A United Nations human rights expert has called on Botswana to grant constitutional and legal recognition to its indigenous communities, warning that the lack of protections is leading to systemic discrimination and threatening the cultural survival of the San people.
The San, a group of hunter-gatherers who have inhabited southern Africa for tens of thousands of years, have faced marginalization and poverty despite the nation’s diamond wealth. The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Albert Barume, concluded a 12-day visit by stating that while the government has been open to dialogue, it has not yet provided the legal framework necessary to protect indigenous land rights and traditions.
Barume’s comments highlight the ongoing plight of the San, who were evicted from their ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve after the discovery of diamonds in the 1980s. Although a 2006 court ruling overturned the evictions, the expert noted that only a limited number of San have been allowed to return, and they lack the essential resources to sustain themselves.
The case of a San elder whose burial on ancestral land was finally permitted last year, following a three-year legal battle, offers a glimmer of hope. However, Barume emphasized that such ad hoc gestures are not a substitute for formal constitutional and legal recognition, which is essential for ensuring the long-term well-being and participation of indigenous communities in national life.
