12 Jun 2014

Some of the most revered tourist attractions are found in Nata, about 200 kilometres from Francistown on the way to Kasane or Maun.

Nata also boasts celebrated lodges that are known worldwide for the exquisite experience that they offer. Take for instance, the Nata Lodge. A must see for any affable bird watcher. 

It is found next to the Nata Sanctuary on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the largest salt pans in the world and the remains of Africa’s largest inland sea. Surrounding the lodge are tall palm trees. 

Though prone to flooding during the rainy seasons, the lodge has not ceased to be a huge hit with tourists of all persuasions. Nearby, the Nata River forms a delta which feeds the sanctuary’s Sua Pan. 

This provides a fertile breeding ground for large numbers of water birds such as flamingos and pelicans. Word has it that over 165 bird species have been recorded in the sanctuary.

Also, this village houses the North Gate Lodge which is also set in a picturesque location within an array of shops and restaurants such as Wimpy and Barcelos.

Many visitors to the country’s prime tourism destinations of Chobe and the Okavango Delta stopover in this lodge for overnight rest or come here on their way to the sanctuary, Makgadikgadi Pans, Kubu Island and the fossilised dunes.

Also, some visit the two famous baobab trees, Chapman’s Baobab and Green’s Baobab which are said to have been landmarks in the era of famous traders and explorers.

It is important to mention that the Nata Sanctuary is a community project, managed by a board of trustees from the nearby four villages of Nata, Sepako, Maposa and Manxotae. Other small bed and breakfast establishments also abound in this village, such as Nata Guest Inn and Maya Guest House.

Recently, they has been a new addition in tourism establishments with the opening of the Pelican Lodge which is situated close to the entrance of the Nata Sanctuary.

All these developments offer the village a cosmopolitan outlook, especially when one looks from the main road and this makes Nata the envy of many villages around the country, especially those with better infrastructural developments.

Indeed, these are notable developments especially when they are found in a rural setting where attracting investments is a hard sell.  However, Nata is a village of contrasting fortunes for its residents, the business community and visitors who pass by on their way up north.

Indeed, it is a land of contradictions, the searing heat that one feels upon visiting the village is a cause for concern for new arrivals, goats and cattle traverse the village especially along the banks of the Nata River that divides the village into two halves.

This is not surprising as the people here are agriculturalists. There is plenty of pasture around the village which also makes it prone to veld fires that ravage the village pastures during summer months.

Along the road are exclusive restaurants some of which are found in towns. On the other side of the river, a different story unravels as run down mud huts are a characteristic feature of the village, many of these resemble the architecture of the past.

This is a far cry from the picture one gets at the stop over and refuelling station in the middle of the village before one passes through to Maun or Kasane.

Indeed, the village looks uniquely successful from a distance as here and there many modern day dwellings with tiled roofs obscure one from catching a glimpse of the real Nata, the heart and soul of the village where people toil under the searing heat to eke a living on a daily basis.

Many cannot even afford three meals a day and with the harsh climatic conditions produce from the fields has been lean in recent years and this means that many rely on the government’s Ipelegeng programme.

Some earn a living as herdsmen in the neighbouring cattle posts and in the recent past years many were employed as casual labourers during the construction of roads which connect villages such as Maposa and Sepako and the senior secondary school.

The residents are grateful for the restaurants and many lodges that have provided employment to some of their kinsmen but want more than this.

Owing to their economic status, many residents can only wish to dine and wine in the exclusive restaurants and taste modern culinary dishes served in the lodges.

This in sharp contrast to the clientele in the village’s lodges and restaurants who they admire as they alight from their cars looking elegant and cosmopolitan as they grab a thing or two to wet their appetite at eateries such as Barcelos and Wimpy.

While Nata has a sizeable community of civil servants, including teachers from the local primary, junior secondary and senior secondary school, council, parastatals and those of private companies, few of the residents can afford some of these luxuries because of limited economic opportunities.

Though they are proud of their village and its developments, they are tired of admiring passers-by, especially long distance travellers from as far as Maun, Kasane, Lusaka and Gaborone and truck drivers from Zambia, South Africa, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Equally pleased and worried by this state of affairs is Nata deputy chief, Kgosi Rebagamang Rancholo, who though happy with the developments that continue to sprout everywhere within the village, is alive to the negative consequences of these developments.

As Nata grows economically, he notes that jobs are created though not as many as had been expected. However, the traditional leader is also quick to mention that with developments comes increasing crime levels.

“The bottom line is that our village will continue to grow because it is the gateway to the tourist destinations of Chobe and Okavango Delta,” he quipped.

As has become customary in many areas around the country, residents believe that if jobs are created in their villages, locals should be given priority when businesses hire.

This, according to Kgosi Rancholo is a red herring in Nata as employers, especially those who have established lodges, continue to bring unskilled people from far away places, which causes resentment from the local populace.

These, he highlighted, include security guards, a practice he said was contrary to government efforts of encouraging local development. What irks him the most, he said, is security companies that hire people and disappear without paying them. 

This is further compounded by the fact that the labour office is far away in Sowa, which makes lodging cases extremely difficult for some residents.

The policy to hire locals for unskilled jobs, he highlighted is not discriminatory as some people think but rather is meant to ensure that local people don’t become spectators in the local economic boom.  Some lodges, he said, have hired locals but others somersault when they start operating.

“During environmental impact assessment consultations before they start their businesses, Kgosi Rancholo notes that most of them speak glowingly about how they would create employment for locals but once they are given the go ahead they bring people from elsewhere.

The construction of the modern senior secondary school in the village, he highlighted, was a good omen as poor people are no longer forced to send their children to faraway places such as Francistown.

Even those people in Kasane, he notes, now send their children to Nata which is closer. 

Despite this entire boom in the local economy of the village and an increase in the population, the traditional leader notes that the developments have come with challenges such as indiscipline by students who cut the fence at night and escape from school to drinking spots.

However, he applauded the police and security in the village for being up to the task. 

During the construction phase of the school, he says that they mostly dealt with cases of theft of construction materials from the site.

However, he applauded students at Nata Senior Secondary School, explaining that unlike what they hear from other parts of the country, they have not engaged in any vandalism of school property because of briefings they have with both students and their parents when they register. 

Consequently, he said, that the results at the senior school have not been impressive but said they are improvements from last year’s results.

He says that even though students need to take their studies seriously, there is also a concern that some teachers might be contributing to this state of affairs as they are normally seen in large numbers at various beer drinking spots during odd hours even midweek.

Another challenge they face is trucks which stopover in the village overnight on their way to countries in the north.

“We are not against trucks as we know that they carry goods between countries thereby facilitating trade, however the conduct of some truck drivers is a cause for concern,” said Kgosi Rancholo.

Their crimes range from not taking care of the environment by spilling oils everywhere, improper disposal of used condoms, reckless manner in which they park their trucks some of which carry dangerous chemicals.

He also mentions that some even cook under the trucks and this has resulted in some trucks catching fire which is hazardous to the residents on Nata.

From his observation, Nata is no longer a rest place for long distance truck drivers as some of them actually arrive on Friday and spend the weekend only leaving on Monday.

“It is now evident that they are now stopping over to have fun,” he argued. He also said that some Batswana have been given land to build truck stopovers but these have proven difficult to develop as they are expensive.

Even if they were stopovers, Kgosi Rancholo says that they would serve little purpose as the law does not oblige truck drivers to use them.

Some of these truck drivers, he maintains are engaged in criminal activities such as stealing and selling fuel from trucks, prostitution which leads to higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/Aids.

At night the commercial centre which houses many restaurants and bars becomes a beehive as the sex trade reaches its peak, attracting even young girls who are young enough to be still at school. These are attracted to the clientele made up of truck drivers who sleepover in the village.

The police, he said, have in some instances, confiscated fuel which had been siphoned out of the trucks and those responsible admit guilt and pay fines. ENDS