If, and it is a big if, the newspaper stories that we read are as true as they read, it should only mean that the government has spent ten years and an elongated court case on selling the Batswana what was essentially a false story right from the very beginning.
The false story did not only give rise to a court case but it also resulted in what civil society organisations have described as the forced relocation of the indigenous peoples of Botswana at New Xade, where sexual and other forms of substance abuse have become rampant.
More succinctly, the question of relocation of the Basarwa, or Bushman communities as they prefer to be called, has caused Botswana irreparable harm to its international image, threatening to do damage to Botswanas main revenue earner; diamonds.
Only proper consultation can bring about a programme that could bring about sustainable partnership between the community and the mining company.
We hope the company will involve the communities as much as they can, and it is not just for the purposes of so-called social responsibility which has been abused by companies that merely pay lip service to community interests.
This should not be a publicity stunt by a company trying to build a positive public image, but rather it should be seen as central to the companys success in the communities in whose land it is working.
The programme needs to be genuine and directed towards empowering the communities so that they can draw as much benefit from the mining in their vicinity as they can. Gem Diamonds is making the right start.
However, we wish to caution our government against taking its people for granted. It has been proved beyond any doubt that government, in its attempt to fight Survival Internationals campaign, lied to Batswana by continuously arguing that there was no mining activity in the CKGR.
In the beginning government should have told Batswana the truth about the full extent of mining interests in the CKGR.
Governments propensity for misinformation does not augur well for our democracy.
Todays Thought
We love ourselves even after doing
many mistakes. Then how can we hate
others for their one Mistake?
