31 Mar 2025

Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT) villages will this year receive P2 million each from the income generated in 2024.

Presenting the financial statement for the year 2024 at the CECT Annual General Meeting in Kachikau on Saturday, CECT accountant Ms Curlie Sobo stated that the trust generated a total income of P18.3 million in 2024 compared to P15.8 million the previous year.

She said of the total income generated in 2024, P10.2 million was from hunting, P4 million from photographic concession fees, P 2 million from variable community fees generated from Ngoma Lodge revenue, P723 000 from general dealer sales, P307 875 from tractor income, P428 842 from brick moulding sales while the balance was collected from other avenues. Ms Sobo said the remaining income for 2024 was budgeted expenditure for the year 2025 worth P8.3 million planned for trust operations and office overheads.

Members said it was essential for the trust to have a contingency plan to augment the hunting income, arguing that dependence on hunting was a high risk in case of a decline in animal numbers. They said CECT had been running for over 30 years hence it should invest in high value projects like properties for leasing which were reflective of the millions generated by the trust.

Some members suggested that the trust should use part of its concessions for a modern farm with boreholes and electricity and employ people from Mabele, Kavimba, Kachikau, Satau and Parakarungu to run the farm.

Presenting the managers’ report, CECT General Manager Mr Moses Sinchembe said a total of 64 wild animals were hunted in CH1 while 25 were hunted in CH2 from the 2024 hunting quota. He said out of the hunting quota, buffaloes were mostly killed as the quota issued 15 licenses in CH1 and 10 in CH2 of which all were hunted followed by elephants where 15 were issued in CH1 and 13 killed while of all the 12 issued in CH2 were killed.

He revealed that for the 2025 hunting quota, a single buffalo was P63 378 in CH1, P78 100 in CH2, while and elephant was P240 400 in CH1 and P250 000 in CH2, a leopard P131 127 in CH1 and P165 000 in CH2. He stated that a total of 94 farmers from the Chobe Enclave villages had planted a total of 185 hectorage this ploughing season.

Mr Sinchembe briefed that a total of P500 000 was disbursed to nine beneficiaries in the five villages under the CECT Enterprise Development Fund aimed towards sustainable startups and project expansions. ENDS