New Batlokwa King Faces Daunting Task

The two struggles are not unrelated.  The struggle for land, usurped by land speculators, among them Asiatic merchants, the Botswana Housing Corporation - the parastatal set up on the noble premise of providing affordable housing for Batswana - and the urban political and bureaucratic elite, must respect the right of the Batlokwa to protection of their territory.

Ironically, even as they were recognised among the eight major tribes that automatically gained a seat at the House of Chiefs - now Ntlo Ya Dikgosi - they were stripped by the constitution of exclusive rights to 'tribal' land held in trust by the Kgosi, previously under the auspices of the tribal administrations and native reserves.