Despite winning Botswana’s longest running court case over four years ago, the Bushmen’s fundamental right to water was only recognized this January by Botswana’s appeal court. Now, with the help of the NGO Vox United, the Mothomelo borehole or well has been re-drilled and a solar pump installed.
Bushmen are already returning to the area and have been bathing in the water. It is their first opportunity to use the borehole since 2002, when it was capped by the Botswana government. The Bushmen were forbidden from re-opening it, and many were forced to collect water from self-made sand depressions and melons.
