PRESS RELEASE ON THE CENTRAL KALAHARI GAME RESERVE (CKGR) 2010

Mothomelo borehole case ruling

We, The CKGR NGO Coalition, are aware of the recent court ruling reported on 22 July in the Mmegi newspaper of 22 July 2010. The High Court ruled against the application by a group of Basarwa/San to drill a borehole inside the CKGR.

We remain convinced that a solution to the longstanding CKGR issue, can and should come from meaningful engagement and dialogue between The Government of Botswana and the current and former residents of the CKGR. No fundamental, sustainable solution to the CKGR issue can come from litigation. We continue to believe that central to the CKGR matter is the question of an appropriate people-centred development paradigm. Currently, the dominant development approach is not sufficiently people-centred. There is need for a change to ensure sustainable, meaningful, people-centred development for the communities of the CKGR.

We remain committed to the promotion and protection of human rights for all in Botswana, including those of the Basarwa/San.

We support the commitment to transparency, integrity and trust, by all parties in the CKGR process. This, we believe, will continue to form the basis of meaningful engagement. This approach was also recognised by Justice Phumaphi in the CKGR Court case ruling on 13 December 2006. He stated that ‘‘this judgment does not finally resolve the dispute between the parties but merely refers them back to the negotiating table’’.

23 July 2010
Gaborone

For more information, please contact DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights. Tel:00267 3906998, Fax:00267 3907778, Email: admin.ditshwanelo@info.bw, Website: www.ditshwanelo.org.bw.