Rebecca Banika, the chief of a district of 18,000 people, says that critics of the use of ivory do not understand its role in conservation
20 April 2023
Queen Camilla should not be afraid to carry a controversial ivory sceptre during the Coronation as it will highlight the need for rural African communities to hunt for conservation, a Botswana tribal leader has said.
The Queen is expected to be presented with the seventeenth century ivory Rod with Dove despite the Prince of Wales being a vociferous critic of the ivory trade and who once reportedly declared he would like all the ivory owned by Buckingham Palace to be destroyed.
However, the decision to include the rod has now been supported by a chief from a region of northern Botswana, who says that critics of the use of ivory do not understand its role in conservation.
Rebecca Banika, a chief of a district of 18,000 people, told British publication, The Telegraph:
“If the Queen is carrying the ivory rod on May 6, I am really proud of what she’s doing for my community.
“She is supporting us as a community who are co-existing with these wild animals.”
The chief said people in her district relied on the careful and responsible hunting of wildlife, including elephants, which she said were overpopulated in her region.
“We do hunt elephants. With the hunting, it’s not just that we want to kill the animals recklessly as other people describe. We are conserving the animals because they are overpopulated,” she said.
“We reduce the numbers and at the same time we get economic benefits from the animals.
“Living side by side with animals is not an easy thing.”
The chief’s comments follow recent criticism from African grassroots conservation groups of a parliamentary bill banning the import of hunting trophies into the UK. The bill will cut funding to local conservation efforts and take away incentives to preserve wildlife, the groups claimed.
Buckingham Palace has defended the use of the 3ft long rod, which represents the Holy Spirit, saying it was inevitable that a large historic collection like the Crown Jewels would contain ivory.
The sceptre was made by the royal goldsmith Sir Robert Vyner for Mary of Modena when she was crowned alongside her husband, James II, in 1685 and has been used to crown every queen consort since.
Who is Kgosi Rebecca Banika?
Kgosi Rebecca Banika has been at the helm of Pandamatenga throne for 19 years after being installed on 15th November, 1999. She is the current chairperson of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Chobe District and board member of Botswana Legal Aid.
Kgosi Banika’s achievements include bringing together the white and black community members to share skills and knowledge for the economic empowerment of women. She also empowered local women to hold positions in village structures. Having established a great working relationship between different tribes and nationalities in Pandamatenga, she helped the Itireleng Women’s Group to sell their products to the American market.
By Ben Farmer
