Basarwa declare 'war'

Gothataone Moeng | Thursday December 19, 2013 15:38

 

According to Keikabile Mogodu, executive director of Khwendom council, a resolution to unite in the fight for the emancipation of the oldest indigenous groupings of Botswana was taken at December 2013 meeting of six advocacy groups representing the various Basarwa communities.

The groupings have resolved to speaking with one voice to address common grievances of landlessness, poor quality education as a result of a policy that doesn’t recognise the use of mother-tongue language in schools, the invisibility of members of their tribes in government institutions, including in districts where the communities are in the majority as well as issues informing their constant legal tussles with government over relocations and access to water.

Other grievances listed by representatives of Basarwa are the non-recognition of their traditional leaders, as well as being tried using the Tswana customary law, which, they say, is completely different to theirs.

Roy Sesana, leader of advocacy group First People of the Kalahari (FPK) says the tribes are tired of being taken for granted, being spoken for and decisions being made on their behalf.  In fact, according to Sesana, the 47 years of independence Botswana celebrated this year mean nothing to them.

“Boipuso jo bo jewang jo, ga se ja rona ke ja Batswana (this celebrated independence is not ours, but Batswana’s,” he told journalists at a press conference in Gaborone yesterday. Also addressing the press conference was FPK representative Jumanda Gakelebone and Khwendom Council’s Mogodu and Mangana Mangana.

Sesana said government makes decisions without their input, and without considering what the impact of those decisions will be on them. He singled the government’s ban on hunting as an example of a decision that will have ramifications for the tribes, but that they were not consulted about.

“Le rona re na le ditlhaloganyo tsa gore diphologolo re ka ditlhokomela jang (We also ideas on how to care for the wildlife),” Sesana said.  He said they also want to be involved in the tourism businesses undertaken especially in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR).  Sesana also argued for affirmative actions in public sector positions in their districts arguing their people should be hired as Wildlife officers, as social workers, and engaged in the Gagoo Diamond Mine (formerly known as Gope).

“We have decided that enough is enough.  We have been taken for granted for too long,” added Mogodu.

Mogodu said the first plan of action is to call a conference of all tribal leaders in Gantsi beginning of the year, to get a comprehensive view of grievances.  He said they would thereafter engage with the Gantsi District, which is made of 95 percent of their tribe members, to at least recruit social workers from within their communities.