TOURISM is one of the sectors expected to boost Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) whereby communal conservancies are expected to create employment opportunities, reduce extreme poverty as well as help conserve or preserve the natural environment. Tourism initiatives can offer sustainable opportunities if well exploited to achieve economic and social development for communities throughout the country, especially in rural areas where jobs are hard to find.
The National Policy on Tourism for Namibia states that Government will encourage the establishment of tourism initiatives on communal areas as an efficient means of introducing rural communities in the tourism sector and thus for them to share the benefits derived from tourism related activities. The King Iipumbu Ya Shilongo Conservancy in Uuvundhiya constituency, Oshana Region, is one of the few conservancies that catch my attention. I believe it can produce tangible results if the conservancy is developed with infrastructure needed for tourism activities. The gravel road between Ekamba and Onkani serve as a strategic link for the King Iipumbu Ya Shilongo conservancy and can create long term economic tourism benefits if well sustained. A good quality route network is of particular importance to the development of the tourism sector.
Therefore I would like to propose that Ekamba-Onkani gravel road should be rehabilitated and tarred until the salt pan so that it can be easily accessible to tourists. The private sector should meet government halfway by identifying entrepreneurship opportunities that are possible to spearhead and ensure the desired tourism programmes are fully implemented or achieved.
According to the fourth National Development Plan (NDP4), by 2017 in terms of public infrastructure Namibia is expected to have a well-functioning high quality transport system such as roads to support development programmes of which the tourism sector is part.
Having a well built road to the salt pan will also create social empowerment for the people. The proposed private development initiatives in the salt pan, in my opinion, would not be sustainable and should be rejected. In addition, economic activities that are unsustainable and unfriendly to the natural environment and have a long term effect on renewable resources should not be allowed to go ahead. The parliament committee on environment and tourism should also come out and condemn the current salt pan development activities. The Environment Management Act of 2007 clearly states that renewable resources which in this case is salt “must be used on a sustainable basis for the benefit of present and future generations”.
What will our children tell their children about some of these renewable resources if we allow them to be exploited and get depleted by capitalist corporations who are only after our country’s resources? Some of these activities should be debated and communities should be allowed to be part of the decision-making process. Environment impact assessments results should be made available for the local people for scrutiny. Environment commissioners should also make sure that decisions made do not severely and negatively affect present and future generations.
For a number of years now, Namibia has been a leader, both in Africa and the world, in its approach to natural resources conservation and community involvement in natural resource management. According to the United Nations report, it is Africa’s top performer in Global Environment Facility (GEF) programmes and, in 2005, Namibia ranked 32nd out of 146 countries, an achievement that our country should be proud of. Therefore, there is a need to seriously scrutinise any development that is taking place to help protect and utilise living natural resources for the benefit of all Namibians both present and the future.
Finally, our lawmaker or policy maker should seriously look into some of these issues as the nation is expected to hear their view. Acts, policy, bills and other programmes can be passed by parliamentarians but as long as they are not communicated to the grassroots, they are meaningless.
• Twiihendeni Israel, a member of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) Central Committee, leader of SPYL assigned to Karas Region, is also a farmer based at Etunda Irrigation Scheme in the Omusati Region. Can be reached at E-mail: oshimana.plants2030@yahoo.com
By Twiihendeni Israel