WALVIS BAY - Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta on Friday scolded the leadership of the Topnaar community for unaccounted money generated from tourism concessions as well as for not being transparent with the community’s finances.
The Topnaars, a community of roughly 2 000 people, live in the Namib-Naukluft and Dorob national parks, and generate income through two tourism concessions. This, according to Shifeta, should make them about N$3 million annually, apart from the last two years where tourism was down due to Covid-19. However, those who attended the inauguration of the community trust committee in the two national parks on Friday indicated that they made less than N$300 000 annually.
The minister visited the community to establish the #Aonin Community Trust committee as part of several innovative strategies adopted by Namibia to achieve biodiversity conservation within the framework of national plans and poverty reduction, which included benefit-sharing.
“This community can be sustainable themselves. We don’t want this habitual handout community.
That is why all these efforts are being done by government. They have two tourism concessions that generate approximately N$3 million. I want the saying of ‘we don’t have anything’ to die. You need to sustain yourself,” Shifeta cautioned the community.
The parks are endowed with unique plants and animals, beautiful natural landscapes and diverse cultures of people, which when combined has the potential to support conservation and ultimately carry significant economic rewards for the Topnaar community.
“The association’s management should ensure that the tourism concessions benefit the community, and not individuals. The misuse and misappropriation of the association’s property and finances by individuals at the expense of the broader community is distressing government’s innovative strategies to achieve biodiversity conservation within the framework of a national development plan and poverty reduction,” he emphasised.
“The money that is coming from the tourist concessions should be able to develop the community, such as building classrooms, for rural electrification, the provision of water as well as support learners. But the money is only benefiting individuals while the community at large suffers in poverty,” he added.
The minister told the Topnaars that not having annual general meetings before spending income, and the fact that only a selected few know about their community’s financial affairs, is a huge challenge.
“What has happened in the past should be corrected. There should be more transparency. Let us get the financial records and know how much money was made, and corroborate that with what is on the books of the ministry.
“From now on when money comes into the account, there must be annual general meetings to decide on community projects. You must by then have decided what type of projects the community needs,” Shifeta stated.
He added that government doesn’t want to interfere in the community’s affairs, but only wants to render support. He then appealed to the new committee to work together with the community, and to be transparent at all times.
Acting traditional chief Stoffel Anamab urged the new committee to be transparent and engage the community to bring
much-needed change.
“We have a responsibility over the traditional community. We have elected you, and the honourable minister has appointed you to serve and explore tourism for the community. I expect your office to be accessible and to work hard. I know already that stones will be thrown at you,” he told the new committee.
Others who responded to the minister’s queries indicated that they are currently in consultations with lawyers who handled the previous trust to determine the finances of the community.
Meanwhile, Erongo governor Neville Andre urged the community to use the concessions as an income-generating tool that would benefit all Topnaars.
“The revenue coming from here should benefit all. You should look at a proper distribution plan, and be accountable at all times. Let us look at community-based tourism projects, and encourage all to participate in community projects,” the governor told the newly inaugurated committee.