Humans and wildlife thrive in harmony

THE Air Botswana's Durban-Gaborone route might soon become a home run for the airline following a recent three-day tour of KwaZulu-Natal's four operators, which involved eye-opening for the guests of the landlocked countries.

- SANDILE MDAKANE

The tour was put together by Air Botswana, its Botswana Tourism Organisation and KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority to help KZN's tourism operators and KZN-based media understand the destination better.

An address during dinner with stakeholders held at Gaborone's Table54 restaurant, saw Air Botswana's executive officer, Lulu Rantloana, explained how Durban's attractions and KZN's elite high-end clients dovetail into the airline's city to decide on having direct flights between Gaborone and Durban three days a week.

The carrier quietly launched the direct route in December, between Durban, King Shaka Marine International Airport and Gaborone's Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. It has attracted more than 2000 passengers since its inception, according to Air Botswana's head of public relations, communications and marketing, Maibelo Radinne. The direct flights run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and follow a similar pattern and frequency of other new routes for the airline.

The tour started with a boat cruise on the Chobe River, Kasane, in the Chobe District, which separates Botswana and Namibia. The western tip runs along Zimbi, where the Zambezi River starts at the northern tip of the Zambezi Region (formerly Namibia's Caprivi Strip), a place that garnered notoriety in South Africa for the then-defence force training of political activists.

Kasane is home to Chobe National Park, which is home to about 45000 elephants and other wildlife like jackals, leopards, lions, different species of snakes and birds, including Botswana's national bird, the African Fish Eagle.