US latest to criticise Botswana government over Bushmen

The US State Department's latest human rights report has criticised the Botswana government for its 'continued narrow interpretation' of the 2006 High Court ruling that granted the Bushmen the right to return to their ancestral lands.

The report states that although the ruling recognised the Bushmen's constitutional right to live on their lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the majority are 'being prohibited from returning to or hunting' in the reserve. It found that many Bushmen have not returned to their land because 'lack of water made [the reserve] an extremely inhospitable environment'.

Since the ruling, the government has banned the Bushmen from accessing a water borehole, which they used before they were illegally evicted from the reserve. Without it, they struggle to find enough water to survive on their lands. At the same time as denying the Bushmen water, the government has drilled new boreholes for wildlife and allowed Wilderness Safaris to open a tourist lodge with a swimming pool in the reserve.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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