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Spindoctors
at work through midweek sun
Opinion/Letters
FPK rioting stopped
Jeff Ramsay-Gaborone
9/18/2005 2:48:49 AM (GMT +2)
The public is hereby informed
that a small number of people, instigated and incited by Roy Sesana and
Jumanda Gakelebone, held a demonstration at New Xade on Saturday 24th
September 2005 with intent to force their way into the Central Kalahari Game
Reserve (CKGR).
The demonstration in New Xade was
lawful and their right, hence the police allowed it to proceed.
Despite an intensive a house to
house campaign in New Xade by Roy Sesana and his friends over many days, the
demonstration largely failed insofar as it attracted no more than 35,
including 7 children, out of the more than 2000 residents of New Xade.
What was unlawful and the police
could not allow was an attempt by the demonstrators to forcibly enter the Game
Reserve. The police spent a considerable amount of time warning the
demonstrators that their attempt to force their entry into the Reserve was
unlawful, appealing to them to return to New Xade. Through all this the
demonstrators, who carried placards and had radical messages written on their
six 4 by 4 vehicles, were unremittingly hurling insults and verbal abuse at
the police. They also displayed threatening behaviour towards the police. Many
times they attempted to break through the roadblock manned by the police and
drive into the Reserve. The police, for their part exercised patience and
great restraint through all the provocation, repeatedly warning the
demonstrators that their activities were illegal and urged them to cease them
and return to New Xade.
When the police would not let them
enter the Reserve, the demonstrators broke into a riot and attacked the police
with an assortment of weapons.
In order to maintain law and
order, the police were forced to fire three rubber bullets, one of which hit
and slightly injured one of the demonstrators.
The demonstrators, including Roy
Sesana and Jumanda Gakelebone, fled into the bush, but all were intercepted
and arrested. All 21 persons arrested are currently in police custody and will
this morning be taken before a Magistrate to face a variety of criminal
charges. The above events took place under the watchful eyes of Mr S T Pilane,
the Special Advisor to the President, Mr T Tsimako, the Acting Commissioner of
Police, and Mr J F Broekhuis, the Assistant Director for Parks. All three are
satisfied that the Police acted with restraint in the face of continued and
severe provocation and tolerated the unlawful activities of the demonstrators
for as long as they could after endlessly pleading with them to desist. The
position of the Government on this matter is a simple one. While the events of
Saturday last are a matter for regret, all are subject to the law and will
obey it, including FPK and their friends, local and foreign. The country has
recently experienced acts of unlawful filming in the country by foreign
journalists, and that will not be countenanced in the future. The issues
whether the Basarwa have a right to uncontrolled entry into the Reserve, to
permanent residence in villages in it, to hunting within it, to keeping
livestock and to cultivating land inside the Reserve, and to Government
providing them with social and relief services within the Reserve are
currently pending a decision of the High Court, having been taken there by a
group of Basarwa. Those Basarwa must, therefore, await that decision and not
take the law into their own hands by pressing these rights, for that is not
only unlawful, it also undermines the authority of the very Court to which
they have gone to seek relief.
The Government will, as always
before, honour the decision of the Court, whatever it may be. Applicants in
the Court case must remember that that decision is delayed with every
adjournment they seek to afford them time to raise funds. Until the Court
gives its judgment on the matter, the Government will continue to do its duty
to enforce the law as it understands it to be. Unlawful activity by FPK and
their friends, local and foreign, will not, whatever the excuse for it, be
tolerated.
http://www.midweeksun.co.bw/6304639245.html
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