Heritage Day is a great moment for every nation but when your heritage has been stolen and others are benefitting, that is painful. Firstly, what is heritage and how did it come about? Heritage is what your forefathers have left for you.
Even if it was stolen or is in the hands of others, it is still your heritage and your blessing. A perfect example is when God had to send Jesus to die, so we could inherit God’s gift and that is salvation.
Every child of God has this inheritance and is celebrating it every Sunday. Human heritage is a pride of every nation. Heritage is the inheritance of culture, religion and language handed over by our forefathers. Heritage is not colour.
There is no need to debate with anyone about who was here first. There is no need to debate whose heritage is all over this country. The rock art, Stone Age rings and historical landmarks of our forefathers are being massacred and assassinated.
The first nation has had no respect from the regime or the democracy. We, as Khoisan leaders, know that this is the last heritage day that we will celebrate without our heritage in our control.
We make a strong request that the Khoisan heritage sites and historical landmarks be returned to the Khoisan descendants and it must benefit them. This unbalanced treatment must end.
Let us enjoy our heritage so we can build our culture and tradition around our heritage. Democracy should have allowed us to go on and be in control of our heritage, but we are being held hostage.
Chief Raymond Trollip
