Africa-Press – Botswana. A team of permanent secretaries from various ministries is on the ground to comprehensively assess the situation of Basarwa through robust consultations with Basarwa communities in line with the new government targeted approach of improving indigenous people’s inclusivity and upholding their human rights.
Speaking during a kgotla meeting at Bere on Monday, Inter- Ministerial Committee member, Ministry of Lands and Agriculture permanent secretary Mr Kabelo Ebineng said the committee was assigned by President Duma Boko to consult Basarwa, to revisit the 1986 National Settlement Policy with respect to the relocation of Basarwa and to assess the extent to which it has contributed to uplifting livelihoods of Basarwa.
Mr Ebineng encouraged the people of Basarwa descent to exercise their freedom of speech to speak their minds on how they wanted their challenges to be addressed by government, adding that the committee shall consider implications of the National Settlement Policy with respect to the relocation of Basarwa and transition from nomadic life to a sedentary life leading to the erosion of culture and identity.
The committee engaged on the settlement policy options for accommodating Basarwa especially those who had been displaced and those living inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) to assess its impact on their livelihoods.
In addition, Mr Ebineng said the committee shall further consult on the implications of the discontinuation of the Special Game Licences which were meant for Basarwa in 2001 and the implications for reinstatement of the licences. It shall look at the basis and implications of the 2005 Constitution Amendment Act and implications of reinstating Section 14(3)(c) of the constitution.
He told Basarwa in Bere that the committee had come to assess the implications of limiting right of return to CKGR to only the 189 applicants in the Roy Sesana and others case even though the constitution protected all of them.
It would further look into the implications and options for giving Basarwa land tenure inside the CKGR and opportunities for other Basarwa outside the CKGR who have been rendered landless for making land accessible to them.
He also highlighted that the committee was tasked with assessing the implications of permanent infrastructure development in the CKGR and provision of social services such as schools, clinics, communication, transportation, water, electricity, agriculture and basic shelter as well as the environmental impact of resettlement into the CKGR including implications of limiting natural resources harvesting and sustainable consumptive use in CKGR.
He noted that it was critical to assess the implications of full access to social protection programmes and interventions in the CKGR such as the social safety nets, socioeconomic empowerment, leadership and community institutions, networking with development partners and other stakeholders.
Kgosi David Rasetswana of Bere settlement said Basarwa in Bere were remotely placed as such needed more developments such as road infrastructure, energy and electricity power as well as developed telecommunications network to be able to improve their livelihoods.
Kgosi Rasetswana called for more to be done for Basarwa’s social and economic inclusivity in the national development agenda as they felt they had been forgotten and felt left out.
He said promoting Basarwa cultural heritage was of paramount importance which he noted could be packaged to benefit the nation and Basarwa communities economically.
He pointed out that they have started a project centre to collect indigenous fruits, process them to be able to create products to create employment opportunities for Basarwa communities.
He said they have also started a craft centre funded by United Nations Development Programme which they hoped to make sustainable.
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