After hunting buzz, reality sinks in
Friday, September 27, 2019
The announcement by government that hunting would be reintroduced, prioritising Batswana for this season, drew much excitement.
Five years after the hunting moratorium caught many unawares, the doors for direct sustainable use were being opened. Elephants in particular, whose numbers have ballooned under the moratorium, increasing human/wildlife conflict, are top of the value chain in terms of commercial use and many welcomed the declaration of a hunting season.
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...