The Botswana government on Tuesday questioned allegations that bushmen who refused to relocate from a game park were in a life-threatening situation.
Bergsman Sentle, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, said: ”It was disturbing that those who wanted to mislead the world would never openly discuss these issues so that they could understand the rationale for relocation.
”Instead they choose to rely on ill-informed and one-sided stories they get from people that they arrange for debriefing well in advance.”
On Monday, a European parliamentarian said the Basarwa bushmen, who were allegedly forced to move from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), faced a life-threatening situation.
”They are in pretty desperate circumstances, lack of water is their main concern,” European Parliament member Richard Howitt (MEP, UK, Labour) said.
”What little they have is used over and over again, for washing their bodies, for washing clothes. It has become filthy. ‘We are thirsty and we are going to die,’ they told me.
”I intend to table a question Tuesday to ask the EU to explore ways in which the Bushmen can be helped to develop inside the CKGR, and agree to fund it,” he said.
Howitt wanted Botswana President Festus Mogae and his Minister of Local Government Margaret Nasha to honour a promise to him that they would re-examine a draft proposal for the management of the CKGR.
The proposal included the reinstatement of provisions for the Basarwa to take part, inside the reserve, in community tourism and other projects. The humanitarian issue of water supplies was also on the agenda.
But on Tuesday, the Botwana government said it was unfortunate that Howitt and indeed some NGOs were playing on the emotions of philanthropists to perpetuate the backwardness of the Basarwa communities.
”It is our considered view that Basarwa, like all other citizens, should be integrated into the mainstream of Botswana society so that they can enjoy the fruits of our economic performance.
”Howitt expected to see half-naked Basarwa whom he could have photographed,” Sentle said in a statement. He said Botswana’s reasons for encouraging people to relocate from the CKGR were premised on long term sustainable development programmes for all communities.
”As people are relocated, they are immediately compensated and this has so far cost the government 1,9-million pula,” said Sentle. Howitt said Basarwa he spoke to during his visit in that country were forced to move out of the reserve in the face of threatened eviction by troops and families were broken up.
Sentle said: ”Let it be understood right from the onset that Basarwa were not forcibly removed from the CKGR. It is ironic that there are still some Basarwa in the CKGR despite such allegations.
”Certainly it is not true that there have been family breakups because of the relocations. The people remaining at Metsiamanong (a village) are all members of one family.
”The head of the family is a polygamist who has four wives: two still remain in the reserve, two in different settlements outside of it and they relocated of their own free will,” he said. – Sapa