The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Tshekedi Khama said he hoped the continued implementation of the Tsodilo Community Project will transform the livelihood of the people living in the area. Officiating at the opening of the Tsodilo Community Campsite and Craft Centre, Khama noted that the project came as a result of the need to involve communities in the management and utilisation of World Heritage Sites for the improvement of their livelihoods.
“The developments we are to see today, that is the Craft Centre and Community Campsite are situated in the Low Sensitivity Tourism Zone. Future developments in the low Sensitivity Tourism Zone, include 2 community campsites, mid-market lodge and upmarket lodge,” said the minister.
“These will further contribute to the local and national economy as well as create job opportunities. These developments will make a huge impact on the livelihoods of the people of Tsodilo. The Craft Centre will make Tsodilo Arts easily accessible to visitors,” he added.
Tsodilo Hills has been a National Monument since 1927. As a world heritage site, it has being listed as a cultural property since 2001 which shows continued inhabitation by people at different times for one hundred thousand years. This is evident in the more than 4500 rock paintings found here and the well preserved archaeological record at the site.
The World Heritage Convention Text of 1972 Article 5 states that the State Party should “adopt a general policy which aims to give the cultural and natural heritage a function in the life of a community”. As such the obligation by State Parties to ensure that local communities become an integral part in the management and utilisation of World Heritage Sites has long been recognised when the convention was established.
Khama added that at a National level, government through the CBNRM Policy realises the need for communities to benefit from their natural and cultural resources. Vision 2016 acknowledges this as it states that “Communities will be involved in the use and preservation of their environmental assets, and will benefit directly from their exploitation”.
“The main focus of NDP 10 under the National Heritage component is development and management of monuments and sites. The Tsodilo Community Project is therefore in line with Botswana’s long term vision and the development needs of the country”.
The Tsodilo Community Project is guided by the Tsodilo Integrated Management Plan of 2007. To achieve the objective and goals of the management plan, the community formed the Tsodilo Community Development Trust in 1997 to manage and oversee heritage resources in their area as well as to facilitate community empowerment along different livelihoods streams.
The project is funded by the Diamond Trust to the tune of P10 million and to that effect “we sincerely acknowledge and appreciate their contribution which also shows that they realise the importance of synergies and partnerships between the government, communities and the private sector in rural development and conservation. For this, the Government and people of Botswana are very grateful.”