Khoisan council distances itself from ‘protesting family’
"We haven't even met them."
The National Khoisan Council (NKC) has distanced itself from the Khoisan protests at the Union Buildings, which have been ongoing since November 2018.
NKC chairperson Cecil Le Fleur said his council was aware of the protests, “however, we are not in support of them”.
“We have never been part of that protest action and have never been asked to support it,” said Le Fleur.
He said further he had never met the protesting group.
He said the council became aware of them when the presidency had first engaged them during the beginning of their protest.
“The council engaged directly with government and the protesting group, along with leaders who had initially supported them from the Eastern Cape.
“They went to the Union Buildings, to take part in the sit-in protest themselves without consulting the NKC on their issues.”
He said since then many leaders withdrew their support for the protest.
“Only [the Khoisan king] and his family are having a sit-in there.
“After government further consulted with the NKC on our clear opinion, this showed to them that the core of the issue to the protest is what we have been fighting for, for the past 20 years.”
He said the group and other Khoisan communities through the Khoisan Leadership Act, recently passed could now engage in a commission dealing with Khoisan issues.
“The group can now apply for recognition, so the commission can verify when he [the Khoisan king] is a legitimate leader of a Khoisan movement.”
He said for government to hear their voice, it was up to the commission to approve the application or turn it down.
Le Fleur said further he had requested to meet government to discuss the next phase forward for Khoisan matters to be implemented.
This comes after a Cogta parliamentary committee called for the acceleration on the processes that must be followed before the Khoisan could take their rightful place in the national house of traditional leaders and be recognised as public office bearers.
“We feel disrespected that president Ramaphosa received our memorandum of demands and promised negotiations, but instead discussions are held with the NKC only,” said King Khoisan, leader of the small group protesting outside the Union Buildings.
King Khoisan said when the Khoisan leadership act was being promulgated, his group had engaged the presidency on their disapproval regarding it.
He said no headway had been made in their demands for the Khoisan to be recognised as “the first nation”, their languages to become official and their ancestral land to be returned to them by the government.
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