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14.12.2006
BOTSWANA:
Bushmen
give their reaction to historic court win 14
Dec 2006
Bushmen
involved in Wednesday’s historic court victory in Botswana have today been
giving their reaction.
Bushmen from the
organisation First People of the Kalahari said, ‘We are all laughing
and dancing. We are so happy that finally we can be set free to go
back to our beloved land, the land of our ancestors.
‘Now we can go home. We have not seen our land for many years. We
are so excited we cannot put it in words. |
Bushmen leader Roy Sesana hears the
verdict in court on Wednesday
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‘The animals are waiting for us.
Our ancestors are waiting for us. We are very happy!’
Tshomarelo Segootsane said, ‘I can't express my happiness. Our ancestors
advised us not to give up without a fight and that helped us get rid of the
fear we had of challenging the relocation. The ancestors protected us all the
time. Our children would have been robbed of the opportunity of knowing their
roots.’
| Xukuri said, ‘We are
singing songs of praise. We are praying and thanking our ancestors for
being with us through this difficult time. We are happy to be going
back to our home. We are pleased that the judges too were able to see
that we need to be reunited with our ancestors.’ |
A Bushman woman dances in the street
outside the court in Lobatse after the verdict
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From inside the CKGR, Gabo
Sediswe said, 'We are happy about the court and that our people are
coming back. We are so few that we cannot bury our dead here. The honest truth
is we didn't want to leave our land. We are glad that everything is now under
our control. If you were not so tall we would be carrying you on our backs. We
were not so hopeful we would talk about our land being ours. Now we know it's
ours we are so happy. We will dance and celebrate.'
The judgment confirmed that the Bushmen had been unlawfully evicted from their
ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. It said they have a
right to live there, to hunt and gather, and should not have to apply for
permits to enter it.
To see images of the scenes at
court yesterday, click here
An online press file about the court case, including summaries, biographies,
legal precedents, photos and video clips, is available at http://www.survival-international.org/bushmenpresspack
For further information contact
Miriam Ross on (+44) (0)20 7687
8734 or email mr@survival-international.org
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