Kasane — The Department of Wildlife and National Parks has collected more than P21 million in entrance fees into the Chobe National Park between July and September 2023.

The Chairperson of the Chobe District Council, Mr Chimney Mululwani, told councillors this week that the fees were generated by more than 111 000 people who visited the park during the period.

The park is one of the leading wildlife destinations in the world with a high density of elephants. It offers tourists game viewing on a safari drive or a boat cruise in the Chobe River.

Mr Mululwani said P8.4 million was generated through the sale of single game licenses while about P15 000 was raised through the sale of controlled hunting area permits.

He said to facilitate the ease of movement of tourists, the Savuti Airstrip had to be maintained and the construction of six culverts and gabions along the Chobe riverfront towards Ngoma.

He pointed out that government had allocated more than P2 million for compensation of 224 cases of damages caused by wild animals. However, he said compensation was slow due to the instability of the Government Accounting and Budgeting System (GABS).

He told councillors that the Pandamatenga, Lesoma, Kazungula (PALEKA) Community Conservation Trust and the Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT) had completed their hunting expeditions in their concession areas.

Mr Mululwani said the PALEKA board of trustees had resumed duty following mediation by the district leadership and the community.

He said the SEBOBA Community Trust had secured funding from Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) to renovate their nature and recreational facilities, adding that an expression of interest for the project was at the adjudication stage.

The BTO facilitated the participation of Chobe tourism operators at the business-to-business travel fair in Livingstone, Zambia and the Cisiya-Nkulu cultural festival in Kavimba.

BOPA