Smith Moeti
14 March 2008
opinion
Gaborone — Please allow me some space in your paper to express my concerns about the issue of the CKGR. I am a resident of CKGR by the name of Smith. I am disappointed by the government's decision to prevent the residents of CKGR from returning to their ancestral land.
On December 2006, the court ruled that the government's decision to relocate the Bushmen from the CKGR was unlawful and unconstitutional. It also ruled that the government's refusal to issue special hunting licenses to the residents of CKGR was unlawful and that the government is bound to issue this hunting permits as soon as possible. But until now nothing has materialised.
But of course that will not stop us from hunting. We are given the services which other people are been given. I think it is up to us to see to it that we explore our environment to make good use of it. Obviously we cannot stay without eating or drinking water. To change the subject, recently Marsh Consultants came to us claiming that they were sent by Gem Diamond to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study on the proposed mine at Gope. It was unbelievable to hear a private institution, especially coming from outside telling us about the mine possibility inside the CKGR. Our own government denied the presence of any diamonds inside the CKGR or intentions to open a mine there; and who is Gem Diamond to tell us about it if the government denied it. We also expect the government to inform us about any mining intentions should the need be. A string of funny things are happening to the Bushmen of the CKGR.
I think people realise that we are legally bound to occupy the CKGR and that we intend to live there forever. It is distressing to see the government subjecting a minority group to malicious propaganda, despite having a responsibility to protect their well-being. Wildlife guides and police officers are being used to monitor the movements of those people living inside the CKGR. The government has shown that it can act as it wishes despite the court having made restrictions on certain activities.
Despite having taken a decision to return peoples goats to them inside the CKGR, the police and the wildlife guides are still preventing people from bringing in their goats. The fellows in question are currently camping between Old Xade and Molapo to stop anybody trying to bring in his/her goats. According to them, apparently they are sent by the government grand to do that. Very funny but futile kind of action.
We lost our relatives during the CKGR saga and we believe their deaths were caused because they were prevented from freely hunting and gathering. My own granmother, Xoroxoo Duxee died due to thirst, shock and hunger, not because she could not provide enough to eat but because she was made to incur such tragic conditions so that she could die. This was supposed to serve as a lesson to those who were so stubborn not to vacate the CKGR. It was a physical as well as psychological torture to those who remained inside the CKGR after others had relocated.
Survival International was warned on several occasions by the government elite not to associate Botswana's diamonds with 'Blood diamonds'. But now things are unfolding to display a true reflection of what Survival International proclaimed. It is now true that the purpose of the relocation was to give way for mineral extraction and to stop us from laying claim to those resources inside the CKGR. But unfortunately that has not resolved the problem but actually aggravated the situation.
The Mogae administration has failed us and has brought discomfort to our country's status. With hope that a new President will bring a change of approach, we are looking at resolving the CKGR issue in a most humble and effective manner, not the vicious beatings sustained by the CKGR people with the previous governance. Roy Sesana and others were viciously beaten when they wanted to enter the CKGR to help those who remained after others were relocated.
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