the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

The National Conservation Strategy Advisory Board advises government on all
matters regarding the implementation of the National Conservation Strategy by
coordinating the various environment and natural resource institutions of the
government. The National Conservation Strategy Coordinating Agency, on the other
hand, acts as the secretariat of the Board, and there are currently plans to turn the
NCS Coordinating Agency, which consists of a modest establishment of 38 posts,
into a department (Republic of Botswana National Development Plan 9, 2003).
Although the NCS Advisory Boards and the NCS Coordinating Agency were
established, they have not been equipped with the necessary powers, firmly
grounded in legislation, to enable them to effectively monitor and coordinate
environmental issues. These problems have been worsened by the fact that there
are a number of legislative environmental instruments touching on environmental
matters and the enforcement mechanisms under these instruments have proved to
be ineffective (Republic of Botswana National Development Plan 9, 2003). The
translation of policies into concrete activities has been constrained by the limited
implementation capacity, absence of a legal framework and the lack of involvement
of communities as well as the non-governmental organisations and corporate
sectors. The lack of a legal framework forces the NCS to depend on out-dated and
inappropriate sectarian acts and policies, which further cripple its aims and
objectives (Mbaiwa, 1999).
5.4.2.11 The Tribal Land Act of 1968 and the Traditional Kgotla Institution
With regard to the issue of land management after independence, the Tribal Land
Act of 1968 led to the establishment of Land Boards in each district in Botswana in
1970. These Land Boards assumed the responsibilities for land matters previously
held by chiefs and their representatives. The Land Boards became responsible for
the allocation of tribal land under customary and common law procedures, the
adjudication of disputes relating to tribal land, and the management of the land
tenure system within tribal land. The Land Boards stripped the chief, who once held
land and its natural resources in trust for his people, of his powers. Consequently,
the Kgotla, which governed the use of land and natural resources was left with little
or no control over land matters. The Tawana Land Board was created to take over
tribal land issues in the Ngamiland District (Mbaiwa, 1999).
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