PRESS RELEASE ON THE CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE (CKGR) 2005

SUPPORT FOR THE RETURN TO NEGOTIATIONS

DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights welcomes the recent statements from the Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA). It is an organisation based in Botswana and in the region, with a mandate to speak on behalf of its general membership. We also welcome the recent comments by Rodolpho Stavenhagen, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples. Both have encouraged a resumption of constructive negotiations between all parties involved in the CKGR issue.

DITSHWANELO has consistently promoted the need for a negotiated resolution in order to allow the Basarwa to remain on their land. Following the termination of the provision of basic and essential services, including water and rations, to the CKGR in January 2002, the Basarwa were effectively forced to bring a case against the Government. The struggle of the Basarwa to return to their land is still continuing through the courts. The case began to deal with specific issues in July 2004. After the most recent adjournment, the case restarted at the High Court in Lobatse on the 8 August 2005. On the 10 August, an ‘in loco’ inspection was conducted at Gope, located within the game reserve. This was at the request of the State in order for it to show that no diamond mining was taking place in the CKGR.

DITSHWANELO believes that negotiations with the Government of Botswana should continue to be pursued. Such negotiations previously led to the Third Draft Management Plan of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, agreed to by all parties. This followed a consultative, participatory process between the Government, communities and supporting NGOs.

Following a report provided by DITSHWANELO, the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in 2002 recommended that a ‘rights based’ approach to development be adopted in Botswana. We continue to highlight the need for this approach. We believe that all peoples are entitled to contribute to, participate in and enjoy the benefits of economic, social and political development, but that such entitlement is in addition to their right to maintain their cultural identity. Vision 2016 incorporates one of the African tenets of ‘Botho’ which is a principle recognising human dignity and inculcates “the concept of a well-rounded character, who realizes his or her full potential both as an individual and as part of the community to which he or she belongs”.

Together with WIMSA and the UN Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples, we urge the Government of Botswana to return to constructive negotiations as a means of conflict resolution and as a means of reaching a sustainable solution concerning the continuing question of the Basarwa of the CKGR.

12 August 2005
Gaborone