This paper discusses the past and present perspectives of wildlife resource use amongst Basarwa communities in Ngamiland District. For purposes of illustration, the Basarwa of Khwai and Mababe will in this paper be used as examples. The paper explores the sustainability of wildlife utilisation amongst these communities from the pre-colonial period to the present time. It argues that they have utilized wildlife resources sustainably ever since they inhabited the Okavango Delta and its surroundings. However, the introduction of European trade in wildlife products, colonization and later post-independence practices altered these traditional and sustainable practices. The paper notes that even with current efforts of introducing community-based natural resource management amongst the Basarwa communities, the implementation is associated with several problems resulting in general marginalisation of the communities.
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