UN Expert Calls for Recognition of Botswana’s Indigenous San People

A United Nations human rights expert has urged the government of Botswana to grant constitutional recognition and enhanced protections to its indigenous communities, particularly the San people. This call comes after a visit that highlighted the ongoing discrimination faced by the San, who have been marginalized and largely excluded from government welfare services.

The San, known for their hunter-gatherer lifestyle, were evicted from their ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve following the discovery of diamond deposits in the 1980s. Despite living in southern Africa for tens of thousands of years, many San people today live in poverty, struggling to secure basic rights and resources.

During a press briefing, Albert Barume, the UN’s special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, emphasized that constitutional and legal recognition for indigenous peoples in Botswana remains lacking. “While the government has demonstrated openness and a willingness to engage, such recognition is essential,” Barume stated. He noted that without it, many communities encounter systematic obstacles that threaten their cultural survival and participation in national life.

Barume’s comments followed a 12-day visit to Botswana, where he spoke to indigenous people who reported suffering from discrimination. They expressed concern that they are the only traditional communities in Botswana whose customary land rights have not been acknowledged or protected.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Botswana undertook significant actions against San communities, forcibly evicting them from their homes in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Although a court ruling in 2006 overturned these evictions and a subsequent ruling in 2011 restored the tribe’s right to access water in the reserve, Barume indicated that only a limited number of San have been able to return to their ancestral lands. He remarked that those who have returned have not received adequate resources and services to make their return sustainable.

In a sign of potential progress, President Duma Boko made headlines last year by allowing the burial of a San elder on ancestral land within the national park. This decision ended a lengthy legal battle and sparked renewed hopes for improved recognition and respect for indigenous groups in Botswana.

Barume’s visit underscores the urgent need for Botswana to address the historical injustices faced by the San people. As the government considers the recommendations from this visit, it faces a crucial opportunity to foster a more inclusive society that respects and acknowledges its indigenous populations.