Khama requests P41 million for second hand choppers
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Friday August 11, 2017 15:38
This came after the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Kenneth Matambo told legislators yesterday when presenting the supplementary estimates of expenditure from the consolidated fund of 2017/18, that the emergency funding requested by Tshekedi Khama’s ministry would be funded from the development fund.
Matambo said the requested additional funding of P41,600,000 is required for the procurement of three used helicopters, aviation fuel bowsers (tankers) and radio communication equipment. He also said the ministry requests another P25,114,910 from the consolidated fund to partly cover salaries and allowances for 104 new manpower positions to augment capacity.
Matambo told legislators that the funding is meant to enable the ministry to put in place measures to deal with the problem of elephant movements, which have been observed further south of the country.
Despite approving the supplementary budget request, MPs vigorously challenged the logic behind the request saying it did not address the human-elephant conflict in the country.
Wynter Mmolotsi, MP for Francistown South, said the decision to buy three used helicopters does not qualify to be an emergency. Instead, he said the government should consider procuring new helicopters in phases whose condition could be ascertained.
“We should not procure old helicopters whose conditions cannot be ascertained. We would end up spending more money on them in the future. But we can buy new helicopters in phases,” Mmolotsi said.
Noah Salakae of Gantsi North said the ministry does not need used helicopters. He questioned the logic of keeping many elephants in the country. He indicated that government should consider keeping a strategic number of elephants.
“Why don’t we reduce them? Whose purpose are they serving? They destroy the habitat. Our population is low yet our interest is on increasing the number of elephants. We should be able to manage the number that we keep,” Salakae said.
MP for Chobe, Machana Shamukuni blamed the increase in elephant population on the hunting ban. He stated that there have been many unreported incidents of lives lost as a result of the human-elephant conflict in his area, and the solutions that are proposed would not solve it.
“This is a result of the hunting ban. Their numbers have grown and now they are encroaching into domestic and agricultural areas. They are problematic animals, but Botswana continues to be a breeding ground for these animals. Other countries where trophy hunting is practiced such as our neighbours, the numbers are low, yet they get revenue out of them. The money you are requesting could actually come from selling five of these animals. It is sustainable that way,” Shamukuni said.
In his presentation, Matambo said the movement of the elephants has been observed further south of the country reaching districts such as Southern, Gantsi, Kgatleng, Kweneng and Kgalagadi, which have hitherto, not been populated by elephants. He indicated that a decision was taken through Presidential Directive in April 2017, that an emergency response be mounted to arrest the upsurge in reported cases of human-elephant conflict.
On top of the request to increase staff and procure helicopters, the ministry will also repair 150 off-road vehicles, shade netting equipment, elephant collars and procurement of camping and weather protection equipment.
He said of the P25,114,910 requested by the ministry, P4,798,210 would be transferred from the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security.
Meanwhile, Tshekedi Khama told legislators that with the growing pressure for the protection of these animals from international organisations, the proposed solution would not be sustainable.
“We would need to find other ways to manage these animals in the future,” he said.
Khama said traditionally, the country had an elephant population range of 60,000 to 80,000 but currently the range has grown between150,000 to 200,000.