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| Bushman elder, CKGR, Botswana 2004
© 2004 Stephen Corry/Survival |
A government witness in the Bushman
court case admitted yesterday that there was no evidence that Bushmen
living in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve had been hunting using guns
and vehicles, or hunting too many animals.
The government has repeatedly justified the evictions by claiming that
the Bushmen had 'radically changed their traditional lifestyles' and
regularly hunted animals with high-powered rifles from four wheel drive
vehicles.
The witness - Joseph Matlhare, former Director of Wildlife – also
failed to support his claim that Bushmen had a serious negative impact
on the ecology of the reserve before they were evicted in 2002.
When asked whether mining for diamonds in the game reserve would not also
cause an unacceptable disturbance from an ecological point of view,
Matlhare answered, I don't see what you mean, acceptable or
unacceptable. If you're going to mine anyway, you would have to accept
the disturbance.'
Survival's director Stephen Corry said today, Both the Botswana
government and De Beers have alleged that the Bushmen hunted in the
reserve using rifles and trucks. This false and damaging allegation has
now been demolished in court. It's a tragedy that it's taken an
expensive court case for them to admit this.'
Photos and footage available. For more information contact Miriam Ross on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email mr@survival-international.org
For background information on the court case, click here
