Gordon Bennett has been refused a visa because of 'unspecified activities', according to a report in The Times. He would have been in court today to represent over 500 Bushmen who need to get monthly visitor permits to enter the Central Kakahari Game Reserve, the area in which they live. Bennett was the lead counsel in 2006 when he helped 189 Bushmen get permission to live on the reserve. But the permission was specific to the individuals involved and did not pass on to their children. Botswana has been trying to evict the Bushmen for 16 years. Diamonds - the base of Botswana's economy - were discovered in the reserve in 30 years ago.
Specialist on the team
Mr Bennett said: 'It is bizarre that the Government can tell the Bushmen who they can and cannot have as counsel. I have got nine years’ experience of working with the Bushmen. I think it would have been to their advantage to have a specialist on their legal team.'
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