Ngamiland gives Govt ultimatum

Boniface Keakabetse | Friday June 24, 2016 17:15

 

During a heated discussion during a meeting addressed by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Wildlife, Tourism, Natural Resources and Climate Change, on Tuesday, they expressed their woes with the increased elephant population.

The communities want a lift on the hunting ban to help control the population of the marauding elephants and lessen the ensuing human-wildlife conflict, which went on the rise following the restrictions. 

Olekanye Thakadu, chairman of the Ngamiland Community Based Natural Resources Forum told the committee that the communities want to be allowed to resume hunting elephants and buffaloes.

He said the population of the two species has not declined, but has rather increased over the years.

Thakadu observed that the 2014 hunting ban was premised on a reported wildlife decline by Mike Chase in his 2011 aerial survey.

He said, however, that aerial survey did indicate that elephants and buffaloes had increased despite other species facing a decline in population.

Thakadu said this was corroborated by an aerial census of animals carried out by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in 2012, which proved that elephant figures were at 126,474 and buffaloes at 53,424.  Thakadu said the two species are solely responsible for causing conflict in the district as the buffalo is a carrier of Foot and Mouth Disease and the elephant destroys veterinary fences leading to frequent FMD outbreaks in the district.

The chairperson of the Nokaneng Community Development Trust, Keakgametse Katisi supported lifting the ban on elephant hunting. Katisi warned that if government does not approve elephants and buffaloes being hunted it must then consider relieving Ngamiland of the beasts by letting their numbers spread further to the south of the country.

Katisi said it is not fair for Ngamiland communities to continue being impoverished by the increasing buffalo and elephant numbers, which are also considered national assets, adding that the nation must share the burden.

The communities made another plea that the former trophy hunting concessions leased to them by Tawana Land Board not to be transferred to the envisaged Land Bank to be administered by Ministry of Lands and Housing and Botswana Tourism Organisation.

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson, Itumeleng Moipisi said they would compile a report after listening to the deliberations.

The committee is made up of Moipisi, Paulson Majaga, Machana Shamukuni, Kagiso Molatlhegi, Sethomo Lelatisitswe, Tawana Moremi, Wynter Mmolotsi and Bagalatia Arone.