We’re willing to die here, activists say
Khoisan Four undeterred by hospital scare
FOUR Khoisan activists are prepared to leave the Union Buildings in body bags if the government continues to ignore their grievances. The warning comes after Christian Martin‚ one of the Khoisan Four‚ was admitted to hospital on Wednesday after experiencing chest pains. He had flown in to join three other activists who had walked from Port Elizabeth to the seat of government in Pretoria.
The group has been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days.
Martin was assessed by medics and discharged from hospital yesterday morning.
Doctors have warned him that his body is taking serious strain as a result of the hunger strike, but the group has vowed to press on.
Yesterday, Martin said: “We are very tired now and our bodies are taking strain because of the hunger strike that we are on.
“It has been a strenuous journey so far, but we are pushing forward with our plight. There is no chance we will be breaking our fast because we need to stand firm in what we believe in.”
He said the group had returned to the Union Buildings yesterday to continue the camp-out.
“We are still on a hunger strike. We only drink water. Things will remain like this until we hand over our memorandum to the president or his deputy‚” one of the activists‚ who calls himself Chief Khoisan SA, said.
The men have been camping outside the Union Buildings for weeks‚ demanding to meet President Jacob Zuma or Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa over issues of land and identity.
The group also spent the last five days outside the Nasrec Expo Centre‚ hoping to meet Zuma or any member of the ANC top six on the same issues.
But police blocked them at the venue‚ where the ANC was holding its national conference.
Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe met with the group before the conference and told them a meeting with the president might be scheduled next month.
The group told him they would camp outside the Union Buildings until the proposed meeting occurred.
“We want to meet the president over four demands.
“We want the government to recognise the Khoisan as the First Nation of South Africa‚ we want the land claims of 1913 and the Coloured identity to be scrapped‚” Chief Khoisan said yesterday.
“We also want our language to be recognised as an official language.
“We won’t leave the Union Buildings until we engage with the president or his deputy on these demands. They can continue to ignore us but we are not going anywhere. If it means we have to die outside the Union Buildings‚ then let it be.”
Martin said while the news of a meeting was good they were not happy with the date.
“We were hoping to be back with our families by Christmas, but we are not backing down now. It is very disappointing but we have hope that the newly elected leadership will look into this matter.”