Botswana’s newly elected President Duma Boko has pledged to restore vital rights to the Bushmen, an indigenous hunter-gatherer group across southern Africa, marking a significant turn in the community’s long-standing fight for recognition and justice.
This week, the government allowed the Bushmen to finally lay to rest Pitseng Gaoberekwe, who passed away in December 2021. Gaoberekwe’s burial, delayed for over two years, took place on his ancestral land in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), a protected wildlife area from which many Bushmen were forcibly displaced in the past. The dispute over the burial had escalated into a legal standoff, as Botswana’s courts had previously prevented the family from honoring Gaoberekwe’s wish to be buried at the family’s ancestral home.
The eviction of the Bushmen from the CKGR has been at the heart of a decades-long controversy. While the Botswana government has justified the removals as necessary for conservation efforts, critics, including international advocacy groups like Survival International, have long argued that the Bushmen were displaced due to the presence of valuable diamond deposits in the region.
Ahead of the burial, President Boko, who took office just six weeks ago, promised to restore the Bushmen’s rights, including the crucial right to hunt and gather on their ancestral land, which had been curtailed for years. Boko, a former human rights lawyer and opposition leader, had previously represented the Bushmen in their legal battles against the state. His personal commitment to their cause has generated significant hope among the Bushmen and their supporters.
Human rights advocate Itumeleng Johanne from the local group Ditshwanelo welcomed the government’s decision, highlighting that it marked a crucial step toward addressing the community’s rights. “We are relieved that Mr. Gaoberekwe’s body, which had been in a mortuary for over two years, will now be laid to rest with the dignity he had long been denied,” Johanne said.
The recent developments come after years of legal battles and advocacy by groups like Survival International, which has been involved in the Bushmen’s quest to return to their ancestral land since their forced removal from the CKGR in 2006. Jonathan Mazower, communications director for Survival International, expressed cautious optimism over President Boko’s actions. “This is a historic moment for the Bushmen. For the first time, a president who once stood as their lawyer is now in a position to act on their behalf,” Mazower said. “This offers hope for a better future, especially for those who fought tirelessly for the right to return to their land.”
With over 100,000 Bushmen living across southern Africa, many continue to face pressures to abandon their traditional way of life and adopt more modern lifestyles. However, with President Boko’s recent promises and ongoing global support, there is renewed hope that the Bushmen’s long struggle for land rights and cultural preservation may finally see positive change.