Africa-Press – Botswana. Communities residing in the periphery of wildlife management areas have been urged to take advantage of the tourism related businesses available in such localities to improve their lives.
Vice President Slumber Tsogwane said businesses owning campsites in national parks had been requested to give such opportunities to members of the community to assist in boosting the rural areas economy.
Addressing a recent kgotla meeting in Xere, Mr Tsogwane said the Economic Inclusive Act of 2021 advocated for communities in the periphery of wildlife management areas such as those of Xere to be empowered through opportunities in the tourism sector.
He said Xere residents were residing on the edge of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, therefore they stood at an advantage to enhance their economic status through tourism.
Mr Tsogwane, also Boteti West MP, said funding organs were available to assist community trusts embark in such projects.
Mr Tsogwane informed the residents that they were at liberty to establish campsites in the CKGR, adding they should use the opportunity at their disposal.
He was responding to a question from a resident of Xere, Mr Tshamikiso Kaingotla, who wanted to establish if he was allowed to showcase his indigenous knowledge inside CKGR.
For her part, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng, said Parliament had passed the access and benefit sharing legislation.
She said the legislation called for documentation and protection of the history and culture of communities through intellectual property.
Ms Kereng said her ministry would assist Xere through Community Based Natural Resource Management programme to access funds to enhance their trust. She commended residents for setting up a cultural village saying it presented their history and culture.
Minister Kereng said the community would also be assisted to identify market for their products such as jewellery, arts and crafts among others.
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