Batawana to petition House on Maun park privatisation

BONIFACE KEBAABETSE
Correspondent | Thursday November 11, 2010 00:00

Tawana is expected to present the petition to the National Assembly during the parliamentary session which was opened by President Ian Khama in Gaborone yesterday.

By Sunday copies of the petition had been circulated around various wards and public areas in the village inviting 5,000 signatures of endorsements from the residents.

In a heated Kgotla meeting, characterised by a torrent of disapproval last week, many speakers opposed the idea arguing that Kitso Mokaila's ministry has no right to privatise the park as it is tribal property. Minister Mokaila announced in Maun recently that his ministry would next year privatise the disputed park alongside the Francistown and Gaborone game parks.

Speaking during the meeting, Tiego Mpho, one of the residents, queried the official explanation that the park was to be privatised because it was underutilised. He explained that the motive for the park, when it was constructed in the 1970s, was for it to be used for educational purposes and leisure by the residents and students - not to generate profit.

'When the park was constructed the residents gave away their ploughing fields for its construction.' It is right and proper for the ministry to return the land to the tribe through the Tawana Land Board because they do not own this land,' he said.

He wondered why the government cannot return the land to the residents to pursue a tourism project that will benefit the whole society.

'Poverty in Ngamiland will not go away until the people have access to the tourism in the area  but here we have a government that is oblivious to this fact. The manner in which the ministry is going about the issue raises suspicions that it is already earmarked for someone,' he said.

Many residents who spoke at the meeting lambasted the ministry for doing nothing to ensure that Maun residents benefit from tourism in the region.

They vowed, by their totem, that after being cheated by the government on Moremi Game Reserve that many said also belonged to the tribe, this time they would not let their only last hope in Maun Game Park go the same route.

Another resident, Letsweletse Phaladi, urged the residents to stand up for their lands arguing that if the residents let the Maun park suffer the same fate as the Moremi game reserve they should know that they have surrendered all their lands. 'If we are not careful our children will become landless in their parents' homeland,' he said.

Earlier on, Tawana told the tribe he has given up hope on getting the government to pay the tribe royalties from the proceeds of Moremi Game Reserve in tribute of forming the park. He said when the tribe conceived the idea in 1963 the understanding was it would be managed by the government on behalf of the Morafe.

It was never the intention of the tribe that the government would eventually take absolute control of the park like what was happening now, he said.

The legislator criticised Mokaila for failing to consult him when he comes to Maun to address important issues affecting the tribe. He said during the recent Kgotla meeting in Maun where the announcement was made nothing was said to him.

'Bo Mokaila ba jele tholo tsa bone tsothle ko morolong ba difeditse but here he is trying to tell us what do to in Ngamiland,' he retorted.

The residents resolved to unite and rally behind Tawana in advocating for the well-being of the people of Ngamiland.