Two Basarwa were this week fined one thousand five hundred Pula each by the Molepolole Magistrates Court for illegal hunting in the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR), but there are more tears and aching heads at the government enclave than at the CKGR.
Survival International has seized the court case to revive its marathon campaign against Botswana.
The international campaign against Botswana’s treatement of Basarwa which seemed to be losing steam caught a second wind this week following a press statement by Survival international, claiming that “paramilitary police have severely beaten two Bushmen (Basarwa), burying one in a shallow grave, after accusing them of hunting without permits in Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR).”
Nkemetse Motsoko and Kebonyeng Kepese were arrested near the community of Gope in the CKGR after killing an eland.
The two men were successful applicants in a landmark court case six years ago that recognized the Basarwa’s right to live, and hunt, on their ancestral land.
In the press statement, Survival International claims that, “since the Bushmen won the case, Botswana’s government has made the tribe’s life impossible, by unlawfully refusing to issue a single hunting permit. One of the men, Nkemetse Motsoko, reportedly passed out after police held his throat and suffocated him, before throwing him into a hole and covering him in sand.
The interrogation of the second man, Kebonyeng Kepese, was less violent after he admitted killing the animal, but both men were badly beaten and held for three days.”
Survival International also attacked the judgement against the duo, saying “a judge in Molepolole has fined them US$190 each, an enormous sum for the impoverished Bushmen. The men have been bailed until February, but face an eight-month prison sentence if they fail to pay the fine. Their violent arrest is not an isolated case.”
Survival’s Director Stephen Corry said on Friday, “The Botswana government has always treated the Bushmen with racist contempt, but after the court rulings it seemed like the persecution had eased off. Now, once again, harassment and oppression are becoming the norm for CKGR residents. The government’s previous persecution of the Bushmen did enormous damage to Botswana’s reputation ÔÇô do they really want the international campaign to start up again?”
Basarwa Spokesperson Jumanda Gakelebone told Sunday Standard that they intend to appeal the Molepolole Magistrate decision. In her judgement the magistrate noted that if the duo fails to pay the fine before end of February next year they will be sentenced to eight months in prison.
“We are still waiting advise from Ditshwanelo and Survival international on the way forward as they have promised to assist with attorneys on the matter,” said Gakelebone.
The Basarwa spokesperson echoed the charges by Survival International saying, “Since the court victory government has never cooperated with the san community. The court has made it clear that government is not obliged to provide us with services, so since that they have not been assisting us and that the court has ruled that we be allowed to live as we used to survive before we were forced out of the CKGR.”
I don’t know why the Government now continue to harass us in our land because we were born as hunters and gatherers,” said Gakelebone.
Gakelebone claims that without hunting Basarwa have no means to feed their families.
