17 Mar 2025

Minister of Environment and Tourism Mr Wynter Mmolotsi has asked Parliament for approval of a budget totaling P1.5 billion for the financial year 2025/2026.

The budget includes about P960 million earmarked for recurrent expenses and P520 million allocated for development initiatives. Acknowledging concerns raised by legislators regarding the inadequacy of the current budget, Minister Mmolotsi expressed hope that improvements in the economy and government revenues would lead to a more favourable financial situation for the ministry in the future.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism, as highlighted by the minister, has a mandate to formulate, implement, and monitor policies aimed at conserving and sustainably utilising the nation’s natural resources. The ministry is also tasked with protecting the environment from pollution and other adverse impacts, as well as managing related environmental issues.

Mr Mmolotsi emphasised the importance of community involvement, stating that the ministry had engaged local communities in managing and reaping benefits from natural resource utilisation.

He reported that between April 2024 and January 2025, a total of 3 843 individuals participated in the harvest and utilisation of veldt products such as grapple plants, firewood, phane, and thatching grass.

To enhance governance within Community Based Organisations (CBOs), the ministry continues its efforts to empower and educate these groups through the implementation of the Community Based Natural Resources Management Programme, which spans the entire country, he said.

Highlighting the ministry’s annual contributions, Minister Mmolotsi stated that hunting quotas issued to local communities generated P42 863 423 for the 2024 hunting season. Additionally, the sale of special elephant quotas, intended to support conservation and community-led projects in elephant habitats, yielded P15 633 950.

In terms of tourism, Minister Mmolotsi noted the sector’s resilience amidst various economic challenges. International arrivals increased by 18 per cent, from 227 635 in the previous financial year to 267 805 this year.

Employment in the tourism sector also saw positive growth, with 22 141 individuals employed as of January 2025, marking a significant rise from 21 481 in the same period last year. Notably, 95 per cent of the employment opportunities were filled by citizens.

Within the proposed recurrent budget, P28 665 000 is allocated for compensation related to wildlife damages, P33 560 000 for firebreak maintenance, and P20 336 530 for vehicle replacements, among other expenditures.

Under the development budget, the minister has requested P128 160 438 to fund conservation efforts, protect wildlife species and their habitats, and mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Moreover, P114 374 305 is sought for the development and diversification of the tourism industry, alongside P19 068 504 for various additional projects. ENDS