BOTSWANA:BUSHMEN APPEAL TO POPE
Nov 28th, 2008 by admin
The Kalahari bushmen are appealing to the Pope to help them in their fight to regain their land. The Vatican this month established diplomatic relations with Botswana. The bushmen have told the Pope their rights as indigenous people were not being respected by the government. The Botswana’s High Court affirmed the bushmen’s rights to their land in 2006. But they complain the government continues to violate those rights. They point to the fact bushmen have not received hunting permits, despite the High Court ruling it was unlawful for the government to withhold permits.