�They planned to shoot us...�
Tefo Pheage | Wednesday August 17, 2016 16:26
They told Mmegi that over 10 law enforcement officers who attended to their matter nearly shot them, had it not been for one officer who pleaded for their mercy.
The four Basarwa from New Xade are Dingalelo Nagayapo, Modumo Kgolelakang, Monxobuke Molapisi and Dintwa Kgolelakang. Explaining what really happened on the fateful day, one of the accused, Nagayapo said he was riding on his horse in a hunting area when he encountered a situation where his companions were in the hands of the police.
“They informed me that they had arrested my friends after catching them in possession of game meat, skins and tails. Immediately one suggested that we be shot but another pleaded with them to the contrary saying they could not shoot us because we had surrendered and not run away,” he said.
Nagayapo continued: “While we were still there we saw a chopper coming towards us, We later realised that it was running after some people from its flying movements and later we heard the sound of a huge crash”.
According to Nagayapo, some of the law enforcement officers who had arrested them immediately rushed to the scene with a vehicle where they took the six crash victims to the clinic.
“We do not know what transpired thereafter as some of the things were done in private and away from us,” he said.
Surprisingly Nagayapo said despite the arrests they have not yet been charged.
Meanwhile in a separate incident, three Basarwa have been charged with hunting in a protected area. One of the accused is Roy Sesana’s son, Tshoganetso Sesana. The trio have already engaged a lawyer, Thabo Malambane of Malambane attorneys.
Responding to queries about the plane crash, the police confirmed the incident but refuted reports that the helicopter crashed while shooting Basarwa.
“For the record we wish to affirm that the allegation that people were shot at from a police helicopter is without any foundation whatsoever. There has in fact never been any occasion in which the Botswana police have ever shot at people from a helicopter either in the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR) or for that matter anywhere else,” police spokesperson, Dipheko Motube said on Friday. Motube was responding to allegations made by Survival International (SI) in a statement dated August 11, 2016 entitled: “Botswana: Helicopter crashes after shooting at Bushmen.”
He dismissed as baseless the allegation that the arrested Basarwa were stripped and beaten while in police custody.
“We wish to reassure the public both here in Botswana and elsewhere that the Botswana Police Service is a professional law enforcement agency of repute that upholds fundamental human rights,” he said in the statement.
SI says the Basarwa’s right to live and hunt for food on their ancestral land in the CKGR has been recognised by Botswana’s High Court.
“Despite this, the government continues to label them as “poachers” and is now using advanced military technology to persecute them and their way of life. This militarisation of conservation efforts reflects a global trend which has concerned many human rights campaigners,” SI said in a statement.
“It has led to a situation in which Bushmen are accused of “poaching” because they hunt to feed their families and face arrest and beatings, torture and death, while big game trophy hunters are encouraged,” further reads the SI statement.