The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, has said that wildlife resources should benefit everyone.
Daniel made the remarks while speaking at Etosha King Nehale Lodge during an engagement meeting with members of the King Nehale Conservancy (KNC) on Sunday.
She is on a familiarisation visit to assess how community members are managing natural resources within the area of operations.
According to Daniel, wildlife is a resource that must benefit the communities living in proximity to conservancies through income generation and improved livelihoods.
“I am very impressed with the operations of the KNC, and it is clear that the funds are indeed being put to good use for the benefit of the community,” she said.
She added that the Ministry will continue its efforts to ensure that tourism concession benefits in national parks translate into income generation, improved livelihoods, and employment creation for rural communities.
Furthermore, Daniel urged the public to put an end to poaching, warning that it has long-term negative effects on the community.
She emphasised that people must protect natural parks and that poaching should be stopped by all means.
Meanwhile, KNC Manager Esther Petrus said the lodge is managed by a 23-member committee, of whom 18 are centre representatives elected from 10 different centres.
According to Petrus, they have managed to rehabilitate three boreholes in areas adjacent to the KNC to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. With financial support of N$3.3 million from the CCFN, this intervention has not only reduced human-elephant conflict but also improved livelihoods.
