Shifeta warns against abuse of conservancy funds
OKONJOTA - Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has warned against the misuse of conservancy funds by those entrusted to ensure such income is channelled towards community projects.
The government introduced the conservancy concept in 1998 to allow communities to manage natural resources, protected areas and wild animals sustainably, while raising income for rural people.
Namibia now has up to 86 conservancies, which accommodate close to 200 000 people.
However, there have always been concerns that community members are being cheated out of the income derived from conservancies.
Shifeta said the ministry uncovered rife corruption in how traditional leaders were enriching themselves and their families through tourism and conservancy projects.
Since December 2018, conservancy managers are now forced to allocate 50% of the income from tourism concessions and hunting activities to community development projects.
“The money we generate from conservation, hunting, sale of game should be used for the benefit of the conservancies. There are some expenses of paying game guards and other operational costs, but the profit should be invested in community programmes for the benefit of building schools. I was informed we have cases of communal communities who borrow money from the conservancies,” Shifeta said last week during the inauguration and handover of water infrastructure for human wildlife conflict management and community livelihoods in Okonjota in the Kunene region.
With the financial support from the German government’s GIZ, 18 boreholes have been rehabilitated, installed with new solar pumping systems, elephant protection walls and elephant proof dams. This was done at a tune of N$7 million.
He told conversancy leaders to ensure that accountability prevails.
According to Shifeta, there are some leaders who pocket such income for their own use.
“This can’t be tolerated. We changed the law, so we monitor and make sure we have power to take charge of this account. I gave a directive that 50% of the revenue should be re-invested to electrify communities, build schools and clinics,” he noted.
He thanked communities that followed his directive but warned those who embezzle money.
The minister equally warned conservancy leaders not to only have their family and relatives serving as committee members.
“We don’t want committees composed of one family members. I don’t know how they get elected but we stopped it to say only one family member can serve in a conservancy committee,” he cautioned.