TARIME District Council chairman Amos Sagara has encouraged councillors and residents in the vicinity of Serengeti National Park to take advantage of living close to the park to visit the tourism spot.

The call comes at a time when a high level delegation of Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) officials came here on a social responsibility mission that prompted the donation of 6,000 iron sheets to the district council.

Mr Sagara said that the residents surrounding the conserved natural environment area at Serengeti National Park, mainly in the villages of Massanga, Kegonga and Gibaso, must respect the Tanapa directive to stop encroaching into the conserved area.

Addressing the media here after the visit, Mr Sagara said that in the coming council meetings, a lot of emphasis will be laid on motivation to encourage local tourism starting with the councillors down to the people at the grassroots level.

The chairman explained that by visiting the national parks on regular basis the councillors will set a good example for other residents to follow. This will show that tourism attractions are not for foreigners only.

Recently, while in Tarime, the Tanapa Director General, Allan Kijazi, complained that some politicians had made conflicting statements when addressing residents who live in the vicinity of national parks.

The result was invasion of conserved national park areas for grazing and other purposes, including setting up of homesteads. Mr Sagara said that village residents who live on the fringes of national parks or other conservation areas will be enlightened on how best to manage disasters and conserve the environment.