the role of tourism in natural resource management in the okavango ...

tribal components, accounting for approximately a quarter of Botswana's population
(Bailey, 1998).
Today, the Ngamiland District as a whole is under the Batawana authority and all
people in the Ngamiland District are referred to as Batawana, a factor that is
disputed by other groups in the region such as the Wayeyi, who prefer autonomy
(Mbaiwa, 2002).
5.4.1.2 Pre-Colonial Natural Resource Management in the Okavango Delta
Prior to the arrival of Bantu-speaking groups in the now Ngamiland Region in
northern Botswana several hundred years ago, various San or Bushmen occupied
this area. These San groups, which included those of Banoka (River Bushmen) and
those of Mababe (Sandveld Bushmen) had traditional ethics, norms, institutions and
practices which governed the use and management of natural resources. Today,
these San groups are represented by the Bugakwe and Xanekwe Bushmen in
Ngamiland District, with all other San groups or clans generally having either
become 'extinct' or marrying into these two groups (Bock and Johnson, 2002).
The Banoka and Mababe San groups had strong traditional leadership institutions
which governed the utilisation and management of all natural resources in their
respective territories. The San lived around the Okavango Delta in small groups of
30 to 50 people who were generally of the same clan. Their population was small
and they therefore placed little pressure on the available resources, ensuring that
they were not over-harvested or utilised (Bock and Johnson, 2002).
Each San group or band had its own leader, generally represented by the most
senior male person in the group, in terms of age. Group or band members respected
his leadership position and such a leader was considered by his subjects to be
endowed with ancestral powers and charms, and could therefore communicate with
ancestors through dreams and visions. He was hence, a traditional healer, hunter
and a spokesperson for his band. A chain of respect and authority passed from the
San leader, to elders and down to the household members, with the father and
mother followed by their eldest male child, to the last child in the family (Tlou, 1985;
Thakadu, 1997; Bock and Johnson, 2002).
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