Nearly two decades after winning a significant court case regarding their forced removal from ancestral lands in Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Indigenous San communities may be closer to securing broader, legally protected rights to their land. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve was established in 1961 to protect wildlife and provide a sanctuary for San communities to continue their traditional way of life. However, starting in the 1990s, the government began relocating residents to settlements outside the reserve. The United Nations documented that the authorities justified these relocations on conservation grounds and the costs of providing public services. Some residents moved under government resettlement programs, while others resisted.
The situation escalated in 2002 when basic services were withdrawn, leading to further forced relocations and a prolonged legal battle. In December 2006, Botswana’s High Court ruled in favor of Roy Sesana and other San applicants, stating they had been unlawfully deprived of possession of their land. However, this ruling did not resolve the broader question of Indigenous land rights in the area.
A change in government in November 2024 opened the possibility for a new approach. Duma Boko, the new president and a former human rights lawyer involved in the San people’s legal struggle, has firsthand knowledge of their grievances. In March 2025, his administration announced an interministerial committee to examine the situation of San communities, including their relocation, land claims, cultural rights, and the possibility of returning to the reserve. The committee has begun consultations with affected communities.
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Source: Mongabay Animals, by Malavikavyawahare