11 Apr 2024

Batswana have been urged to rally behind President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in his endeavor to fight for their economic rights. 

The call was made by the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Dumezweni Mthimkhulu in Habu on Wednesday. 

Mr Mthimkhulu, who was accompanied  by delegates from the France Embassy, European Union and other stakeholder organisations, explained that the visit to the area was for the envoys to appreciate how people in remote areas co-existed and benefited from wildlife. 

Habu village in the Okavango region has a conservancy and sustainable wildlife management project which promotes human-wildlife co-existence, farming and tourism while improving livelihoods supported by Agence Fracaise de Development (AFD) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other stakeholders. 

Mr Mthimkhulu said Botswana   supported trophy hunting since it promoted conservation and community beneficiation in wildlife. 

“The President is against the ban of trophy hunting since it would reverse all efforts made to improve lives in Botswana,” he said. 

Minister Mthimkhulu said the hunting trophies ban would deny the affected communities to benefit from resources near them. 

He said he would travel to England again in May to lobby against the proposed European ban on importing wildlife trophies from Africa. 

The French Secretary of State for Development and International Partnership, Dr Chrysoula Zacharopoulou said the visit to Habu was important to appreciate what was happening on the ground and the sustainable wildlife management project. 

Dr Zacharopoulou said the French Embassy was happy to support the project which promoted harmony between humans and wildlife and agriculture. 

The project, she said also helped to attain sustainable tourism that could benefit the local economy. 

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Mokadi Masedi of Habu said sustainable wildlife management project had created jobs for 50 people in Habu. 

He said through the project a borehole was drilled to ensure water was available for wild animals in an effort to curb human-wildlife conflict. 

He said the agriculture component of the project assisted with mobile quarantine, which helped with direct slaughter resulting in reduced costs for farmers. 

Kgosi Masedi said their wish was for the project to continue since it had immense benefits for the community and the country. ENDS