Reaboka Mbulawa, the director of the SKL Group of Companies, has given an explanation of why his business started charging tourism companies for using the SKL borehole in Savuti.

The Savuti area bordering the Okavango Delta to the west and Chobe National Park to the east and is one of Africa’s best known big game areas. Savuti boosts of different campsites which are run by several tourism businesses in the region. In contrast, SKL has leased former Department of Wildlife and National Parks campsites that included a borehole. In the past, tour operators would freely draw water from this borehole.

But last year, SKL extended the lease it had signed with the government, subject to the requirement that they take over the water bodies topping the other infrastructure covered by the previous lease.

The Botswana Guides Association (BOGA) and the Hotel and Tourism Association of Botswana were notified by SKL on December 2nd that the system they were using to obtain water from its Savuti well had changed. Now, depending on the size of the business, they would have to pay P 300 or P 500 monthly.

Concerns were raised by a few BOGA members over this modification. ‘’Since we know this borehole belongs to the government, we would need an explanation of how SKL now operates it. Some of our tiny enterprises are unable to pay for these potentially constant rising water rates or transport water all the way from Maun or Kasane.’’

Responding, Mbulawa stated that the changes in drawing of water are due to new lease that has given SKL right over the borehole.

He explained: ‘’Clause 10.8 essentially gave SKL control over the water bodies, including the fact that we share them with wildlife. Boreholes and ablution blocks fall within our direct lease jurisdiction.’’

‘’Therefore, individuals who would prefer not to share costs should just follow the guidelines and bring their own water! Nobody in Botswana gets water for free, so why do they assume I’ll pay for it all by myself and give them free water? I buy the diesel and fix the boreholes.’’