ANCESTRAL BURIAL

Family overcomes tussle with Gantsi Council to bury Mosarwa Patriach in the CKGR

The Gaoberekwe family of New Xade sighed in relief this past weekend when the Gantsi Council gave the green light to bury their patriach, Pitseng Gaoberekwe, on their ancestral land, situated inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), nearly three months after his death.

Gaoberekwe’s corpse has been lying at a mortuary in New Xade, while his family bickered with the council over his burial in the CKGR. The 75-year-old made his spiritual transition on 21 December 2021. The family filed an urgent request with the council to allow them to bury him in the CKGR but they were sent from pillar to post as it was the festive period.

In January, they refiled their request which the council rejected, insisting that they bury him on a burial plot allocated by the council in New Xade. The family subsequently threatened court action and before the matter would be presented before court, the Gantsi Council hastingly decided to settle out of court. The agreement made is that the deceased old man’s burial be carried out in CKGR. The family will bear the costs of transporting the corpse to CKGR, while council will foot the bill for the mortuary costs over the past two months.

While there was no comment available from the Gantsi Council at the time of going to print, family representative and human rights activist, Moeti Smith, expressed relief and satisfaction over the decision taken by council. He noted that, “Basarwa are well within their rights to practice their cultural beliefs and traditions in accordance with their culture, and it is also important to uphold the rights of minority tribes and vulnerable groups.”

Ancestral land conflicts have been in existence in the CKGR since the 1960s and 1970s when Government first started carrying out relocations of Basarwa to make way for mining, tourism and create localities for conservation facilities.

Spokesperson for Botswana Khwedom Council, Banyatsi Salutu has told The Midweek Sun that Government through landboards does not acknowledge and respect the spiritual significance of ancestral land nor respect the rights of minority indigenous tribes in Botswana. He noted that the revised Land Policy Act and Remote Areas Act should make stipulations for ancestral land. “We have on countless occasions presented recommendations to Government on the establishment and conduct of ancestral land but nothing has materialised as we are always sent from pillar to post.” Salutu, like Smith, emphasised the need to create an inclusive Land Act that is representative of all Batswana, including the so-called minority indigenous tribes.