San struggling to survive

Zimbabwe's tiny San community has laid the blame for their ongoing economic hardships squarely on the government, which they accuse of discrimination and neglect. Mgodimasili village, a sprawling mix of dilapidated thatch and mud huts in western Zimbabwe, is home to about 200 of the 1,200 San people in the country. In contrast, just a few kilometres east of the parched soils of Mgodimasili, lies the neighbouring village of Tjitatjawa, which boasts neat houses with corrugated iron roofs. The juxtaposition throws the unequal living conditions of the two communities into sharp relief - the existence of the San remains precarious, battling chronic poverty and hunger. "We [the San] are appealing to anyone, including government, to give us ploughs and other farm implements so that we can produce enough food for our families. We have pieces of land, but because we don't have enough resources to till it, we are always faced with starvation, be it in a good or bad year," Gwatawa Maphosa, an elder of the San group, told IRIN. He said many families did not have blankets, and during the winter season life was very difficult. Although the San community still practice their ancient traditions, an increasing number of laws banning hunting have forced them to abandon their nomadic life as hunters and gatherers and look to subsistence farming to eke out a living. "The life of hunting and gathering is no longer practiced because of laws that prohibit hunting, so most of us have become farmers just like other groups. But the difference is that we farm using our bare hands, as we do not have implements and cattle for draught power. The little grain that we produce quickly runs out before the end of the year," Maphosa explained. He told IRIN that because the community was unable to produce enough grain for their families, they were forced to offer cheap labour to other communities in exchange for food. He regretted the lack of government assistance to combat the widespread poverty the San was suffering, despite repeated requests. Children were also unable to attend school because they could not afford the fees. "We are generally a poor people, but I think we can improve if government supported us. Our children also need to go to school, so that they can represent us in parliament," said Maphosa. According to the South African-based NGO, Working Group for Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA), the San - the region's first inhabitants - uniformly faced marginalisation and poverty. WIMSA coordinator Alex Thoma said his organisation had sent a delegation to Zimbabwe to examine the living conditions of the community, with the view of helping them start income-generating projects to improve their lives. "Recently WIMSA representatives visited some communities in the Hwange area [of Matabeleland North province] to analyse the feasibility [of a] harvesting project with them. They are certainly one of the most marginalised groups, not only in Zimbabwe but also in all other countries where they live," observed Thoma. While the San argue that they are a disadvantaged people in need of humanitarian support in order to escape poverty, some neighbouring villagers look down on them - accusing them of alcoholism and a refusal to embrace "modernisation". "They [the San] are our neighbours, and we know them inside out. Some NGOs, like Christian Care, have tried to alleviate their situation by giving them ploughs and beasts to farm, but because they love meat so much, they have since feasted on those beasts. They have also sold their ploughs at ridiculously low prices to raise money to buy tobacco and beer," said Qhubekani Mlilo, a resident of Tjitatjawa. The San elders vehemently denied the allegation, saying it was an excuse used by the government to delay the delivery of much-needed assistance. Mlilo brushed aside allegations that other ethnic groups in Zimbabwe discriminated against the San, saying they were the ones who isolated themselves, as they tried to resist change. However, the member of parliament for the area, Mtoliki Sibanda observed that the San were a grossly misunderstood people and described their living standards as appalling. "I have lobbied the government to assist these people, but nothing positive has transpired so far. Life is generally difficult for them, as they do not have food, blankets and many other basics that are needed in life. They do not have any means of survival other than to work under conditions similar to those of slaves. It's really bad," he told IRIN. But government spokesman Steyn Berejena denied that the San suffered discrimination. "The government has a national policy to support all Zimbabweans regardless of their ethnic group. We can understand the difficulties of the San people, especially as they come to terms with an alternative way of life, but we have local agricultural extension officers who are making sure that something is done to improve the lives of this group," Berejena told IRIN. The San are the aboriginal people of Southern Africa, with a distinct hunter-gatherer culture that stretches back over 20,000 years. According to WIMSA, the 110,000 remaining San in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe face "cultural extinction, living lives of poverty on the outer edges of society".