08 Jun 2025

Residents of Somelo in the North West region have called for sustainable interventions that can stimulate the socio-economic development of the Basarwa community and restore their dignity.

They shared their views during a consultative meeting addressed by Inter Ministerial Committee tasked to comprehensively look into the situation of Basarwa to come up with sustainable solutions.

The residents called for the re-instatement of initiatives such as Rural Area Development Programme (RADP), which they said had made a huge difference in the lives of many. They said the programme was suspended without consultation with the community.

The programme was aimed at improving living standards of communities far from services especially those that lived at least 15 kilometres from villages and settlements and did not have access to basic social amenities.

Through the programme, about five members of the community were assisted with five cattle and 15 goats to earn a living and some looked after the animals ensuring that they multiplied while at the same time selling some to generate income.

Presenting the communities’ submission, Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Mogopolo Ramapodise said the RADP programme contributed meaningfully to the livelihoods of the beneficiaries hence he called for its re-instatement.

Currently, he said, residents solely depended on Ipelegeng programme as their income source because of limited work opportunities.

“Other programmes such as LIMID which also encouraged us to be farmers have been suspended and yet residents applied in large numbers. We are struggling to make ends meet hence our village is experiencing a high number of destitute persons and we wish the government can come up with initiatives specifically tailored to us,” he added.

Mr Ramapodise further called for re-instatement of special game licences, saying it would allow them to hunt for subsistence. 

He argued that traditionally, Basarwa were skilled hunters and had practised controlled hunting until the licences were stopped.

He also called for the speedy formation of the community trust arguing that it could improve their economic situation which he said was worsened by delay to be allocated residential plots and lack of potable water.

The community, he said,were not enjoying water rights just like other Batswana and expressed wish that they could be accorded equal treatment of drinking purified water.

The village chief, Kgosi Mokhutshwane Komee explained that delay by Tawana Land Board to allocate residents plots had fuelled of illegal occupation of land.

The village, he said was established in 1998 and land board started allocation in 2006 and stopped in 2015. He argued that land was important for quality of life due to its impact on proper housing and economic opportunities. 

“When residents have access to land, they can venture into economic activities to improve their livelihoods,” he added.

At Phuduhudu residents also talked about the importance of RAPD programme but complained that they experienced terror from the lions from Makgadikgadi National Park.

They told the committee that many who had benefited from the programme were left empty handed because of the lions that moved freely day and night in the village killing livestock. As such, they requested the government to consider relocation of the park boundary at least 10-15km from the village.

“This park has impoverished us and we want the government to help us,” said one of the residents, Mr Omogoditswe Mazingane calling on the government to give the community one of the boreholes far from the park to water their livestock.

Mr Kelatlhegile Moleele also appreciated that they were given the chance to enjoy land rights despite having lived in the area for a long time.

If they had land, he said they would venture into income generating projects that created employment opportunities for the locals.

Mr Nkatogang Sebinelo also expressed frustration regarding the land issue. He said they felt like squatters in their ancestral land but was hopeful that the current administration would do right by them. ENDS