Thirsty little faces of the CKGR

THALEFANG CHARLES | Friday July 30, 2010 00:00

 

It is unbelievable how a five year-old child could stay for days without any drinking water. These children are caught in between the complex conflict between the government and Basarwa. 

On the one side is the Botswana government in its uncompromising stance to remove the Basarwa from their ancestral land to newly established settlements outside the CKGR.  Basarwa groups led by the First People of the Kalahari who insist on living in the wildlife reserve area are on the other side. Supporting the government are some Batswana urbanites who reason that Basarwa should be removed from the wildlife park and be integrated into other Batswana, so that they can enjoy the country's welfare services, like every other Motswana. The Basarwa standpoint is supported by some local and international organisations like Ditshwanelo (Botswana's human rights watch organisation), Survival International and some Batswana who seem to profit from the conflict. Caught in the crossfire are these innocent children. These young vulnerable mortals do not have access to water or any health facilities and even the CKGR animals are better off as they have access to government boreholes.

Earlier this month the High Court dismissed Basarwa's plea to drill boreholes for themselves inside the reserve. In his judgement High Court Justice, Lakhvinder Walia said 'Basarwa have chosen to settle in areas far from those facilities. They have become victims of their own decision to settle an inconveniently long distance from the services and facilities provided by the government'. On a recent trip inside the CKGR at Kikua and Gugama settlements, Mmegi met thirsty little faces that do not know anything about the High Court or the government.

These miracle children with their long quiet but haunting empty stares in the place they call home, are victims of a conflict they do not know anything about.