Absalom Shiwedha
9 May 2008
Ndiyona — THE GOSPEL of sustainable use of Namibia's natural resources is increasingly being preached in many parts of the country.
Even some traditional leaders are now taking to the 'green pulpit'.
"Let us join hands with Government to protect our nature and our wildlife," the chief of the Gciriku Traditional Authority in the Kavango Region, Kasian Shiyambi, exhorted on Wednesday.
He was speaking at the official launch of the newly proclaimed Khaudum National Park and the signing of joint concession rights given to the Muduva Nyangana and George Mukoya conservancies (by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism) to set up tourism facilities in the park.
It is part of an initiative to help people living near the park to also benefit from it in a sustainable manner.
The two conservancies fall in the Gciriku Traditional Authority area and Chief Shiyambi called on his people to take care of their wildlife.
"Let us now change," a visibly happy Shiyambi told the about 300 people who attended the event.
Chief Shiyambi, Environment and Tourism Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the representative of the George Mukoya conservancy, Kavaru Simon, and the representative of the Muduva Nyangana conservancy, Alexander Ndango, signed the agreement.
Minister Ndaitwah explained that the park, formerly known as Khaudum Game Park, was proclaimed a national park on February 15.
In terms of the proclamation, she noted, the ecological integrity of its ecosystem was protected for the benefit of present and future generations.
She said that in 1999 Cabinet had resolved, amongst others, that Khaudum Game Park be renamed the Khaudum National Park and that communities neighbouring or living in the Bwabwata, Mamili, Mudumu and Khaudum national parks be given conditional tourism rights so that they could establish tourism facilities in the park.
The facilities should be specifically located at Khaudum and Sikeretti Camps.
This is the first concession agreement to be signed since Cabinet signed the Ministry's National Policy on Wildlife and Tourism Concession on State Land in July 2007.
In addition to the tourism facilities, two conservancies have also been granted the right to conduct guided sight-seeing and game-viewing drives, and guided walks and to sell crafts and retail products, meals, food and beverages at prescribed sites in the Khaudom National Park.
"Other activities may be permitted subject to the prior written consent of the Ministry," said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The Khaudum National Park is one of Namibia's most wild, rugged and pristine wilderness areas - containing a wide variety of abundant biodiversity, landscapes and a range of ecosystem.
Approximately 3 000 elephants use the park; other wild animals found there include roan antelope, wild dogs, lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, giraffes, eland, kudus, blue wildebeest, reed buck and side-stripped jackals.
"As such its attraction to tourists is not questionable," said Nandi-Ndaitwah, adding that the concession agreement will be for 20 years.
The two conservancies were officially inaugurated in February 2006.
Ndango, speaking on behalf of the two conservancies, said the Muduva Nyangana and George Mukoya conservancies lay adjacent to one another on the northern border of the Khaudum National Park.
He said the two conservancies were working in tandem on a joint hunting concession and the sustainable management of the natural resources in the Khaudum North Complex.
Both have management committees - consisting of 10 members each - and to date, said Ndango, they had jointly earned N$252 065,46 from trophy hunting.
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