Conservancies have grand ambitions

PLANS are afoot to establish a crocodile farm in the Mbambangandu Conservancy in the Kavango Region, says the conservancy’s chairperson, Joseph Lipange.

The Mbambangandu conservancy is one of four new communal conservancies that were launched on Thursday. Lipange said the conservancy has also asked the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to give them 20 impala.He said the regional office of the Ministry of Environment in Kavango had submitted a request for a trophy-hunting quota to the ministry’s head office in Windhoek, while negotiations were also underway to establish a campsite in the adjacent Khaudum National Park.He said three more conservancies were in the process of being established in the region.These are the Shamagaigai conservancy in Mashare constituency, Daniel Sitentu Mpasi in Mpungu constituency and Ambrosius Haingura conservancy in Kapako constituency.A request has already been made to the Game Products Trust Fund to fund the drilling of boreholes in these planned conservancies.Lipange said funding was also being secured by the Namibia Nature Foundation for the training of members of the new conservancies in resource monitoring, agriculture, fire fighting and game guarding.”Training in Business Entrepreneurship has been completed.Ten members from each registered conservancy attended the course and received certificates,” said Lipange.The Namibian Community-Based Tourism Association (Nacobta) has offered a bursary to one member of the Shamagaigai conservancy to do a two-year certificate course in tourism at the South African College of Tourism.The four conservancies that were launched on Thursday were established with assistance from the Namibia Nature Foundation, local traditional authorities, the Ministries of Environment and Tourism, Lands, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Kavango Regional Council and NamWater.Lipange said the conservancy has also asked the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to give them 20 impala.He said the regional office of the Ministry of Environment in Kavango had submitted a request for a trophy-hunting quota to the ministry’s head office in Windhoek, while negotiations were also underway to establish a campsite in the adjacent Khaudum National Park.He said three more conservancies were in the process of being established in the region.These are the Shamagaigai conservancy in Mashare constituency, Daniel Sitentu Mpasi in Mpungu constituency and Ambrosius Haingura conservancy in Kapako constituency.A request has already been made to the Game Products Trust Fund to fund the drilling of boreholes in these planned conservancies.Lipange said funding was also being secured by the Namibia Nature Foundation for the training of members of the new conservancies in resource monitoring, agriculture, fire fighting and game guarding.”Training in Business Entrepreneurship has been completed.Ten members from each registered conservancy attended the course and received certificates,” said Lipange.The Namibian Community-Based Tourism Association (Nacobta) has offered a bursary to one member of the Shamagaigai conservancy to do a two-year certificate course in tourism at the South African College of Tourism.The four conservancies that were launched on Thursday were established with assistance from the Namibia Nature Foundation, local traditional authorities, the Ministries of Environment and Tourism, Lands, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Kavango Regional Council and NamWater.