The Bushman tribe, one of the oldest indigenous groups in Africa, has been fighting for their land rights in Botswana for several decades. The government has attempted to evict them from their ancestral homeland, arguing that their traditional way of life is incompatible with modern development. The government created the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in 1996, effectively evicting the Bushmen, but the tribe fought back with legal challenges, protests and international advocacy. They won a major victory in 2014 when the Botswana Court of Appeal ruled that they had the right to access water on their land in the CKGR.
Bushman Tribe Struggle for Land Rights in Botswana
The Bushman tribe, also known as the San people, is one of the oldest indigenous groups in Africa. For centuries, they have lived on the land in Botswana, hunting and gathering resources to survive. However, for the past several decades, the Bushmen have been fighting for their land rights, as the Botswana government has attempted to evict them from their ancestral homeland. This article will explore the history of the Bushman tribe’s struggle for land rights in Botswana, as well as their ongoing efforts to regain control of their land.
History of the Bushman Tribe’s Struggle for Land Rights
The Bushman tribe has lived in southern Africa for thousands of years, long before the arrival of European colonizers. In Botswana, the Bushmen have traditionally inhabited the Kalahari Desert, hunting and gathering food and resources to survive. However, in the 1960s and 70s, the Botswana government began to evict the Bushmen from their land in the name of conservation and the development of natural resources.
The government’s justification for the evictions was rooted in the idea that the Bushmen’s traditional way of life was incompatible with modern development. The government argued that the Bushmen were not using the land for its full economic potential, and that their hunting and gathering practices were unsustainable. In 1996, the government created the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), effectively evicting the Bushmen from their ancestral homeland.
The Bushmen fought back against the evictions, launching a series of legal challenges against the government’s actions. In 2006, the Botswana High Court ruled in favor of the Bushmen, stating that they had the right to return to their land in the CKGR. However, despite the court’s ruling, the government has continued to restrict the Bushmen’s access to their land, making it difficult for them to hunt and gather resources.
Current Efforts to Regain Control of Their Land
The Bushman tribe has not given up in its struggle for land rights in Botswana. They continue to advocate for their rights and to fight against the government’s attempts to restrict their access to their ancestral homeland. Some of the ways in which they are fighting back include:
1. Legal challenges: The Bushmen have continued to launch legal challenges against the government’s actions. In 2014, they won a major victory when the Botswana Court of Appeal ruled that they had the right to access water on their land in the CKGR.
2. Protests: The Bushmen have organized protests to raise awareness about their struggle. In 2019, they staged a protest outside the Botswana High Commission in London, demanding that the government respect their land rights.
3. International advocacy: The Bushmen have also enlisted the help of international organizations to advocate for their rights. In 2018, the United Nations called on the Botswana government to respect the Bushmen’s land rights and to allow them to return to their ancestral homeland.
FAQs Section
1. Why is the government trying to evict the Bushmen from their land?
The government has argued that the Bushmen’s traditional way of life is incompatible with modern development. They claim that the Bushmen are not using the land for its full economic potential, and that their hunting and gathering practices are unsustainable.
2. Why is the CKGR important to the Bushmen?
The CKGR is the ancestral homeland of the Bushmen and has been their home for thousands of years. They rely on the land for their survival, hunting and gathering resources to sustain themselves.
3. What has the Botswana government done to restrict the Bushmen’s access to their land?
The government has restricted the Bushmen’s access to their land by, among other things, preventing them from hunting, limiting their access to water, and making it difficult for them to obtain permits to enter the reserve.
