Saturday, February 8, 2025

Chobe looks up to Sweden for Kasane/Kazungula re-development strategy

A renewed effort to liven up the area around Kasane-Kazungula termed ÔÇô Kasane-Kazungula Re-development Plan is likely to get its influence from as far as Sweden, thanks largely to twinning relationship between Kasane and the Vanersborg Municipality in that European country.

 The multi-million Pula project is expected to amongst other things identify strategically located land parcels within the Chobe district to maximise economic yield.

This past week, Chobe Land Board Chairman – Johane Chenjekwa said that there is progress in the new plan and confirmed the role that Vanersborg Municipality could play going forward.

Government took a deliberate decision through this Re-Development Plan to enhance the physical, social and economic character of Kasane as Chobe District’s capital by 2021.

Amongst other things the project will result in waterfront developments such as hotels, restaurants, offices, urban spaces and a common jetty.

Chenjekwa told journalists in Francistown recently that the general objective of the strategy is to address the issue of river front accessibility by the general public as well as further uplift the tourist town.             
“Stakeholder consultations have been made by the representatives of the Vanersborg Municipality from Sweden where a detailed presentation and launch of the Strategy was made,” Chenjekwa said.

He emphasized that the Shoreline Strategy will further be incorporated into the Kasane/Kazungula Re-development project. Outlining the current challenges, he said there are restrictions in terms of access to Chobe River front for leisure activities by the general public. He also said there are limited recreational options or activities within the township save for boat cruises and game drives.
“The Shoreline Development Strategy hence proposes other activities such as a pedestrian walkway along the river bank from Chobe Safari Lodge to the new Kazungula Bridge, Community Swimming Pool, Cable Car from Plateau and Kgaphamadi, Restaurant and Picnic Areas among others,” he said
Touching on some achievements, he said the district leadership has met in an effort to see how all allotees of old allocations encroaching into the river may be engaged further in view of the implementation of both the Shoreline Strategy and Re-development Plan.

Chenjekwa also said the Project Coordinator for Kasane Kazungula Re-Development Plan, Jobe Ofetotse has since been appointed to spearhead the project.
“As we speak he has hit the ground running dealing with immediate issues of the project. Consultations of the affected individuals are on the cards and urgent as we proceed with the project,” he added.

Chobe district is made up of eight villages namely Pandamatenga, Lesoma, Kazungula, Mabele, Kavimba, Kachikau, Satau and Parakarungu. The district comprises of Chobe National Park and Six District reserves which amount to about 74 percent of the total land in the district. Only 26 percent of land in the district is reserved for human settlement.
Chenjekwa also said that Chobe is one of the areas that were identified as special economic zones in a bid to diversify the economy of the country. He revealed that a total of 30 000 hectares of additional land for expansion has been allocated by the Board for expansion of the existing Pandamatenga Commercial Farmers to facilitate the dream by the Sepcial Economic Zones Authority (SEZA)
“The Authority has further submitted an application with the board for 100 hectares for the establishment of the development of Agro Processing, Common Facilities and Investors residential area. The Authority has engaged Pandamatenga community for the acquisition of this land in Kgotla meeting held on the 4th of June 2019, whereby the community agreed with the proposal put before it,” he said.

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