Tourism in Botswana

Will Air Botswana take over Swazi Airlink?

According to media reports in Swaziland, the Government of the Southern African kingdom is presently negotiating with foreign airline companies to possibly replace Swazi Airlink should the need arise following questions that have been raised on its safety.

The Minister of Public Works and Transport in Swaziland Ntuthuko Dlamini is quoted as having confirmed the ongoing talks but refused to go into details of the negotiations.
“We’re engaging Botswana Airways and the South Africa Airways as possible alternative airlines to replace Swazi Airlink,” the minister said.

However the locals have maintained ignorance on the developments. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Louis Malikongwa said he was not aware of the issue. “We have not heard anything to that effect, and the Swazi government has not engaged us in that matter. Maybe they are still in the process of coming to us.”

Mphi Tlhomelang who is the Acting General Manager of Air Botswana acknowledged she had heard the rumour but there was no official communication, either from Swazi Airlink or the Ministry. “I will have to get in touch with the Ministry to confirm it. The Swazis have not yet come to us, or maybe it was a suggestion and they are still to make a proposal but as Air Botswana we are open to discussions.”

Swazi Airlink is 51 per cent owned by the Swazi government and South African Airlink owns 49 per cent. The reason to negotiate with the two airlines, according to the minister, has been necessitated by the ongoing probe into the operations of South African Airlink.

In July, Air Botswana signed a code share agreement with Kenya Airways which began flights to Gaborone in September. Kenya Airways and Air Botswana said the partnership was a win-win deal that will see Botswana benefiting from the superior Kenya Airways network.

Air Botswana also said the partnership will open Kenya Airways’ global route network to Air Botswana bookings. Under the code-sharing agreement, Air Botswana will sell seats on Kenya Airways’ direct flights from Nairobi to Gaborone.

Code-sharing is a common industry practice that allows airlines to earn revenue by selling tickets on each other’s flights. One airline sells seats on another airline’s flights, puts its ‘own’ code number on the reservation and advertises the route as part of its own network.

Source: Botswana Gazette (http://www.gazettebw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4748:will-air-botswana-take-over-swazi-airlink&catid=20:timeout)

Botswana fishermen fear tourist invasion will destroy Okavango wilderness

Villagers say visitors to delta are a threat to wildlife and their fishing industry

Tourists take to the waters of the Okavango Delta in the local fishermen’s preferred makoro canoes. Photograph: Stuart Westmorland/Corbis

Music, dancing and smiling platitudes greeted the royal guest in the fishing village of Samochima, northern Botswana. But cutting through the convivial mood was a cry of anguish – and a plea for a way of life threatened by tourism in the world’s largest inland delta.

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway had arrived as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). While addressing an audience in the shade of some fig trees, he was confronted by a local fisherman, Saoshiko Njwaki, who spoke out bluntly about growing resentment at the world’s indifference to their plight.

“Tourists are allowed to go into the delta without local guides,” Njwaki told the prince. “This is worrying to us because no one knows what they might do.” It was only because of the intervention of a local conservation body that “all-out war” with tour operators had been averted, he said.

At stake is no ordinary prize. The Okavango Delta is a watery wilderness of channels, lagoons and islands that empty into the Kalahari desert. Its 16,000 sq km of swamps are filled with birds, crocodiles, elephants, hippos, lions and an abundance of other wildlife.

It is also Botswana’s premier tourist attraction. For years the southern African country has restricted visitor numbers to preserve its habitat. But the government now sees tourism as crucial to a diversified economy that cannot depend on diamonds for ever. The fishermen who rely on the delta for their livelihoods accuse tourists of riding roughshod over their needs and jeopardising the fragile ecosystem.

Njwaki, who as chairman of the Okavango Fishers Association represents 400 commercial fishermen and women, said: “Tourists normally come here to see nature and for casual fishing, but they should do it in an orderly way. As people living here, we are very conscious of conserving our environment, but tourists come with their boats and disturb it. It causes problems for us and it affects the wildlife.”

The fishermen’s age-old mode of transport is the makoro, a canoe hollowed out from a tree trunk that glides along the waterways. It is helpless against the waves generated by tourists’ motorboats.

“They don’t respect us,” Njwaki said. “When they come in motorboats they don’t slow down for fishermen who are using dugout canoes. They also cut our nets. We have a further problem of houseboats. People pitch up to camp and throw their waste in the river. We formed our association to address these concerns, so they will do things properly with tour guides.”

He said the association had appealed to the government for support, but without success. “We want tourism to be controlled, but the Water Affairs Ministry has been unable to tell us how to do it. We don’t have a problem with people coming, but we need regulation. It shouldn’t just be floodgates opening to people to do what they like.”

About 120,000 tourists visit the delta every year for attractions including the Moremi Game Reserve, more than a hundred camps and lodges and the rock paintings of the Tsodilo Hills.

Tour operators in Samochima reject the fishermen’s arguments and accuse them of hurting local ecology by over-fishing. David Pryce, of the nearby Shakawe Lodge, described the criticism of tourists as “racist”, adding: “When people are in the wrong, they like to find an excuse to blame someone else.”

He estimated that the fish population in this part of the delta had dropped by 80% over the past 10 to 15 years and blamed the use of fishing nets bought with Norwegian donor aid. “I’d say tiger fish are down to 20% of what they were,” Pryce said. “Now we don’t promote fishing at all for visitors. We changed our name from Shakawe Fishing Lodge to Shakawe Lodge.”

Preservation of the delta is a primary aim of the Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre at Botswana University. It admits that there are “many questions” about the gains and drawbacks of tourism. It has called for greater efforts to share the benefits with poor people.

Dr Nkobi Moleele, the centre’s national project co-ordinator, said: “I don’t think there’s a problem of too many tourists or how they behave, but there is a problem with our [management] system. Samochima is an open-access area: you can take your boat there and do whatever you want. This doesn’t give communities the power to plan and agree how to do things. We don’t know the numbers in these open-access areas because it’s not controlled. That’s the problem.”

Botswana is the world’s biggest diamond producer and reaps half its revenue from the gem stones. But the global economic crisis has caused their value to plummet and concentrated minds on finding alternatives. Experts predict that Botswana’s diamond reserves will run out in 20 years, a time-bomb under one of Africa’s most successful economies and stable democracies.

Ian Khama, the country’s British-born president, said after his re-election last month: “We have always appreciated that our dependence on diamonds as a major revenue earner leaves us vulnerable, and therefore the need to diversify is very important.”

Tourism, the second biggest economic sector, is ripe for growth. In the past, Botswana has styled itself as one of Africa’s best kept secrets, pursuing a strategy of high-value, low-volume travellers. But earlier this year a 94m pula (£8.6m) expansion was announced, including a website aimed at the lucrative US market.

During his trip, Prince Haakon said he hoped the UNDP could help the rival factions reach a compromise. “It’s all about balance so the tourism and fishing industries can find ways of working out their differences through democratic processes and peaceful means,” he said.

Source:  The Guardian

Have An Overwhelming Luxury Adventure Travel In Botswana

When we talk about safari holidays, it is obvious to talk about South Africa – the land of safari parks. If you are a safari lover and are in search of an exciting safari destination, you can plan your tour to Botswana. This part of South Africa has to offer lot many exciting things and experiences to wildlife and safari lovers. During your visit to Botswana you will find lot many things to explore, right from art, culture, people to wildlife.

If you love bird watching, you should definitely plan safari programs to this part of South Africa. One can simply not stop admiring the wonderful birdlife present in Botswana. This place has more than 600 species of birds, which include many rare and unique species of birds as well.

When the annual rains fill the Makgadikgadi, thousands of waterbords which migrate to Botswana further enhance the colorful view of this place. In Botswana, the safari lovers not only see the huge numbers of resident and migratory birds but also witness the wide array of raptors and other species of animals and birds.

The Chobe National Park being one of the best wildlife reserves of South Africa attracts huge volumes of safari lovers on luxury travel tours every year. This reserve is known to have the largest population of elephant in the world. This place also boasts of greater rainfall than other parts of this dry country and the tropical vegetation it is blessed with.

When we talk about luxury adventure travel in Botswana, we can definitely not miss mentioning about the Kalahari Desert. This desert covers most of Botswana and is known to display a wide variety of game within its natural boundary.

The Makgadikgadi and Okavango Delta are the other destinations in the country which are worth a visit if you are interested in exploring the wildlife, birds and other wilderness attractions in this part of South Africa completely, during your African safari holidays.

Botswana is well known throughout the world for having a rich tribal art and craft tradition. It also possesses a rich wealth of ancient rock art. The Tsodilo Hills situated west of the Okavango delta is known to have the site richest in rock art in South Africa. It is known to have more than 4000 catalogue paintings.

Botswana also has a rich history of culture which includes the stone wall ruins, Stone Age tools and patterned pottery. This place continues to preserve its local traditions and very carefully protects the ancient human culture.

Revenge of the warthog: Brave mother tackles two male cheetahs as she tries to save her piglets

Cheetahs are used to being at the top of the food chain, but in the wild even the hunter can quickly become the hunted.

These pictures taken on the plains of the Savuti channel in northern Botswana show two male cheetahs who got more than they bargained for while feasting on a young warthog.

Preparing for a post-feeding nap, the two predators were startled into retreat as a mother warthog determined to protect her young launched an attack on them.

Brave: The mother warthog sees the danger to her piglets and launches an attack on one of the startled cheetahs

Guide and photographer Lee Wittham, who was leading a tour at the time, said: ‘The mother warthog had three piglets to start with and the cheetah managed to get one.

‘Cheetah are rather timed and as soon as something challenges them they usually retreat for fear of injury.

‘If they injure themselves they cannot hunt and will die as a result.’

Lasting around 15 minutes, the sparring match produced a rare sight as the diminutive warthog tried in vain to save the doomed piglet.

Turning the tide: The enraged warthog continues to give chase as the cheetah decides to run away

‘The images are interesting because it shows that the tables can turn on the predators and they don’t always have it their way as is the common perception by most people,’ Mr Wittham said.

‘The cheetah will regularly hunt small warthogs but it isn’t often that you get to see the bravery that the mother shows whilst trying to defend her offspring.’

Despite the mother’s frantic efforts, the cheetahs eventually returned to finish their kill.

Mr Wittham added: ‘Eventually the cheetahs got their reward and the mother had to resign herself to the fact that she had lost one of her piglets.

‘The mother warthog remained in the area for some time and actually returned to the site of the kill later that day and sniffed around as if looking for her missing piglet.’

In vain: But the pair of male cheetahs refuse to give ground and eventually return to finish their kill

Source: Daily Mail