11 Mar 2026

President Advocate Duma Boko has accepted a mandate to champion the rights of Africa’s indigenous peoples, saying this was informed by a personal commitment to addressing historical injustices and cultural erasure. 

A passionate human rights lawyer, President Boko accepted the new assignment, presented by commissioner, Dr Litha Musyimi-Ogana of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) on Tuesday. 

Accepting the role, President Boko pledged to advocate for the rights and dignity of marginalised communities who have long faced discrimination and cultural suppression in Botswana and across the region 

“I am honoured and humbled to be asked to be the champion. It is one that I accept with humility,” said President Boko, pointing out that the assignment was by nature, what he was accustomed to. 

He pledged to raise their voice, protect, preserve and develop solidarity among the indigenous people on the continent. 

President Boko pointed out that indigenous people in Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia, faced challenges, some perpetuated by dominant tribes who labelled them by the main tribes as the San. 

“What do they call themselves? Why do we call them the San?” President Boko questioned, pointing out that labelling them and characterising them as hunters and gatherers owing to their culture was the beginning of the problem. 

The word San, he said, was derogatory, but had been convenient for the dominant tribes to refer to them as such. 

Also, he said indigenous people had dominant tribes imposing their culture upon them, such as requiring them to have chiefs, herdmen and their deputies. 

Such imposition is meant to defy and trample upon the indigenous people’s culture, President Boko said. 

He appreciated Dr Musyimi-Ogana's visit since it prompted looking into the injustices meted out to the indigenous people and also stressed the need to have the plight of the indigenous people addressed with their input, as they  deserved respect. 

He said there would be a series of actions and interventions, to address indigenous people’s challenges. 

Dr Musyimi-Ogana, said that since President Boko had been championing the rights of the indigenous people, they appointed him to be the champion in Africa. 

She presented President Boko with the letter as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. 

The commission is working on developing the indigenous people’s map in Africa, to understand what they call themselves, Dr Musyimi-Ogana explained that there was a need to have data that identified indigenous people across Africa. 

She said their knowledge had been misplaced, and in many cases, were misinformed. BOPA