Botswana's president accuses British MPs of 'colonial' interference over demands for trophy hunting ban - as Gary Lineker is told to come and see the destruction caused by elephants

Botswana's president has accused British MPs of 'colonial' interference over plans for a trophy hunting ban.

Mokgweetsi Masisi stressed his opposition to legislation being discussed in the Commons today - branding it 'condescending and patronising'.

The leader told Sky News he would be 'disappointed and disturbed' if the Bill gets on to the statute book, barring safaris hunters from bringing home body parts of animals they kill. 

Mr Masisi insisted hunting was preferable to culls to keep numbers under control and protect local people from 'marauding' wildlife, as it did not wipe out whole family groups. 

Meanwhile, a minister from the Botswana government has told Gary Lineker to come to his country to see the destruction caused by elephants after he backed the ban.

Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi stressed his opposition to legislation being discussed in the Commons today - branding it 'condescending and patronising'© Provided by Daily Mail

A stock photo of elephants, which Botswana ministers say must be kept under control © Provided by Daily Mail

Environment and tourism minister Dumezweni Mthimkhulu branded the legislation 'counterproductive' arguing that trophy hunting was an important source of income for local people.

Plans for Paris 2024's ambitious Opening Ceremony could be scaled back further over security concerns, despite Olympics organisers nearly halving the planned attendance for the event. Organisers had initially suggested around 600,000 spectators would be able to attend the Opening Ceremony when plans were initially unveiled in 2021.©AP

After hearing that the Match Of The Day presenter was in favour of the ban he said: 'I want to invite him to come to Botswana, so that he can really understand and see what is going on in the country with the elephants... with the trophy hunting.'

Politicians from African nations have reportedly threatened to send 10,000 wild elephants to Hyde Park so British people know what it is like to live with them.

The Tory general election in 2019 included a commitment to ban imports from trophy hunting of endangered animals. 

However, an initial attempt was abandoned in May 2022.

Another attempt, through a backbench Bill brought by Conservative MP Henry Smith, ran out of time in the House of Lords.

On this occasion Labour MP John Spellar is sponsoring a Bill, although unless it is granted government time the legislation is unlikely to reach the statute books.

Mr Masis told the World With Yalda Hakim that he found it 'unfathomable that you would be horrified by the protection of one’s livelihood'. 

He argued that rural people had allowed '40 per cent of the country to be set aside for conservation', and they were entitled to defend themselves and invite wealthy foreigners to hunt.

Mr Masis stressed that Botswana had 'never come close' to the quota allowed for killing elephants.

He decried the proposed UK legislation as 'the rejuvenation of what I perceive as not just condescending and patronising but really a resurgence of colonial conquest'.

‘We are democratic sovereign republic. You have stags. Whenever did you hear us passing a Bill on the importation of stags?' he said.

‘Only because we are poor, only because we don’t have rich people who can go out there and bring them here.'

Separately, Mr Mthimkhulu said: 'Elephant numbers, like those of Scottish stags, have to be controlled. 

'Hunters in the Highlands pay to shoot deer and put their antlers on their walls. 

'So why is Britain trying to stop Africa doing the same? We don't want colonial interference from Britain.' 

A delegation of 50 scientists, economists, politicians and farmers from Botswana met politicians in London this week to argue that a ban will have negative repercussions.

Mr Mthimkhulu added: 'Botswana is the most successful country in the world at looking after elephants, buffalo, and lions. We don't want colonial interference from Britain.' 

He said elephant numbers in Botswana have almost 'tripled' from 50,000 in 1984 to 130,000 in 2024 - causing 'a lot of chaos', with the animals in 'constant conflict with humans'. 

The minister said he could not understand why some people in other countries find the pursuit abhorrent.

He said his government is supportive of trophy hunting because it is 'controlled' and 'good for our people'.

'Trophy hunting which is culling, is part of the way of the conservation of these animals,' he said.