Storm on way over Khoisan heritage

A STORM is brewing on the Sunshine Coast after it emerged at a Provincial Geographical Names Committee meeting that the Khoisan community are opposed to any political attempts to change the name of Boesmansrivier.

Professor Dirk Meiring said on Tuesday night that a recent Khoisan summit had objected to changing names of places called Bushmans or Boesmans as the term was part of their heritage.

Meiring's sentiments were backed yesterday by Ghonaqua chief Jean Burgess who said changing the name would further marginalise the first indigenous people of South Africa.

"It is just another political strategy to dislocate us from our land – there will be a storm if they change the name," she warned.

"We are the right holders to the name and we object."

Burgess said her people preferred to be known as "first indigenous people" or Bushmans and not Khoisan, a term introduced by academics. – David Macgregor