Rethabile Setlalekgomo presenting. Cheetah Conservation Botswana’s (CCB), Development Manager, Nidhi Ramsden and Human-Wildlife Coexistence Coordinator, Rethabile Setlalekgomo took the plight of communities in the western Kalahari of Botswana to the inaugural Parliamentary Roundtable on Human-Wildlife Coexistence in Botswana & Beyond. The event convened by the National Assembly of Botswana and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) was held from 19 – 21 January 2026 at Phakalane Golf Estate, bringing together parliamentarians including those from Botswana, other African countries, and the European Union. They were alongside government officials, civil society, and conservation experts to discuss lasting solutions for human-wildlife coexistence (HWC).
Bringing her department's active research to the diverse audience, Setlalekgomo participated in a panel discussion titled: ‘Voices from the field: Experiences from affected areas’, alongside representatives from the Botswana National Beef Producers Union, Kalahari Conservation Society, Botswana House of Chiefs, Botswana Wildlife Producers Association, and the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations. This presented an opportunity to share insights from our horse patrol initiative being implemented in New Xade. This is a practical example of community-led conflict mitigation where herders in a selection of farmer syndicates collectively monitor livestock activity on horseback – from morning to late afternoon – all while conscious of the porous border between them and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve which carnivores like lions are known to breach. The herders are presently working with the HWC department to develop, critique and refine interventions that can be converted into different coexistence strategies.
Discussions throughout the roundtable reinforced that HWC is not a single-sector issue but a social, political, economic and environmental concern requiring cross-sectoral collaboration. Parliamentarians heard how conflicting government policies can exacerbate conflict and that sustainable solutions must involve sociologists and economists alongside conservationists.
The European peers shared their mitigation experiences with now-revitalised populations of carnivore species like wolves and brown bears, shedding light on the similarity of conflict challenges faced in Africa. These include top-down decision making, unequal distribution of conflict costs, and the inadequate use of local knowledge. However, analytical comparisons between countries like Namibia’s innovative offset system – which recognises that full compensation is implausible, and Kenya’s national enquiry that links conflict to poor land use policies allowed for robust geo-specific dialogue and solution-building.
In the context of Botswana, participants noted challenges including limited parliamentary autonomy, inactive committees, and insufficient cross-sectoral collaboration. A reiterated way forward remained working through dialogue and evidence-based decision-making understanding that human-wildlife coexistence is a shared responsibility.
22 years since our founding, we are grateful to still be a vocal participant in Botswana’s development for people, landscapes and wildlife. Thank you to organisers for hosting this important and instrumental roundtable. We are incredibly proud of CCB’s magnificent duo for doing an outstanding job representing us and sharing frontline insights from our coexistence work in the western Kalahari of Botswana.
Bringing her department's active research to the diverse audience, Setlalekgomo participated in a panel discussion titled: ‘Voices from the field: Experiences from affected areas’, alongside representatives from the Botswana National Beef Producers Union, Kalahari Conservation Society, Botswana House of Chiefs, Botswana Wildlife Producers Association, and the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations. This presented an opportunity to share insights from our horse patrol initiative being implemented in New Xade. This is a practical example of community-led conflict mitigation where herders in a selection of farmer syndicates collectively monitor livestock activity on horseback – from morning to late afternoon – all while conscious of the porous border between them and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve which carnivores like lions are known to breach. The herders are presently working with the HWC department to develop, critique and refine interventions that can be converted into different coexistence strategies.
Discussions throughout the roundtable reinforced that HWC is not a single-sector issue but a social, political, economic and environmental concern requiring cross-sectoral collaboration. Parliamentarians heard how conflicting government policies can exacerbate conflict and that sustainable solutions must involve sociologists and economists alongside conservationists.
The European peers shared their mitigation experiences with now-revitalised populations of carnivore species like wolves and brown bears, shedding light on the similarity of conflict challenges faced in Africa. These include top-down decision making, unequal distribution of conflict costs, and the inadequate use of local knowledge. However, analytical comparisons between countries like Namibia’s innovative offset system – which recognises that full compensation is implausible, and Kenya’s national enquiry that links conflict to poor land use policies allowed for robust geo-specific dialogue and solution-building.
In the context of Botswana, participants noted challenges including limited parliamentary autonomy, inactive committees, and insufficient cross-sectoral collaboration. A reiterated way forward remained working through dialogue and evidence-based decision-making understanding that human-wildlife coexistence is a shared responsibility.
22 years since our founding, we are grateful to still be a vocal participant in Botswana’s development for people, landscapes and wildlife. Thank you to organisers for hosting this important and instrumental roundtable. We are incredibly proud of CCB’s magnificent duo for doing an outstanding job representing us and sharing frontline insights from our coexistence work in the western Kalahari of Botswana.
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