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Namibia: Conservancies Sign Tourism Concession Agreement
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New Era (Windhoek)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Wezi Tjaronda
Windhoek
Two communal area conservancies in the Kavango region this week signed a concession agreement that will pave the way for the development of tourism facilities in the Khaudum National Park.
The Khaudum Concession Agreement, entered into between the Ministry of Environment and Tourism on one hand and the Gciriku Traditional Authority, George Mukoya and Muduva Nyangana conservancies on the other, is the first to be signed following the approval of the national policy on wildlife and tourism concession on State land by Cabinet in July last year.
The 20-year concession agreement entails the establishment of accommodation facilities, conducting guided game drives, walks and sight-seeing, sale of crafts and products and meals and beverages.
In conjunction with the park the two conservancies, gazetted in 2005, form the Khaudum north complex, which is a joint management institutional arrangement that manages wildlife, fire, water and tourism. Khaudum was proclaimed in 1989 and is described as one of the country's most rugged and remotest national parks, with accommodation limited to camping at Sikerette and Khaudum camps.
Although water is available, elephants destroyed facilities. Around 3000 elephants make use of the park.
Speakers at the event, which also marked the official launch of the Khaudum National Park, said the new development would bring employment opportunities to the area.
Chief Kasian Siyambi of the Gciriku Traditional Authority said many unemployed people in his area needed jobs.
"We want you to develop those conservancies so that we can derive benefits," he said.
Ndiyona Constituency Councillor, Sebastian Karupu, who spoke on behalf of the Kavango Governor John Thighuru, said lack of potable water and unemployment were some of the serious challenges facing people in the region.
But Karupu said the empowerment of people through conservancies would make a difference.
The two conservancies have a joint hunting concession through which they jointly earned N$252000 from trophy hunting, according to Alexander Ndango, Chairman of Muduva Nyangana Conservancy.
Environment and Tourism Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said the concession would improve formerly disadvantaged Namibians' access to the tourism industry.
"The aim of the agreement is the establishment of environmentally sensitive tourism facilities, to conduct the business of operating such facilities and promotion of high quality nature experiences in the park, associated with the promotion of conservation, tourism and community development," she said
She said communities bordering the parks should be targeted when awarding concessions because they suffer livestock and crop losses due to wildlife leaving parks and game reserves.
With projections that tourism's contribution to the gross domestic product would surpass that of mining in the near future, Ndaitwah said she hoped the Kavango region would be one of the contributors to the increase.
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"The tourism industry has a bright future in the region," she said.
Concessions not only benefit communities but also operators, where a community develops its own operation and enters into an agreement with a private operator. A protected area and the Government also benefit as the activities within the protected area ensure conservation of the park.
The concession covers tourism, trophy hunting and harvesting of valuable plant materials such as medicinal pants, thatching grass and plant and animal species for bio-prospecting.
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