By Kassim Nyaki, Ngorongoro
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Retired General Venance Mabeyo, has called on newly promoted senior officers to uphold integrity, professionalism, and hard work as they take on new leadership responsibilities within the authority.
General Mabeyo made the call while officiating a ceremony to confer ranks to two Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioners—Brown O. Shimwela, who heads the Finance Department, and Dr. Amani Makota, who leads the Information, Communication, and Statistics Department—after completing specialized training with the Conservation Corps.
He urged the officers to discharge their duties with accountability and respect for laws, regulations, and ethical standards governing public service. “We must improve visitor services, strengthen tourism infrastructure, and develop new tourism products,” said Mabeyo. “Heritage sites such as the Amboni Caves and the Mbozi Meteorite must be fully utilized to enhance their contribution to national income.”
General Mabeyo, who also served as Tanzania’s Chief of Defence Forces before retirement, encouraged NCAA’s management team to continue innovating and working collaboratively to expand the country’s tourism base.
He emphasized the importance of integrating technology and digital systems in conservation and tourism operations, saying: “Enhancing ICT systems should go hand in hand with improving infrastructure so that the benefits reach both the nation and the people.”
The retired general also called for continued commitment to service delivery and efficiency, stressing that discipline and teamwork are essential in achieving the authority’s conservation and tourism goals.
Ngorongoro Conservation Commissioner Abdul-Razaq Badru commended the officers for their achievement, noting that their promotion will strengthen the management team’s capacity to deliver on its mandate. “The addition of these officers brings valuable experience to our efforts to promote conservation, tourism, and community development,” he said.
He added that tourism remains one of the leading sectors contributing to Tanzania’s economy, with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area playing a central role in national growth. “Working with other tourism stakeholders, the authority continues to identify and develop new tourism products to attract more visitors and increase national revenue,” said Badru.
Badru further stressed the need for inclusive growth through sustainable tourism, saying that conservation efforts must be balanced with community empowerment. “Our goal is to ensure that conservation and tourism development go hand in hand with improving the livelihoods of surrounding communities,” he noted.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area—one of Tanzania’s most prominent UNESCO World Heritage Sites—serves as a cornerstone for wildlife protection, cultural heritage preservation, and tourism development. Under the leadership of its board and management, the authority continues to strengthen its systems to align with national goals for sustainable economic growth and environmental stewardship.