Khoi San People Demand Recognition As South Africa’s First People, As They Should
They are demanding that their language be made an official language of SA.
Several South African publications report that a group of Khoi San activists were protesting outside Nasrec, where the leading party, African National Congress was hosting its national elective conference on Sunday. The activists had reportedly been camping outside the Union Buildings for two weeks.
They were there to demand that Khoi San be recognized as the first inhabitants of what is now South Africa. Khoi San people feel left out in South Africa, because really they are. Their language isn't listed under the 11 official languages of South Africa. But you'll find it on the South African coat of arms.
These 4 men walked from PE to the Union Buildings in Pta to hand over a memorandum to Pres Zuma, demanding the recognition of the Khoisan as the “legitimate first race of SA". 2 wks, they camped in tents on the Union Building lawns.They were also on a hunger strike #PlanetHaaibopic.twitter.com/30yPT5AYGu
— Radio 2000 (@Radio2000ZA) 13 December 2017
"The ANC is trying to convince the whole world that there are no more Khoi San people in South Africa," Chief Marble, president of the Khoi San Mass Movement, was quoted as saying by the Mail & Guardian. "I am not Nguni, I am not Afrikaans. I want to speak my language like everyone else."
WOW!!! Salute! That time the language of the Khoi and the San is not even "official" in this God forsaken country!
Hence its death...
And yet you find it in national symbols... KhoiSan art too... That time the Khoisan are the 1st and The original inhabitants of S.A/zar/nia https://t.co/VPWQHEnkJJ
— Jacqui The Poet (@JacquiThePoet) 14 December 2017
IOL reports that Khoi San people want their language to be made an official language, and want the "land act" to be scraped as it prevents them from owning land.
The website quoted Khoi San Liberation and Mass Movement national coordinator Anthony Philip saying, "A government we all fought for very hard is disheartening and disappointing that in 24 years the ANC has not seen the way open to correct the injustice of the past. So we are here to tell them we want you to correct what is an injustice towards the indigenous first nation of this country."