Bushmen Renew Appeal to DiCaprio

The Kalahari Bushmen have renewed their appeal to Leonardo DiCaprio, star of the upcoming movie Blood Diamond. The Bushmen appealed to him in September with an ad in Variety magazine. Fearing new diamond exploration on their land, they have written again asking for DiCaprio’s help to return to their land.

“We just learned that Botswana government gave out more of our land to a company called Petra Diamonds, which is exploring for diamonds right now. We are angry and upset about this,” the appeal says, according to NGO Survival International.

Survival International has been championing the Bushmen land rights claim, and are the group that published their appeal to the actor.

The appeal goes on to accuse the Botswana government of crimes. “These are conflict diamonds because diamonds are the root of our sorrow and pain. They caused us to be moved from the land of our ancestors. We say these diamonds are killing us the Bushmen.”

A group of Kalahari Bushmen claims they were evicted from their land in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) to make room for diamond exploration and mining. While the Botswana government claims they were moved to bring them closer to water supplies and health care.

The Bushmen have taken the Botswana government to court over the CKGR evictions. The Botswana High Court will rule on December 13.

In a recent speech, President Festus Mogae criticized some NGOs, saying their objectives regarding the country and citizens “are less than noble”.

Calling them, “the enemies of our success,” Mogae did not spare words about those “campaigning against our country's sovereign right to provide education and improve health and other services to our remote based communities.

“Whilst those foreigners readily appreciate the value of educating their own children, they claim that by educating Basarwa children, we are violating Basarwa's rights and destroying their culture. “

Mogae said it is the same organizations that are campaigning for the boycott of diamonds, regardless of the negative impact that it would have on the country, “including the very people whose interests they claim to represent.”