Khoisan camp to stay until they have Ramaphosa’s ear
AFTER more than 100 days, a group of Khoisan nationals camped at the Union Buildings in Pretoria are standing firm on their mission to get the attention of the Presidency.
And the initial six campaigners said yesterday that they were expecting more of their people to join the camp from today.
The group have not been granted an audience with President Cyril Ramaphosa, as they had hoped when they arrived in Pretoria from Port Elizabeth and Durban in November.
It has been 115 days since their arrival.
Their leader, Chief Khoisan SA, said they would now strategise on how to raise awareness on their demands through a social media campaign aimed at grabbing the attention of South Africans.
Among their demands are to be recognised as the first nation of the country and for their language to be made official.
They also want land, in addition to the scrapping of the Land Claims Act.
“We have made it clear that we are not moving until we see the president… It is no longer about meeting up with him; we now need him to bring a document that basically says all those demands have been met. If that happens, then we will move from here,” said Chief Khoisan SA.
He added that they were convincing the Khoisan from the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape to get on the database of self-governance declared on January 1.
To add more value to their struggle, Khoisan people from the three provinces had committed not to vote in the May 8 elections. “That will be a way to push them to talk to us.”
Chief Khoisan SA said they were planning a national shutdown where people would be prevented from going to work.
Describing the toll that the 115 days of camping had taken on them, he said: “It has been hectic because our only way of surviving is through donations from people.”
Chief Khoisan SA said he was willing to sacrifice his time with his family even if it meant staying for years at the Union Buildings.