Country: Botswana

Group: Subiya

Date Finalized: 4/18/2020

Team: Vianney Mancilla (lead), Erika Walker, Colleen Clauss

In 1885, Botswana was Bechunanland and the British authorities only recognized eight tribes with closely related Tswana culture and language (Nyati-Ramahobo, 2008). These eight tribes make up the country’s minority and rule over the majority–the non-recognized population (Nyati-Ramahobo, 2008). Since 1885, this has not changed and the Subiya’s identity is threatened by marginalization and lack of recognition. The recognized minority has significantly more rights than the non-recognized population in terms of: language, culture, and land rights. The Tribal Territories Act of 1933 sectioned off territories or ‘districts’’ for each of the eight tribes and does not recognize ancestral claims to land from the non-recognized tribes; this act has been upheld since (Nyati-Ramahobo, 2008). In terms of linguistic rights, English is the official language and Setswana—the language shared by the eight tribes—is said to be the national language (Nyati-Ramahobo, 2008). The other 26 languages spoken by the non-recognized tribes are not permitted in public life such as “schools, radios, the kgotla (traditional court) and other social services” (Nyati-Ramahobo, 2008). This has contributed to the decline in local languages, indicating a “language shift and assimilation” (Nyati-Ramahobo, 2008). Moreover, the loss of culture is also evident in the lack of traditional skills-because of the formal schooling requirements. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights website uploaded a letter titled, “Statement of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues” and discussed the progress in human rights in Botswana (De Varennes 2018). The data quality would be a 3.

Sources

  1. Nyati-Ramahobo, Lydia. Minority tribes in Botswana: The politics of recognition. London: Minority Rights Group International, 2008.
  2. De Varennes, Fernand (2018). Statement of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes, on the conclusion of his official visit to Botswana, 13-24 August 2018. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23471&LangID=E