Government and Basarwa to agree on CKGR resources

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Tuesday September 28, 2010 00:00

 

Responding to Mmegi questions regarding a call by Survival International for tourists to boycott Botswana's tourism, government spokesman Jeff Ramsay said the human rights organisation was just trying to get attention after realising that government and Basarwa are about to resolve the matter amicably.

Survival International yesterday called for tourists to boycott Botswana accusing it (government) of not giving water to Basarwa living in the CKGR. The call coincides with World Tourism Day, September 27, which Botswana is using to promote her 'cultural diversity and welcoming people'.

In a missive to the media, Marriam Ross of Survival International said the Botswana government has waged a 13-year campaign to evict the Bushmen, from their ancestral lands inside the CKGR. Many have been evicted several times from their homes in the reserve to grim relocation camps, SI claims.

The organisation says that although Basarwa won a legal victory to be allowed to return home, the government is trying to starve them out of the reserve.

'It has banned their access to water (they are not allowed to use their former well, which has been disabled), and food (they are not allowed to hunt). ...And while the Bushmen are denied food and water, the government is promoting tourism to the reserve - Wilderness Safaris has opened a luxury tourist lodge with swimming pool - and is likely to grant Gem Diamonds permission to mine for diamonds in one of the Bushmen's communities,' reads Ross's statement in part.

Ramsay has however refuted SI claims that Basarwa in the CKGR have been starved of water, saying the organisation is using the Gope issue, where a water borehole was covered, and blowing it out of proportion to make government look bad.

'It doesn't mean that it applies to water supply in the whole of the CKGR. But the Gope matter is a court case and I cannot discuss it. But I can assure you that government is involved with all stakeholders to find a solution to issues in the CKGR. It is just that the process, which started in 2008 is taking long, but it will be wrapped up soon.

The key is to manage the resource on a sustainable basis, to benefit those within and around the CKGR,' he said.