The government of Botswana has been urged to ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and to enshrine these rights in the Constitution of Botswana.
These rights include the right to water, right to education, right to land, right to adequate housing, right to work and right to take part in cultural life. According to the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, this will protect indigenous people’s rights.
In its message for the commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Ditshwanelo further called upon the government to sign the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention No. 169 (ILO 169) which recognises the aspirations of indigenous peoples to ‘exercise control over their own institutions, ways of life and economic development and to maintain and develop their identities, languages and religions, within the framework of the States in which they live.’
Ditshwanelo argues that globalisation and industrialisation have had negative impacts on the lives of the indigenous people. Ditshwanelo stated that the necessary developments needed for agricultural activities, mining and tourism, which are mostly on lands which they have occupied for generations, often result in deforestation and flight of wildlife away from the communities.
“This in turn, disrupts their way of life and destroys the environment, on which they depend for their traditional practices. Their mobility patterns allow them to engage in hunting and gathering, thereby preserving their cultures and languages. However, due to development planning and implementation, including tourism, the indigenous peoples, particularly the Basarwa/San in Botswana, have been forced to stay in specific locations, due to official relocations of their communities, for national development purposes,” said Ditshwanelo.
The human rights organisation stated that the indigenous people are now unable to live freely according to their cultures, which are mainly dependent on the natural environment. It emphasised that globally, indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices, as a result of their dispossession of their lands and resources, as well as forced relocations. These continue to prevent them from exercising their rights, including the right to development, in accordance with their own needs and interests.
“Botswana has not yet ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. These rights are also not enshrined in the Constitution of Botswana. This makes it difficult for the Basarwa/San to claim any constitutional rights to practice and conserve their cultures, as well as to ensure that their socio-economic rights are protected. Botswana has also not signed the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention No. 169 (ILO 169).
There are no specific laws on indigenous peoples’ rights in the country and the concept of indigenous peoples is not included in the Constitution of Botswana.”
According to Ditshwanelo, Basarwa/San children are already identified as ‘educationally compromised’ because of the Setswana- speaking instruction system2 which is used in public schools as well as in government offices. The organization pointed out that the lack of cultural sensitivity by our mainstream education system prevents Basarwa/San from thriving in the school environment.
“This often leads to them being alienated from both their own cultures as well as the dominant Tswana culture. Due to poverty and reported ill-treatment which they experience in schools, many children resort to becoming ‘school drop-outs’ because they are effectively ‘pushed out’ of the system. However, we applaud the government of Botswana for ensuring that primary schools are built in areas where most of the Basaswa/San peoples live, to facilitate easy access to education in rural areas.”
These rights include the right to water, right to education, right to land, right to adequate housing, right to work and right to take part in cultural life. According to the Botswana Centre for Human Rights, this will protect indigenous people’s rights.
In its message for the commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Ditshwanelo further called upon the government to sign the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention No. 169 (ILO 169) which recognises the aspirations of indigenous peoples to ‘exercise control over their own institutions, ways of life and economic development and to maintain and develop their identities, languages and religions, within the framework of the States in which they live.’
Ditshwanelo argues that globalisation and industrialisation have had negative impacts on the lives of the indigenous people. Ditshwanelo stated that the necessary developments needed for agricultural activities, mining and tourism, which are mostly on lands which they have occupied for generations, often result in deforestation and flight of wildlife away from the communities.
“This in turn, disrupts their way of life and destroys the environment, on which they depend for their traditional practices. Their mobility patterns allow them to engage in hunting and gathering, thereby preserving their cultures and languages. However, due to development planning and implementation, including tourism, the indigenous peoples, particularly the Basarwa/San in Botswana, have been forced to stay in specific locations, due to official relocations of their communities, for national development purposes,” said Ditshwanelo.
The human rights organisation stated that the indigenous people are now unable to live freely according to their cultures, which are mainly dependent on the natural environment. It emphasised that globally, indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices, as a result of their dispossession of their lands and resources, as well as forced relocations. These continue to prevent them from exercising their rights, including the right to development, in accordance with their own needs and interests.
“Botswana has not yet ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. These rights are also not enshrined in the Constitution of Botswana. This makes it difficult for the Basarwa/San to claim any constitutional rights to practice and conserve their cultures, as well as to ensure that their socio-economic rights are protected. Botswana has also not signed the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention No. 169 (ILO 169).
There are no specific laws on indigenous peoples’ rights in the country and the concept of indigenous peoples is not included in the Constitution of Botswana.”
According to Ditshwanelo, Basarwa/San children are already identified as ‘educationally compromised’ because of the Setswana- speaking instruction system2 which is used in public schools as well as in government offices. The organization pointed out that the lack of cultural sensitivity by our mainstream education system prevents Basarwa/San from thriving in the school environment.
“This often leads to them being alienated from both their own cultures as well as the dominant Tswana culture. Due to poverty and reported ill-treatment which they experience in schools, many children resort to becoming ‘school drop-outs’ because they are effectively ‘pushed out’ of the system. However, we applaud the government of Botswana for ensuring that primary schools are built in areas where most of the Basaswa/San peoples live, to facilitate easy access to education in rural areas.”
