After Festus Mogae left the scene in April 2008, a consensus swiftly established itself that an unprecedented opportunity had presented itself for the incoming President, Ian Khama, to resolve once and for all, the long running dispute of the Central Kalahari.
The dispute had not only polarized public opinion in Botswana but had also turned the country into a near pariah internationally.
Though generally a pragmatic liberal, Mogae had surprised everyone by his hard-line politics when it came to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
There were suspicions that his Government was in hog with international capital, especially De Beers, which at the time had found some diamond deposits inside the CKGR.
But everyone was more surprised, when the Mogae Government rejected out of and, the nudging by De Beers (a traditional ally) to go easy on the CKGR as the dispute had the potential to undermine Botswana’s diamond industry.
To their credit, De Beers pointed out that a lot was at stake because by nature the diamond industry was very fragile.
De Beers reminded Botswana Government authorities that because diamonds are a discretionary purchase they could easily be hurt by insinuations and allegations of human rights abuse, however unfounded such allegations were.
The situation was even more fragile for Botswana because the people who bought these diamonds were not well grounded on the realities that prevailed in areas where the diamonds were mined.
It has turned out that De Beers analysis was spot on.
During Mogae’s time, Botswana Government had lost a protracted and costly legal dispute against Basarwa.
The costs had not just been financial.
The dispute had attracted negative international publicity for Botswana, which in the main could easily have been avoided had common sense, restraint and reason prevailed.
Although Botswana Government commendably chose not to appeal the High Court ruling, which effectively found that it was unconstitutional to have evicted Basarwa from inside the CKGR, to their discredit, the same Government resorted to technicalities when it came to implementing the decision of the courts.
They denied people going back into the Reserve and denied those who did access to water. This was grossly disingenuous, vindictive and horribly dishonest.
The result was a renewed bout which was also fought at the courts.
We have no wish to go into detail on what the judgment handed down this past week says, save to underscore the fact that the highest court of the land has confirmed what we have always believed that Basarwa of the CKGR had been wronged and persecuted.
Having said that we want to reiterate what we have always said that the CKGR issue goes far beyond legalistics.
It is an intricate matter that cannot be solved by annihilating one party.
Whoever emerges victorious at the courts (and Basarwa are winners in this instance) would always find that they still have to deal with the so called loser afterall.
That is what is going to happen in this instance.
It would be foolhardy for Basarwa to believe that because they have won, they can henceforth toss around with the Government of Botswana. Humility and grace are the way to go.
The situation would still be the same had Government been the winner at the courts.
To us the CKGR is a matter that can only be resolved through a spirit of give and take.
Painful concessions are going to have to be made by either party.
In that respect we call on all the partners to now go back to the table and meaningfully engage each other.
Just because they lost at the court does not mean that Government should recoil into cocoons because they feel humiliated.
They should not even harden their attitude towards Basarwa.
The important lesson going forward is that Government should avoid the condescending arrogance with which it has in the past treated Basarwa over the years.
Specifically, Government should desist from telling Basarwa who it is that can be their technical advisers at the negotiations.
On their part, Basarwa should avoid excessive triumphalism.
Instead, they should reach out to government with the aim of resolving those issues that can never under any circumstances be resolved by any court of law.
As Sunday Standard, we find ourselves having to repeat what we said on this space a few weeks after Ian Khama became the President of Botswana that he has an unprecedented opportunity to resolve the CKGR dispute.
The only difference is that this time around he does not have much time on his side.
Clearly, he has made mistakes since becoming President.
While some of the mistakes he committed in his handling of the CKGR are so serious as to be unpardonable, we still sincerely believe that President Khama should be given not just the benefit of doubt but also the second chance to use the unprecedented goodwill he enjoys to correct some of the terrible wrongs his government has committed against Basarwa ÔÇô who, by the way, are just as Batswana as we all are.
