Okavango Delta communities fear impending relocations
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Government is currently implementing the creation of an eco-tourism park, which was recommended in the Okavango Delta Management Plan (ODMP) of 2008.
The ODMP recommended the extension of wilderness areas in the outskirts of Maun closer to the village to bring wildlife from the Okavango Delta closer to Maun. It is argued this would diversify the tourism market in Maun. To achieve this, the buffalo fence, a veterinary fence that separates Maun from the Okavango Delta, would be realigned closer to Maun.
While it is widely acknowledged that Khama holds the title of Kgosi, the government’s failure to properly gazette his recognition has raised serious concerns about adherence to legal procedures and the credibility of traditional leadership. (See a story elsewhere in this newspaper.) Recent court documents by the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse, shed light on the intricacies of Khama’s recognition process....