Bushmen protest loss of ancestral land: Believe Botswana leaders tied too closely to De Beers
Representatives of Botswana's Bushmen population who have been resettled away from their ancestral land in the Kalahari desert brought their protest to Britain yesterday, as they demonstrated outside the showroom of the De Beers diamond giant.
The Bushmen claim the government of Botswana and De Beers are trying to steal their ancestral lands to exploit their mineral wealth.
"Our government is not interested in our culture. It wants to evict us to get all it wants from the mining," said Roy Sesana, spokesman for the 243 San Bushmen who have taken the Botswana government to court challenging their relocation from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
Although Botswana's four diamond mines make it the world's biggest diamond producer and one of Africa's wealthiest countries, the Bushmen say they gain little from the riches extracted from the ground.
Fully half the government's revenue comes from diamonds, which account for 50% of Botswana's foreign currency earnings. Its diamond reserves are mined by Debswana, which is owned in equal share by the state and by South Africa's De Beers, the world's largest diamond mining group.
Diamonds have also been discovered in Gope, deep inside the Kalahari reservation that occupies much of the heart of the country, drawing accusations that Debswana wants the Bushmen off the land in order to begin mining the reserves.
At one time, thousands of Bushmen lived inside the giant reserve. British officials estimate about 4,000 lived there in the 1960s, but the number had dwindled to about 500 in 2001. Today, they say, there may be fewer than 100.
The government says it wants to improve the nation's living standards with better basic services such as water, schools and medical facilities. It says it is impossible to ensure services in the slightly populated expanse of the Kalahari, and has offered incentives to the Bushmen to vacate the land.
Government officials say the Bushmen do not have to leave, but a group that opposes the resettlement plan insist they are being evicted and are challenging the move in court.
"They want the benefit" from any diamond wealth discovered on lands, which they have inhabited for some 20,000 years and view as their own," Jumanda Gakelebone, a spokesman, told a press conference held with the London-based rights group Survival International.
According to Survival International, mining work had already begun in Gope but the installations were dismantled after the Bushmen filed their lawsuit.
The Botswana high court in early July began hearing the case brought by the Bushmen. The defence wrapped up its case in late July and the state is to begin calling witnesses when hearings resume in November.
The Botswana government and De Beers insist there is no connection between the resettlement policy and the existence of diamond reserves on the site.
"De Beers as a company respects the land rights of peoples wherever it operates," a company spokeswoman said.
"There is absolutely no connection between the resettlement policies of the Botswana government and diamond mining and prospecting in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve," she said.
"This has repeatedly been made clear to Survival International by De Beers and the Botswana Government, and has been confirmed by eminent independent observers and journalists, as well as by the Botswana Centre for Human Rights."
Botswana mines accounted for 69% of De Beers overall production in 2003, with four mines turning out a record 30.4 million carats.
A former British protectorate then called Bechuanaland, Botswana has enjoyed strong economic growth as the world's leading producer of uncut diamonds.
Calling on voters to cast their ballots in elections only four weeks away as he led celebrations marking 38 years of independence from Britain, President Festus Mogae last week argued that fair distribution of the country's wealth is a cornerstone of his government's policy.
"Our ability to manage the economy in a manner that promotes sustainable growth and development, while at the same time ensuring that the common national cake is shared equitably, is essential to the continued peace, stability and social harmony which we enjoy," Mr. Mogae said.
Although Botswana's four diamond mines make it the world's biggest diamond producer and one of Africa's wealthiest countries, the Bushmen say they gain little from the riches extracted from the ground.
Fully half the government's revenue comes from diamonds, which account for 50% of Botswana's foreign currency earnings. Its diamond reserves are mined by Debswana, which is owned in equal share by the state and by South Africa's De Beers, the world's largest diamond mining group.
Diamonds have also been discovered in Gope, deep inside the Kalahari reservation that occupies much of the heart of the country, drawing accusations that Debswana wants the Bushmen off the land in order to begin mining the reserves.
At one time, thousands of Bushmen lived inside the giant reserve. British officials estimate about 4,000 lived there in the 1960s, but the number had dwindled to about 500 in 2001. Today, they say, there may be fewer than 100.
The government says it wants to improve the nation's living standards with better basic services such as water, schools and medical facilities. It says it is impossible to ensure services in the slightly populated expanse of the Kalahari, and has offered incentives to the Bushmen to vacate the land.
Government officials say the Bushmen do not have to leave, but a group that opposes the resettlement plan insist they are being evicted and are challenging the move in court.
"They want the benefit" from any diamond wealth discovered on lands, which they have inhabited for some 20,000 years and view as their own," Jumanda Gakelebone, a spokesman, told a press conference held with the London-based rights group Survival International.
According to Survival International, mining work had already begun in Gope but the installations were dismantled after the Bushmen filed their lawsuit.
The Botswana high court in early July began hearing the case brought by the Bushmen. The defence wrapped up its case in late July and the state is to begin calling witnesses when hearings resume in November.
The Botswana government and De Beers insist there is no connection between the resettlement policy and the existence of diamond reserves on the site.
"De Beers as a company respects the land rights of peoples wherever it operates," a company spokeswoman said.
"There is absolutely no connection between the resettlement policies of the Botswana government and diamond mining and prospecting in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve," she said.
"This has repeatedly been made clear to Survival International by De Beers and the Botswana Government, and has been confirmed by eminent independent observers and journalists, as well as by the Botswana Centre for Human Rights."
Botswana mines accounted for 69% of De Beers overall production in 2003, with four mines turning out a record 30.4 million carats.
A former British protectorate then called Bechuanaland, Botswana has enjoyed strong economic growth as the world's leading producer of uncut diamonds.
Calling on voters to cast their ballots in elections only four weeks away as he led celebrations marking 38 years of independence from Britain, President Festus Mogae last week argued that fair distribution of the country's wealth is a cornerstone of his government's policy.
"Our ability to manage the economy in a manner that promotes sustainable growth and development, while at the same time ensuring that the common national cake is shared equitably, is essential to the continued peace, stability and social harmony which we enjoy," Mr. Mogae said.
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06 Octobre 2004 à 11:27 dans
- English
