The San: Southern Africa`s Forgotten People

The report details the systematic efforts by the Botswana government to evict the Gana and Gwi San people from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). It argues that while the government claims the relocation is for the provision of state services, the actual motivations are likely economic, specifically related to diamond deposits in the region. The document highlights human rights violations, including the cutting off of water supplies and the use of torture, and notes a legal challenge filed by 243 San community members in April 2002.

• The government of Botswana is accused of using extreme measures, including torture and the termination of essential water supplies as of 18 February 2002, to force the Gana and Gwi San people out of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR).
• Analysts suggest the evictions are driven by a clandestine government policy to prevent the San from claiming mineral rights to diamond-rich areas within the CKGR, despite constitutional provisions from 1966.
• The Botswana government's claim that relocation is necessary for health and education services is contradicted by its rejection of an offer from the European Union to fund the maintenance of the San within the CKGR as part of a 1996 Management Plan.
• The eviction process is described as a violation of both human rights and the Botswana constitution, which provided for a reserve as early as 1961 for the Basarwa to maintain their hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
• In response to the government's actions, 243 members of the San communities filed a lawsuit in Botswana's High Court on 8 April 2002 to oppose the evictions and the cutting of services.

APA

Maroleng, C. (2002). The San: Southern Africa`s Forgotten People. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-the-san-southern-africas-forgotten-people-chris-maroleng

Chicago

Maroleng, Chris. The San: Southern Africa`s Forgotten People. Institute for Security Studies, 2002. https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-the-san-southern-africas-forgotten-people-chris-maroleng.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maroleng |first1=Chris |title=The San: Southern Africa`s Forgotten People |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=May 2002 |url=https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-the-san-southern-africas-forgotten-people-chris-maroleng |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maroleng2002san, author = {Maroleng, Chris}, title = {{The San: Southern Africa`s Forgotten People}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2002}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/situation-reports/situation-report-the-san-southern-africas-forgotten-people-chris-maroleng}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }