The Bushmen get to go home!

December 14, 2006 7:21 AM

The Bushmen get to go home! "Lady" Tonge said they were "holding the government of Botswana to ransom" by having the gall to keep on living. Others recognized genocide for what it is. They used the internet to tell us how much they wanted to go home and now, in one of those few moments where something goes right, they can go home.
posted by jefgodesky (8 comments total)

I thought about posting this, but you've done a better job than I likely would have. Thanks for putting it up. It's really nice to hear good news once in awhile.
posted by Malor at 7:55 AM on December 14, 2006

One thing I note, in looking through the links... the government sealed off their water holes, and now the decision explicitly says they don't have to provide water. I wonder if they will interpret this to mean they don't have to undo their damage?
posted by Malor at 8:03 AM on December 14, 2006

Probably. They don't seem too concerned, and neither do I; the watering holes in the Kalahari shift every season, and the San are incredibly clever about ways to find them.
posted by jefgodesky at 8:04 AM on December 14, 2006

Errr ... neither am I....
posted by jefgodesky at 8:05 AM on December 14, 2006

Thanks. And I missed the original post, so thanks for that too.

That Lady Tonge is a piece of work isn't she? The whole point of elevating people to the Lords is supposed to be that they'll be free to act on their consciences rather than be moved by the demands of politics. This appears to have worked in reverse in her case: apparently it was politics that forced her to act like a conscientious human being; freed from the need to be elected, her true abhorrent nature quickly emerged.
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:46 AM on December 14, 2006

This is very exciting. Thank you for the post, jef.
posted by Greg Nog at 10:40 AM on December 14, 2006

It was about diamonds, nothing more. Botswana has the largest diamond reserves in the world, the game reserve was a scam. Nothing like some over priced common rocks. You have a friend in the diamond business.
posted by IronWolve at 2:44 PM on December 14, 2006

And unfortunately, the government is imposing numerous conditions on their return.
posted by SBMike at 3:52 PM on December 14, 2006