An end must be put to Khoisan mockery, says Cape Forum on Heritage Day
Soundbite: Heindrich Wyngaard (English)
Soundbite: Heindrich Wyngaard (Afrikaans)
The country’s Khoi and San groups must begin to act in ways that will put an end to the mockery that is being made of them over, among other things, mutual disputes over positions and traditions. This was the message from the civil rights organisation Cape Forum this morning at the first National Khoi & San Unity Congress at the Crystal Auditorium in south Johannesburg.
Heindrich Wyngaard, Executive Chairperson of Cape Forum, said in his opening speech: “We still find too often in our country and even in our own midst that we are laughed at. Some of us face ridicule due to our behaviour. We argue and fight among ourselves about who should be the leader or chiefs and about strange customs that are introduced or practised.”
Wyngaard says that if the Khoi and San groups are serious about bringing about an “Indigenous Renaissance”, as the presentation by the Unity Congress assumes, a few steps need to be taken. “One of them is that the indigenous communities need to create their own media platforms to control their own master narratives and media representation,” he says. “How we are portrayed and how we are spoken about and by us is extremely important.”
He, however, emphasises that the first step must be introspection on how the Khoi and San representatives act when they indicate that they are acting in the interests of their people. “Self-interest must give way to the common good.”
Cape Forum is committed to the mutual recognition of and respect for the history, culture and traditions of all groups – the country’s so-called black groups, Afrikaners and people broadly classified as “coloured”. “But we believe that the indigenous people’s struggle for recognition and the restoration of their land rights must be given priority. Our founding document commits Cape Forum to combating the historical and contemporary alienation and marginalisation of coloured people,” says Wyngaard.
Cape Forum, however, does not support the expropriation of property without compensation. The organisation says the law does not discriminate, although many black and coloured people may think that the law only targets Afrikaners or white people. When looking at the broad definition of property in the law, a different view emerges.
Wyngaard also said that the salvation of indigenous people does not lie with political parties or political leaders, but in unity. “Our strength lies within ourselves – in standing together, in solidarity and in speaking out for our indigenous people, as Cape Forum has been acting as a voice on behalf of coloured communities for the past three years.”
The congress was attended by representatives from Gauteng, the Northern Cape and the Western Cape.
