On the call for the lifting of the hunting ban

Human elephant conflicts are becoming more frequent as the animals' numbers increase PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES
Human elephant conflicts are becoming more frequent as the animals' numbers increase PIC: THALEFANG CHARLES

The government of President Masisi in Botswana has announced that it will hold a two-month nationwide consultation to review the ban on hunting, notably of elephants.

The ban, introduced by Masisi’s predecessor, Ian Khama, in 2014, has come under increasing criticism from people living in areas with significant wildlife populations and impoverished communities previously reliant on hunting income.

The announcement of the consultation, to be run by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, followed a vote in the country’s Parliament on June 22 calling for the government to consider lifting the hunting ban elephants.  The motion was put before Parliament by the MP for Maun East, Konstantinos Markus, a member of the governing Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) of President Masisi.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

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...

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