The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Wynter Mmolotsi, has commended the five Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) partner states for their unwavering commitment and significant progress made in expanding transboundary tourism and conservation initiatives.
Mmolotsi was speaking during the KAZA TFCA 16th Ministerial Committee meeting held in Zimbabwe last week Friday, which brought together ministers and senior government officials from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to review progress on joint efforts in the development and management of the KAZA TFCA.
Recent milestones achieved by the KAZA TFCA include the unveiling of regional birding routes, expanded joint anti-poaching patrols, ministerial committee meetings to streamline policies, dedicated conservation trust funds, and the rollout of the KAZA UniVisa.
According to Mmolotsi, the 16th Ministerial Committee meeting deliberated on and approved measures to open up tourism access by establishing new border posts between Namibia and Angola and expanding the KAZA UniVisa.
The session also endorsed frameworks to enhance KAZA’s financial sustainability through a Conservation Trust Fund, establish lasting partnerships, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making using scientific data generation and ecological surveys.
Mmolotsi noted that the five nations have reaffirmed their collective vision of a financially and operationally sustainable KAZA TFCA founded on the principles of inclusivity alongside fair and transparent governance.
He highlighted that the progress achieved has been made possible by the generous support and strategic partnerships with international cooperating partners. These include the Federal Republic of Germany, the European Union, the SADC Secretariat and TFCA Financing Facility, the Namibia Nature Foundation, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, WWF, the Sustainable Finance Coalition, and the African Leadership University, among others.
Mmolotsi urged the partner states to continue diversifying their donor portfolios, strengthen their national committees, and empower their respective working groups to deliver on their mandates. He also encouraged them to remain faithful to the vision and directives of their Heads of State and founding fathers, which is to achieve a KAZA that conserves and protects its natural heritage for the benefit of its people and future generations.
“On behalf of the Ministerial Committee, I thank you once again for your dedication and your partnership. May our collective efforts continue to inspire hope, foster resilience, and secure the future of this extraordinary transfrontier conservation area,” he stated.
Meanwhile, according to a communiqué issued after the meeting, the KAZA TFCA Ministerial Committee noted the continued emphasis on strengthening strategic resource mobilization and diversifying the KAZA TFCA donor portfolio as a foundation for long-term financial sustainability.
The committee highlighted progress in implementing the resolutions of the 2024 Heads of State Summit, including the diversification of the donor base through expanding international partnerships, the ongoing development of the KAZA Conservation Strategy and Action Plan alongside the Integrated Development Plan, the launch of the tourism destination brand, and the creation of the Great Kavango Zambezi Birding Route as a flagship regional tourism product.
It further highlighted the significant impact of the Federal Republic of Germany’s support to the KAZA TFCA landscape through interventions in human–wildlife coexistence, livelihood enhancement, governance, and safety systems, as well as the confirmation of additional funding amounting to EUR 6 million over four years, commencing in 2027.
The committee also noted substantial progress recorded during the first year of implementing the Green Growth for KAZA Project under the European Union’s NaturAfrica programme, a four-year initiative valued at EUR 5.65 million. This program advances sustainable finance, Bankable Nature Solutions, Integrated Development Plans, conservation strategies, and the institutional strengthening of the KAZA TFCA Secretariat.
Additionally, it highlighted strengthened transboundary law enforcement, including an unprecedented multi-agency patrol involving Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; the training of 796 border control officers since 2021; and the completion of customised Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Standard Operating Procedures for the Partner States.
