When government?s ill advised expedition into the CKGR ended in a disaster late last year, after losing the case at the High Court, many believed it was now time for a new a diplomatic discourse based on an honest undertaking to resolve the dispute ? once and for good.
Hopes of an end to this muddled policy were further raised by government?s prompt announcement that they would not be appealing the High Court judgment.
Sadly, bad news is beginning to roll in all over again.
Hopes are fast being replaced by renewed pessimism.
The wounds that were healing are sure set to reopen again.
It is yet another example of squandered opportunity.
And judging by the highly charged exchanges between the Attorney General?s Chambers and lawyers acting for Basarwa it is only in order that we brace ourselves for yet another long haul over the issue.
It is in the interest of Botswana as a country that the CKGR dispute is resolved amicably.
The judgment in December offered a glimpse of hope for such a resolution.
We seem to be headed in a different direction.
The same kind of gloom that we thought had gone away before the announcement of the court judgment is setting, and opportunists organizations, like Survival International, are regrouping and getting more buoyed.
There is a real likelihood that another conflict is looming ahead.
The important thing, however, is that Government should not allow itself to be trapped once again in a lengthy and costly quagmire.
It is very important for government to be circumspect.
Government should move swiftly and announce a team of its negotiators as a way of reaching the affected communities to bring forth their own.
The country cannot afford another round of a costly and intractable dispute over the CKGR.
Avoiding another round of a costly and senseless litigation, coupled with a negative international image, should in no way be a sign of weakness by government.
The CKGR has posed a tricky challenge for government from day one.
No one issue has marooned the international integrity of Botswana so intensely and for so long like the CKGR.
There is no doubt that both sides (government and Basarwa) have made mistakes.
The most damaging point has, of course, been the intrusion by outsiders, most notably Survival International and their financiers.
Government?s mistakes are, however, more unpardonable because of their enduring preparedness to treat Basarwa with disrespect and contempt.
Through and through, disregard, contempt and disdain for alternative opinions on the relocations policy have been its touchstone.
Government?s intransigence and lack of flexibility made matters worse.
It served to harden attitudes.
Government?s disposition did not play into the hands of busybodies; it also emboldened Basarwa to become more resolute in their determination to attempt to humiliate government.
The longer the dispute dragged on, the more unpopular it made the government.
The strategy by its detractors has been to make the government appear disrespectful and contemptuous towards Basarwa.
That has worked including in the eyes of government?s most ardent faithful.
It was a doomed enterprise from day one.
The intense public contempt for the CKGR relocations is only rivaled by the acute passion of the defendants of the policy.
Self righteousness on the policy?s proponents has meant that caution was never part of the process.
That said, what is important for the parties involved is to understand that no amount of lawyers and judges is going to resolve this particular dispute.
The dispute is entirely political and no amount of legalistic jargon will settle it.
Only honesty and political will can settle the dispute and heal the wounds.
Government will never conclusively win public support unless they climb down and approached Basarwa with all humility possible to negotiate and parley as equals.
That is in no way to place Basarwa above the laws of the land.
Rather, it is to make a pragmatic admission that government itself allowed the dispute to so recklessly veer out of control.
Basarwa leaders should also be very careful not to be seen to be cronies of Survival International.
Other citizens have supported Basarwa, but Basarwa stand to lose the unswerving loyal support other citizens have so far accorded them if their course is seen to be inherently disruptive of the national interests.
Their advisors should be careful to read the national mood correctly.
This dispute has been very divisive, and Batswana are getting incensed with it.
On their part, Government has to try from scratch to build a national consensus on this issue.
They also have to remove the dispute from the international world stage and try to localize it.
Again, what should be clear to belligerents on both sides is that no amount of lawyers and or judges will resolve the CKGR dispute.
The stand off can only be resolved by trust and openness between the involved parties.
Sadly, the latest exchanges indicate that not for the first time, rightwing ideologues inside government look set to prevail over pragmatism and good sense.
