Khoi and San meeting hailed a success despite criticism

Khoi and San leaders at a convention in Komani at the weekend vowed to work hard for unity and resolved to cement their identity as a people with a distinct identity.

While a Bay Khoi and San group on Sunday slammed the event as a farce, Christian Martin, one of the key role players at the Eastern Cape Khoi and San Convention, said it had been a success.

Martin said the organisers had achieved their objective of bringing together like-minded people in the Khoi and San cultural and political arena.

“It was recognised that we needed to work hard in finding unity and dealing with our differences.”

Several resolutions were formulated including one centred on Stats SA’s upcoming 2020/2021 census, he said.

“We resolved to go out to our people and ask them to consider declaring in the census, ‘I am not a coloured but a proud descendant of the Khoi or San’.

“We do not want to culturally lash people and they are free to associate how they want to but we wanted to put this to them to consider.”

Martin said they had also taken resolutions calling for land to be allotted to the Khoi and San chiefs in line with the new Traditional and Khoisan Leadership Act, and for a pilot programme to be launched aimed at including the Nama language in the curriculum of Eastern Cape schools.

Asked what he thought about the tough criticism by the Aboriginal Women of Nelson Mandela Metro, Martin said he respected their opinion.

“We will not be able to satisfy everyone but the response from many to our call for unity has been positive.”

Interim chair of the Bay structure, Yolanda le Roux, was dismissive of the convention.

“It was orchestrated in the name of self-advancement and political favour in the hope that some tribal leaders will sell out their communities for the sake of positions and self-enrichment.

“It was a farce, a feeble attempt to capture the Khoi and San. Thankfully, it was a total failure.”

Communication in this regard had been sent to Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane.

“The quest for First Nation status will continue without fear or favour of the ruling party and the mechanisms that aims to divert us from our ultimate challenge — recognition,” she said.