Botswana honors 97-year-old who fought eviction of Indigenous people in Kalahari

Roy Sesana, a 97-year-old Indigenous rights advocate from Botswana, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Botswana. Sesana, who passed away in October, received the prestigious Doctor of Letters degree on October 23, for his lifetime of service to Indigenous rights, cultural identity, and dignity. The university's statement highlighted that the honor was not merely for individual achievement, but for a lifetime of dedicated service.

Sesana's struggle dates back nearly two decades, when Botswana's High Court ruled in his favor against the removal of San communities from their traditional lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The government justified the relocation in the 1990s and early 2000s, citing conservation needs and difficulties in providing public services.

However, Sesana's fight for the San people's land rights did not end there. Nearly 20 years after the court ruling, Botswana's current president, Duma Boko, has made Indigenous land rights a priority, establishing an interministerial committee to address longstanding grievances and plans to restore community rights across the 52,000-square-kilometer reserve.

Sesana's dedication to the cause was recognized when he received the Right Livelihood Award in 2005. He established the First People of the Kalahari in 1991, advocating for his people's right to live on their ancestral land. In his acceptance speech, Sesana dedicated the honorary doctorate to the Basarwa people and the people of Botswana as a whole.