Basarwa remain marginalised – Report
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday March 28, 2023 06:00
The report is a US Department of State initiative. “The law prohibits discrimination against the Basarwa in employment, housing, health services, or because of cultural practices.
The Basarwa, however, remained marginalised economically and politically and generally did not have access to their traditional land. The Basarwa continued to be geographically isolated, had limited access to education, and lacked adequate political representation. Some members were not fully aware of their civil rights,” states the report.
It was, however, noted that during the year, there were no reported threats to Basarwa from business or commercial interests. The American report stated that government interpreted a 2006 High Court ruling against the exclusion of Basarwa from traditional lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) to apply only to the 189 plaintiffs, their spouses, and their minor children. Many Basarwa and their supporters continued to object to the government’s interpretation of the court’s ruling.
They further made reference to the Pitseng family court case. “In February (2022), Lesiame Pitseng, a member of the Basarwa tribe, took the government to court after it refused him the right to bury his deceased father within the CKRG. The government argued that the 2006 High Court ruling did not apply to the deceased because he had voluntarily resettled outside of the CKGR. The court ordered Pitseng to bury his father outside the CKGR or face 30 days in custody. He appealed the case and was granted a stay on the execution of the arrest. The body of the deceased remained in a morgue pending a legal ruling,” the report states.
The report further noted that government officials maintained that resettlement programmes for Basarwa were voluntary but necessary to facilitate the delivery of public services, provide socio-economic development opportunities to Basarwa, and minimise human impact on wildlife. However, they found that no government programmes directly address discrimination against Basarwa. Except for CKGR lands designated in the 2006 court ruling, there were no demarcated cultural lands.