Sonny Serite you are highly stereotyped that Basarwa are not educated and that's why you doubt my identity as a Mosarwa. I am a Mosarwa, born in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) in Qoe, our tribal land which is 70km southeast of Tc'ale (corruptly spelt as Xade). I can understand that you are struggling against your ethnic stereotype about Basarwa, but you are lucky that I will educate you.

You hit the nail on the head when you admit your ignorance about the history of CKGR and that of Botswana in general. Of course our tribal land was converted in to Bushmen Reserve in 1961. Period. The name later changed to CKGR. Botswana gained independence in 1966. The government of the newly independent Botswana did not decide to relocate us from CKGR until 1985.

I am sure you are able to calculate that this was 19 years after independence. President Ketumile Masire appointed a Fact Finding Mission (which I refer to as Faults Finding Mission in a book due to be published in the near future) in 1985. Based on the findings and recommendations by this Mission, the government decided to relocate us from CKGR. I am sorry, but you should not tear your clothes and get wild if your ignorance is exposed by the most downtrodden of society.

Serite, you are right to say that as Motswana you can reside anywhere you want in this country but I am sorry to inform you that not in New Xade or Kaudwane. Sonny!

For your information it is only those who were relocated from CKGR, who are allowed by the governmnet to apply for residential and commercial plots in the two villages. This is a directive from the authorities above (Central Government).

China shops are not allowed in New Xade and Kaudwane. Non-residents of CKGR are not allowed to buy cattle from residents of New Xade. Teachers, nurses and many other Batswana cannot buy cattle and keep it in New Xade.

It is not a surprise that you perceive this as integration of Basarwa into the so-called mainstream society. I am here to help people like you, so cool down.

That you are a Tswana-speaking Motswana is not a qualification to be knowledgeable. Serite Knowledge cannot be inherited or ascribed through ethnicity but only acquired by those who are exposed to sources of knowledge.

Sorry!The court ruled that prior to our relocation in 2002, we were in lawful occupation of our land CKGR, therefore our relocation from CKGR in 2002 was unlawful and unconstitutional. In simple terms our occupation of CKGR was legal. The government has complied to this. Some of us are already back and myself I am going home in December. Are you still going wild about this?

Sonny you believe that Basarwa should be integrated into the mainstream. What is 'integration into mainstream society?' Is this a philosophy of development? What kind of development? Can you, on the basis of your knowledge, derived from your ethnicity, tell the rest of Batswana how you link the relocation of a group of people from resource-rich land to resource-poor land to your philosophy of 'integration into mainstream society'?

Stop the wild arguments, which will take you nowhere but keep you in the prisons of ethnocentrism. You are dangerously stereotyped that for Basarwa to graduate they should be denied the right to live in their lands, and by the use of state apparatus be forced to get rid of their traditional culture.

You are not the first group of oppressors to believe that the oppressed should be denied the right to ethnic-identity, and self-determination by pushing them far away from their sources; that is land.

Sonny you ignorantly claimed that New Xade is part of the land that we were relocated from.

Is Kgatleng part of Kweneng? Is Serowe part of Kgatleng? Your ignorance is not only irritating but also nauseating. New Xade is a Village whereas CKGR is a combination of tribal territories. New Xade is outside CKGR and not a subset of CKGR. New Xade is over 70km from Xade and over 300km from Metsiamanong.

It is true that my ancestors hunted for the pot and not for market. It is equally true that yours did hunt for the pot and not for profit. You are also right to say that I hunt for cash not for the pot.

But you are wrong to say that relocation is the solution. How did you stop hunting for the pot? By being relocated or being educated about the importance of nature conservation?

Were you not given the right and responsibility to look after the environments on which you depended. I think you need to wake up. You have an old-fashioned tribalist mentality. O a re talela.

Otherwise you should go and read a book titled Animal Farm, or Things Fall Apart if you have not. But since you can understand the implication of ethnic stereotype better if written in your own language you can look for a book titled 'Mmoko wa Talane' by a Motswana writer, written in Setswana. The level of English you write shows that you are highly educated (in terms of western education).

But now I am compelled to agree with what two of my Non-Tswana speaking friends said. A Mokalaka friend once said 'A Setswana-speaking person's ignorance is his law'. Now you prove him right. Another friend said 'there is no educated Mongwato'.

Again you prove him right. Both are teachers. I am not a tribalist but only trying to urge you to use facts to substantiate your argument rather than heavily relying on your ethnic stereotype about Basarwa.

I know you are struggling to keep the status quo but it is too late for Apartheid in Botswana. Gone are the days of the philosophy of melting pot. We Basarwa, Bakalaka, Bakgalagadi, Hambukushu, Bayei etc (non-Tswana speaking) say to hell with assimilation. Different languages, cultures, beliefs, histories, values, customs etc all make the faces of this country. You Sonny like it or not o tlaa bolawa ke pelo ya go lelela go tsosolosiwa ga tlhaolele mo Botswana.