§ 2.34 p.m.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name of the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they are making for the proper protection of the Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert.]
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, the Bushmen, or Masarwa, are a primitive race who were living in Southern Africa before the arrival of the Bantu tribes. Most of them then retreated into the Kalahari Desert, where they lead a nomadic life. This is the life that they prefer. They may own property and the administration are prepared to make land available to them, but it would be no kindness to compel them to lead a settled existence against their will. Reports on the conditions of the Bushmen in the Kalahari and elsewhere in the Bechuanaland Protectorate have been made to the Administration from time to time in the past, and the High Commissioner has at present under consideration a proposal to second an administrative officer to make a further report on their conditions. I will take advantage of my visit to Bechuanaland later this year to discuss this question with the High Commissioner.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord for the last portion of his Answer. I hope that when the noble Lord gets back from Bechuanaland he will report to the House upon his discussions with the High Commissioner on this important point. I should like to ask him this further question: is it not a fact that, by preserving game in the Kalahari Desert, we are 354 making it almost impossible for the Bushmen to live? Would it not be better in some way to lessen the rather stringent provisions which exist with regard to game in order to enable the oldest inhabitants of Africa to live in their traditional manner in the Kalahari Desert?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I have made some inquiries about this matter, and I understand that the game reserve represents only a very small proportion of the total amount of land available. There are plenty of animals for the Bushmen to hunt, I am told. However, I will look at that matter when I go out there later on.