Walk for rights
Unathi Shologu
DURING the month of April, Chief KhoiSan SA has led a contingency walking from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. This is a bid to bring attention to marginalised South African indigenous communities, primarily the Damasonque and Damasqua tribes.
Their descendants live in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng and the Southern Cape.
They are the descendants of the KhoiSan.
"It is important for our heritage to be preserved for future generations as it is slowly going extinct due to Western influence," said KhoiSan SA.
Chief KhoiSan SA, headman Patrick Delport, headman Anthony Donson (who walked as far as Jeffreys Bay), Shane Plaatjies, George Danster, Ivano Hugo and Charmaine Booysen committed themselves to the 700km walk to deliver a memorandum to parliament.
The group's journey began in Timothy Valley in the Northern Areas on April 13. KhoiSan SA said, "we walk because that is what our ancestors did so this then automatically connects us to them."
"Preparations were made but still it was real action walking in the raining that was always the test of time but well taken."
The group feels they are being deprived of their rights as the first citizens of South Africa.
Among some of the issues tabulated in the memorandum is that Khoekhoe-khoewaab is not among the 11 official languages and that they have been excluded from affirmative action and black economic empowerment policies.