Basarwa vs. Moremi Game Reserve

The Moremi Game Reserve, nestled in Botswana's Okavango Delta, is home to a conflict centered around conservation-induced relocation and eviction of the indigenous Basarwa people. This conflict, dating back to the reserve's establishment in 1963, carries significant historical weight and reflects broader challenges faced by indigenous communities globally.

Basarwa people, the land's original inhabitants, find themselves at the forefront of a struggle against conservation efforts that have disrupted their traditional way of life. The conflict is deeply rooted in the oral, unwritten history of Basarwa people, chronicling their marginalization and displacement by the government as well as neighboring, more dominant ethnic groups. The establishment of the Moremi Game Reserve and the forcible eviction of Basarwa marked a pivotal moment in the life of the community and has led to the formation of advocacy groups such as ToCadi and protests by various Basarwa organizations.

Basarwa, also known as San, are an indigenous, nomadic group historically living throughout South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, Basarwa’s hunting techniques are deeply rooted in their traditional livelihood, tied to their profound understanding and connection to the natural environment and wildlife. They traditionally hunt hares, guinea, fowl, steenbok, and other small game animals. While men traditionally practice hunting, women and children are the experts in foraging a wide range of plant foods, including mushrooms, bulbs, berries, and melons. Basarwa have immense knowledge of local ecologies and gather over 100 edible species of plants as well as eggs, insects, honey, and tortoises, displaying not only their reliance on the land for their sustenance and survival, but also their strong, historical, and traditional connection to it and the larger environment.

In Botswana, Basarwa communities face challenges in preserving their traditional lifestyle and accessing their ancestral lands. Their land and animals were taken away for conservation purposes, effectively eliminating their connection to their ancestral territories and livelihoods. 

Due to their traditionally nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle, Basarwa/San—who live in Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa—have been marginalized by both their governments and European explorers and colonial administrations throughout their countries’ histories. Their lifestyle is seen as “primitive” and “uncivilized” by the government as well as by other groups and farmers, contributing to the social discrimination and challenges they face. While Basarwa’s historical habitation of their ancestral lands is clear, their tenure rights are uncertain officially, which exacerbates their displacement from their ancestral lands and thus hinders their ability to practice hunter-gathering and maintain their livelihood and cultural traditions. 

Throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, Basarwa as well as other indigenous communities in Botswana faced economic marginalization at the hands of the government, which positioned them at the bottom of the socioeconomic scale. The government restricts their economic practices by revoking their land rights, and fails to intervene in the exploitative employment practices to which they are subjected. Additionally, the government provides limited benefits for development projects or government aid despite the reality that  Basarwa have limited employment opportunities.

Civil and political rights were taken from them, such as rights to ownership of property or rights to speak at court or council meetings. Today, Basarwa still experience economic and political marginalization, as Tswana chiefs continue to have rights over the lives and livelihoods of Basarwa. This is exhibited in the case of the Moremi Game Reserve, where Basarwa were not included in development discussions but rather Tsawana chiefs in their place. 

Because their historical marginalization inihibits their ability to practice their traditional lifestyle, Basarwa also work as cattle farmers or casual workers in cattle posts as well as sell foraged and handcrafted products and meat in nearby towns. Unemployment is growing in Botswana as the country faces an economic crisis, and the Basarwa experience the effects of the crisis through exploitative employment relationships and systematically low wages. 

Development projects similar to the Moremi Game Reserve, such as the  Kalahari Game Reserve  in Botswana, have resulted in the loss of land and livelihood for Basarwa. Many people in the community find themselves displaced after these projects, stuck in resettlement camps called “Remote Area Dweller Settlements” without the opportunity to continue their traditional way of life due to uncertain tenure rights. Further, hunting is often banned on these reserves, thus Basarwa who attempt to practice their traditional lifestyle of hunting-gathering are arrested. Even on their ancestral land where Basarwa are the majority, the settlement sites are often dominated by other ethnic groups who don’t afford Basarwa their rights to land or grazing. 

The Moremi Game Reserve, encompassing approximately 5000 km2, was initially declared a reserve in 1963, with subsequent expansions in 1970. The reserve, named after a Tswana Chief, has evolved into subsequent expansions and a commercial venture, offering safari tours, luxury lodges, and other activities. However, the benefits as well as consideration and involvement in decision-making derived from these ventures have not been shared equitably with indigenous Basarwa communities, exacerbating the existing tensions.

Government of Botswana

Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP)

North West District Council

ToCadi Trans Okavango Cultural Development Initiative

Buka Khwe

Khwedam council

Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC)

Tswana Land Board

Basarwa organizations (e.g., Khwedem council)

BaTawana

Protest, advocacy

The impacts of the project are profound, encompassing systematic marginalization, violent eviction, disruption of traditional lifestyles, and limited political representation for Basarwa. Their communities face discrimination and economic disadvantages, with the benefits of the reserve's commercial activities largely eluding them.

Social services as well as water supply are often also revoked due to these developments, further rendering it impossible for Basarwa to remain or return to their land. Further, the conservation efforts have, ironically, led to the loss of natural resources, impacting local ecosystems and further exacerbating the challenges faced by indigenous communities.

The government claims that Basarwa left their land voluntarily and thus denies responsibility for providing social services pertaining to health and education, while in fact most are forcibly displaced to resettlement camps. Among the health issues that persist in these camps are high rates of HIV infection as well as alcoholism, to which Basarwa is increasingly vulnerable.

While the government asserts that the provision of health and other social services would have been too expensive, the game reserve project remains one of the most expensive, with even the President of Botswana  purchasing plots  while the nation faces an economic crisis. To learn more about Basarwa and other projects that affect them,  click here. 

The Moremi Game Reserve is currently in operation, generating income through tourism activities. The conflict persists, with continued protests and objections lodged against the game reserve. Basarwa communities are advocating for recognition of their customary rights and the right to return to their ancestral lands.

The exclusion of Basarwa from development decisions that directly impact them exposes the consistent pattern and history of exclusion, dispossession, and discrimination towards indigenous peoples of Botswana. Basarwa have consistently suffered systematic marginalization, displacement from their lands, and inhibition from practicing their traditional ways of life by the hands of the government in an attempt to develop projects such as the Moremi Game Reserve.  

Alternative solutions, including recognizing customary rights, ensuring proper consultation processes (Free, Prior and Informed Consent, FPIC), and acknowledging the historical contributions of the Basarwa communities, are being proposed to address the conflict. The importance of this topic extends beyond the Moremi Game Reserve, highlighting the broader implications of conservation efforts on the rights of hunter-gatherers and indigenous communities worldwide. The case underscores the need for a more nuanced and inclusive approach to conservation that respects the rights and livelihoods of those historically connected to the land.