Chobe, the cosmopolitan land of tribal integration
| Friday February 8, 2008 00:00

Mmegi: Who are the inhabitants of Kasane?
Kgosi Mwezi: Just about everybody lives here. Kasane is probably one of the most diverse places in Botswana. We owe our cosmopolitan makeup to both history and geography. We border three countries, and this on its own means that there has long been interaction between communities on all sides. In the Chobe alone, there are several ethnic groups such as Basubiya, Batawana, Basarwa, Ndebeles, Manjwa, Lozi and even pockets of Bakalanga and Bangwato.
Mmegi: Who are in the majority?
Kgosi Mwezi: There is no doubt that the Basubiya are the dominant group in this area.
Mmegi: In other parts of the country there are some tribal tensions. Is this an issue in Kasane and the Chobe?
Kgosi Mwezi: Kasane and the Chobe should actually be used as an example of tribal integration. In these parts, nothing else would have worked other than cultural tolerance. From a long time ago, communities interacted among themselves, despite the boundaries imposed by the Zambezi River and the international boundaries. Tolerance was and is a way of life. For a long time we have had people coming here as tourists. We are used to seeing people that are different from us, either by race, culture or religion. The many service departments in Kasane naturally employ professionals and other workers, most of whom hail from outside the Chobe region and after working here, many of them love it so much that they decide to stay.
Mmegi: Kasane and indeed other places in the Chobe are located in an area teeming with animals. How do you co-exist with the wild animals?
Kgosi Mwezi: We have probably learnt to live with the animals after so many years of co-existence. To an average citizen of the Chobe, when they see these animals they do not think of meat, but their heritage and source of livelihood. We love them. We know that the reason why we have the hotels, safaris and many international visitors coming into our area is because of these animals. Community trusts have been created to benefit from tourism activities and out of the revenues generated, communities engage in development activities, mainly social amenities. When you benefit this way, you ought to love the animals.
Mmegi: You are putting it as if there is a symbiotic and cordial relationship between humans and animals here. Don't people here live in fear of the animals that wander into the township?
Kgosi Mwezi: Of course we are all aware that we live close to a national park and that animals are everywhere. They move around going to pasture and watering holes. Ordinarily, they do not come into the townships because there is lighting. When they do come, people generally know how to react. The simple thing to do is not to provoke them or do anything that could provoke them. We always urge people not to go out into the bush where they could be susceptible to attacks. Inside the township, people are free to carry out their business. In the event of any stray animal, the wildlife people and the police are always available.
Mmegi: People have reason to go outside their villages and the township. What happens when they go out looking after their livestock or are ploughing at the lands?
Kgosi Mwezi: That is a major concern. A lot of people have since stopped ploughing because wild animals, particularly elephants, destroy their crops. This is a headache. Lately, there are plans to try and come up with an electric fence around people's fields. We hope that when this fence is been erected, people will be able to plough.Other farmers have complained about wild animals such as lions killing their livestock. That is yet another problem.
Mmegi: To outsiders, the Chobe is very rich because of the revenue that you accrue from tourism. What is the situation in Kasane?
Kgosi Mwezi: Like all other areas in Botswana, we have our fair share of unemployment. School leavers and even graduates are languishing at home, some have moved to other towns to look for employment. We do recognise that most young people work in the tourism service industry.
Mmegi: Is tourism the largest employer in Kasane?
Kgosi Mwezi: It is the second largest after Government. There are a lot of people who get long term and short term employment in the tourism industry, but government service departments still employ a lot of people.
Mmegi: Most of these government departments employ people who come from outside the Chobe area. There have been complaints from some of the residents that some jobs should be reserved for the local people. What have you done as the village leadership to ensure that locals are not passed over?
Kgosi Mwezi: Government has a laid down employment procedures, but some of these people are professionals, and as such, you cannot make unreasonable demands.
Mmegi: To an unemployed youth in the Chobe, what are the prospects of getting employment?
Kgosi Mwezi: You must have heard about the proposed sugar plantation in the Kasane forest. This is a project that we are all eagerly waiting for to assist in alleviating unemployment. A continuous farming project is labour intensive and people are needed for planting, harvesting, and even in the latter stage of processing. We believe there will be a need for skilled and unskilled labour.
Of course we are aware that a lot of the trees will be felled to pave way for the project, but they will be reclaimed. This type of project will give Kasane a new phase the same way that Sowa Town has transformed Nata.
Mmegi: There has been talk of the construction of the Kazungula Bridge by the governments of Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Are you up to speed with the latest developments on that project?
Kgosi Mwezi: That is another project that we need in this area. We need that bridge very badly. If you go up to the ferry right now, you will see a long queue of trucks waiting for their turn to cross into Zambia. Some of them are going as far as Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These trucks can wait in the queue for up to two weeks when traffic is heavy or one of the pontoons that ferries these trucks across the Zambezi River breaks down.Of course when the bridge is built, our people will get jobs. More than anything, we need the bridge not only to decongest the traffic. While traffic piles up at Kazungula, there are serious health and environmental concerns. There are some illicit love liasons that take place while the drivers await their turn to cross. In this era of Aids, this is a great concern. There are no toilets at the ferry where the mass of waiting truck drivers could relieve themselves.
Mmegi: We have seen a lot of shoppers coming into Kasane to buy foodstuffs to take across into Zambia. So this is good business for you?
Kgosi Mwezi: Yes, a lot of businesses benefit a lot from shoppers from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Kasane is close to the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Livingstone in Zambia and Katima Mulilo in Namibia. Due to economic conditions, particularly in Zambia and Zimbabwe, shoppers prefer to buy goods here mainly because they are not available in the home market or it is cheaper. They buy everything - from food, bedding, clothing, building materials, paraffin and petrol. Business is good for retailers.
Mmegi: We understand that these people buy in bulk and usually empty shelves and that this creates a huge demand, driving prices through the roof. Residents are worried that the foreign shoppers distort the market prices in Kasane. Is this a general concern?
Kgosi Mwezi: Yes, people are concerned. But we just hope that the businessmen will not be driven by the profit motive to the extent of becoming selfish. But you should also understand that Kasane is very far from the markets. Some of these goods are not even from Gaborone or Francistown; most are from South African factories.
Mmegi: You seem to be excited about the contribution that foreigners play in developing Kasane?
Kgosi Mwezi: Most people are excited. However, there are some elements that engage in criminal activities. These are mostly illegal immigrants. They come at night and steal people's property. We suspect that some of them use silent canoes to get away.
Mmegi: I notice that most of the tourism businesses such as hotels and safari lodges are in foreign hands. Are you not worried that this sector is in the hands of foreigners while your people are tea-boys and odd-jobs men?
Kgosi Mwezi: If you look long and hard, you will notice that some Batswana are slowly coming in. It is true that the bulk of the business is in the hands of foreigners, but I always say that they are in this business because they have the expertise. Instead of being envious of them or wishing them away from 'our business', we should strive to learn from them so that when we do the business we have the know-how. Why should I go into hotel and catering when I do not have the skills? These people run five-star hotels. You don't just wake up one day and decide to own one. You have to be good at what you do. Otherwise you will drive even the tourist away.Batswana must learn to collaborate and work in syndicates other than the old mentality of 'mine'. We are all used to 'tshimo ya me, sediba same'. But in big business, this does not work, and I think we should wake up to this reality if we want empowerment.
Mmegi: How big is Kasane and are you satisfied with the progress that Kasane has made over the years?
Kgosi Mwezi: From the last census, this township had about 7,000 people. But it is growing and I am satisfied with its rate of growth. We see more and more of our children coming to re-settle here.
Mmegi: Who are some of your famous sons that have resettled here?
Kgosi Mwezi: You obviously know of our MP Duncan Mlazie. He lives here with us. Louis Nchindo, the former Managing Director of Debswana has built a big house here. We understand that his mother is from Tlokweng, but as people of the Chobe, we believe that we have every right to claim him because his father was from this area.
When such people live in your village, it is a big boost. Nchindo himself used to contribute a lot to many social projects. He contributed computers to schools in the area. His house, as you would have realised, is a magnificent structure anybody who comes into Kasane does not stop asking about it.