Botswana’s Mogae Slams NGO’s Bushmen Campaign

Botswana President Festus Mogae has angrily denounced the work of Survival International for its campaign in support of Botswana Bushmen who claim they have been evicted from their ancestral lands by the government to allow diamond exploration to take place.

Defending the decision to move the group of 243 Bushmen from their land in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Mogae said diamond exploration work was going on all over diamond-rich Botswana and whenever commercially viable amounts of diamonds were found “we will develop diamonds for the good of all Botswanans.

“Innuendo and lies are being propagated by this NGO but the government will do what is right for all its citizens,” Mogae added, clearly angered by the international campaign launched by the Bushmen helped by Survival International.

The Bushmen – the First People of the Kalahari – took their case to the United Nations and U.S. politicians last August as well as to European capitals.

The Botswana High Court is hearing the case but has yet to reach a decision.