As individuals with even a passing knowledge of Botswana society and culture will know, Kgotla meetings are a key mechanism through which political leaders, government officials and other activists customarily consult with local communities on issues of public concern. A traditional hallmark of such gatherings is that any question may be asked and all opinions are welcome. Today this is true irrespective of an individual speaker's gender, class or ethnicity. The Kgotla is thus understood as an institutional expression of such indigenous core values as freedom of expression, mutual respect, and accountable leadership.
Given the above, it is unfortunate, if not surprising that a certain London based organisation (Survival International), which presumptively claims to represent the interests of a segment of our multi-cultural society, has once more paraded its ignorance and contempt for local social norms, as well as the basic truth, in its latest concocted diatribe entitled "Bushmen angry at the president's empty meeting."
