27 Nov 2024

The relationship between Community Based Natural Resources and land administration and management has necessitated the placement of Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) Trusts services under the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture.

Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Micus Chimbombi told Parliament on Tuesday during its question and answer session that land tenure security was key in access to land and the use of natural resources, adding that his ministry was responsible for issuance of head leases for the community trusts.

“The trusts are also required to seek authority from the land authorities for any sub-leasing and land transactions that they desire to enter into with any joint partner or financial institution,” Dr Chimbombi said, stating therefore, that their placement under a ministry responsible for lands provided a seamless undertaking for that critical aspect of their operations.

He said the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture would ensure that community trusts were productive and efficient through institutionalising principles and practices of inclusivity, independence, capacity building, partnerships, accountability as well as collaborative and structured research.

Regarding inclusivity he said trust initiatives and activities would be geared towards benefiting the wider community as opposed to individuals or smaller groups or entities.

He said that would ensure faster and more sustainable socio-economic development and would also encourage coherence within communities and that it would also mutually benefit the environment through prudent utilisation of natural resources.

On the aspect of independence, Dr Chimbombi said the programme would continue to support and facilitate community empowerment by devolving natural resources management decisions from government to the communities.

“This will create a convenient and conducive environment for the local communities and will therefore promote a sense of ownership. Local communities will, through relevant structures, make decision on the utilisation of natural resources within their vicinity,” he said.

The minister said through appropriate collaboration and structures, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) would be capacitated on governance, accounting and book keeping, entrepreneurship and business case development, project and contract management, auditing, enterprise risk management, and marketing and public relations to ensure continuity, efficiency and accountability.

Regarding partnerships, Dr Chimbombi said CBOs would be retooled and capacitated to accommodate collaborations and partnerships particularly with the private sector using such models and principles that would ensure mutual benefit without losing focus particularly on conservation and maintaining a balance within the ecosystem

As for accountability, he said necessary measures would be put in place through administrative support and policy provision to ensure that trusts remained accountable for all the natural resources entrusted upon them, as well as assets in their custody.

He said that would not only ensure sustainability in the management of natural resources but would also ensure transparency and instil trust within the wider community.

For collaborative and structured research, Dr Chimbombi said relationships would be encouraged with relevant institutions and entities, to team up with local communities and supporting structures to carry out research on relevant areas necessary to further ensure sustainable natural resource management and consequently facilitate socio-economic development of the communities and the nation at large.

Minister Chimbombi further told Parliament that a CBRNM Bill had been drafted and was at stakeholder consultation stage and was expected to be brought to Parliament next year.

He said the purpose of the bill was to provide a framework within which communities would operate while keeping regulatory requirements in check and also providing clarity on standards and accountability matters.

The minister said the goals of the act included to constitute the CBRNM support structure, to define roles and responsibilities of all interested parties and stakeholders in the CBRNM space, to legally define rights of CBOs and trusts, to define management of CBOs and to enhance CBO security.

He said the TAC would continue to provide administrative support and extension services to CBOs across the country through provision of focused technical advice in sectors such as tourism, forestry and range resources, wildlife management, environmental protection, waste management, arts and culture, heritage, agriculture, entrepreneurship and land management, among others.

Maun West Member of Parliament, Mr Caterpillar Hikuama had asked the minister to brief Parliament on the rationale for placing CBRNM services under the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture and to state the desired outcomes.

He had wanted the minister to say how he planned to make community based trusts more productive and efficient and how he would constitute the TAC to ensure that it provided the necessary advice and technical skills needed to transform the trusts to become resourceful and beneficial to the communities they were designed for. ENDS