02 Dec 2024

Users of the transit road that runs through the Chobe National Park from Sedudu entrance gate in Kasane to Ngoma entrance gate do not have 24-hour access due to the stipulated entry and exit times. 

Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Major General Pius Mokgware said when answering a question in Parliament recently  that the lack of 24-hour access was guided by the Wildlife Conservation and National Parks Act of 1992 and the Game Reserves Regulations of 2000. 

Maj. Gen. Mokgware, who was answering the question on behalf of Minister of Environment and Tourism Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said restriction of movement times through the park was also meant to reduce incidences of illegal activities such as poaching. 

He said as inscribed in the National Parks and Game Reserves Regulations of 2000, from April 1 to September 30, the park opened at 6am and closed at 6:30pm, whereas from October 1 to March 31 it opened at 5:30am and closed at 7pm. 

“Out of the realisation and appreciation of the need to commute between Kasane and Chobe West by residents in their daily lives, a decision was made to extend the times beyond the indicated times,” he said. 

He said entry times for users and motorists had been deliberately extended to 9pm for normal entry while those with late entry permits could access the road up to 11pm, explaining however that movement was permitted round the clock for all emergency situations. 

Maj. Gen. Mokgware said the ideal situation was to have uninterrupted movement of users and motorists so as not to hamper their daily activities. 

He said the Ministry of Environment and Tourism would explore all the available options to minimise the negative impacts that residents experienced due to the current scenario. 

The minister admitted that the current scenario disrupted the flow of goods and services, which negatively affected economic activities of the enclave communities. 

Member of Parliament for Chobe, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga had asked if the minister was aware of the buffer to free movement to the Chobe West communities driving through Sedudu to Ngoma transit route. 

Mr Mapulanga had further wanted to know when the route would be operated on a 24-hour basis through the manning of gates by other departments like Botswana Police Service. 

He had also wanted the minister to also state the negative economic impacts of the restriction on movement as the areas to be reached were production areas and villages which were dependent on subsistence and self-reliance. Ends