by polers who had come to work in the tourism industry.
Although it is an informal settlement, ‘DRC’ was a tourist’s Mecca as tour operators turned it into a destination.
Formal operators transport tourists by speed boats from Maun and debark in ‘DRC’ where they go onto the wooden mekoro into the delta. A traditionally dugout canoe is one of the popular activities for international travellers who swarm the area to experience the delta.
The place which has a rural scenery of houses constructed with reeds from the river also has many tuckshops selling foodstuffs and alcohol.
The tuckshops do not just deal in pulas but also accept foreign currency. Due to the low water levels, ‘DRC’ is, however, now in a sombre state as the drying river forced polers to look elsewhere for survival.
Tuckshops and other small businesses at ‘DRC’ have taken a hit. as polers found them without employment when the river dried up.
The polers relocating to other sections of the delta, which still have high waters, a handful have remained behind with the hope that the next flood from Angola will arrive quickly.
At Morutse boat station in the delta, tour operator, Philemon Kamogelo of Walking Stick Travel and Tours told Business Monitor that he is one of the operators who were forced to relocate from Xaxaba on the other side of the delta, as the river there had dried up.
He said that many polers who survive by ferrying tourists find themselves without work and this will affect their families’ economies.
Kamogelo who is one of the youthful operators said that the river drying is bad for their businesses.
“With low waters we cannot undertake boat cruises, which many tourists prefer. It means we are forced to rely only on game drives,” he said. Another poler, Vincent Tsheko said that community clashes are the order of the day as overcrowding caused by newly relocated polers has caused serious competition for business. He said some of the newly arrived polers have many clients and so the local polers demand a share of profits as the settlers use their part of the river.
He explained that the drought is also taking its toll on water animals such as hippos and crocodiles. Tsheko said a lot of hippos and crocodiles are getting stranded and the warming waters are also bad for hippos. He said if the drought continues it will completely destroy the local tourism industry.
“We book in advance. We have booked tourists for boat cruises from May and if the flood delays to arrive it means we are in a deep trouble,” he said.
Lentletse Tshoganetso from Ditshiping, who has 21 years of poling experience, explained that the dryness has not affected their side of the delta.
She said their water is deep enough adding that the dropping water levels have opened up river channels, which had become inaccessible during heavy floods. According to Tshoganetso, the drought has made game viewing easy, but they will be out of business soon if the floods delay. She said many polers keep their fingers crossed so that the ongoing drought, which is caused by the EL Nino passes quickly before the tourism peak season begins in May.
Water authorities, however, project low rains this year and this is bad news the tourism community of the Okavango Delta was not looking forward to get.