New Xade based Itangoo Community Trust which is the custodian for the GH3 concession in the Ghanzi District has called on government to allocate it a campsite in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
New Xade residents are among the villagers who were removed from CKGR by government between 1997 and 2002. Their trust solely relies on hunting as a source of income.
In an interview, the trust Manager James Nxale indicated that if they are allocated a campsite inside the CKGR, they would be in a position to diversify their operations which are only reliant on hunting, thereby improving revenue streams.
He said a campsite in the CKGR will also be a platform for job creation, leading to the improvement of the local economy.
The trust manager noted that should Southern African countries lose their hunting battle against West African countries and animal rights groups their CBO is as good as dead as they will not have any economic activity.
“Our settlement has a high number of destitutes and with the campsite we can be able to support them. They will be employed and have an opportunity to empower their family members since we will not be able to hire all the residents,” Nxale indicated.
Meanwhile Nxale has applauded the government for allocating the trust five elephants in the 2023 hunting quota something which he said has never happened since their existence.
He indicated that their areas has for the past years been experiencing an increasing number of human-elephant conflict appreciating that the hunt will help in controlling the number of elephants in their area.
“If the communities are able to benefit from the elephants they will be able to accept and learn to co-exist with them. Our area does not have abundant water points hence there is increased human-elephant conflict as the animals moves around in search for water,” Nxale explained.
Nxale revealed that this year’s quota which was sold at 1 million 780 thousand pula compromised of the five elephants, 3 leopards, 4 Kudus, 4 heart beasts 4 steenboks, 2 duikers, 20 gemsboks, 5 ostriches and 4 warthogs.
