A group of Khoi activists embarked on a march from Port Elizabeth on Human Rights Day to Bhisho where they handed over a memorandum yesterday in a bid to lobby for the removal of the term 'Coloured' from the statutes of South Africa.
Calling it a fight for the Khoi people's true identity which they claim was stripped from the indigenous people when the Europeans descended on the Cape, the group handed over a memorandum to a representative from office of the Eastern Cape Legislature.
The six-day walk saw the group cover about 300km along the main roads with stopovers in Colchester, Port Alfred, Grahamstown, and King William’s Town among other towns where they slept in various municipal halls.
Khoi activist Crawford Fraser, of Port Elizabeth, said it was important to highlight the plight of the Khoi people in this manner.
“This fight is to liberate ourselves from the identification we did not apply or even ask for, it was imposed on us when the European settlers descended on our country.”
Fraser added that the term 'coloured' is derogatory and want those who identify as such to understand the history behind it.
“We want the government to scrap the term because this fight is for our true identification, the one that was taken away from us. This walk cannot compare to the suffering our forefathers had to endure many years ago but we need to highlight that our people are not made up of two races, we are an independent indigenous group with our own language and culture,” Fraser said.
After weathering conditions of up to 40 degrees Celsius on the road, the group also faced many challenges where members collapsed due to heatstroke and others were forced to complete the journey in wheelchairs as their feet were ridden with blisters.
MPL Christian Martin, who was among those to arrive at the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature in a wheelchair, said the matter needed to be addressed urgently by government.
“We are descendants of the Khoi and the San and if you look at our history, the Khoi are the most hospitable people which is why we now have nothing to show for our culture and identity and today we are asking from others to be given back our identity.”
Martin added that those individuals who prefer to identify as 'Coloured' that their choice will still be respected.
He also attributed the success and backbone of the march to Chief Khoisan SA who went into the fields during the walk to pick tomatoes and guavas for the group.
Chief Khoisan SA called upon the ancestors and cautioned that should their memorandum not be accepted and processed, the country will see the biggest drought yet.
“It is said that our language is not spoken by our people yet it is our language that is being used on the coat of arms and still not an official language.
“This is a serious matter, we did not walk from Port Elizabeth for nothing and so I am appealing to government to rectify the injustices our people faced.
“If government does not restore the order by scrapping the coloured identity and recognising that the Khoi and the San were the first people of this land, we will release our ancestors and we will see a huge drought should government not adhere to our plea.”
Chief Khoisan SA said they are giving government three years to adhere.
The memorandum was accepted by the secretary to the Legislature Vuyani Mapolisa who said it would be processed.
Khoi activists march for ditching term ‘Coloured’
Calling it a fight for the Khoi people's true identity which they claim was stripped from the indigenous people when the Europeans descended on the Cape, the group handed over a memorandum to a representative from office of the Eastern Cape Legislature.
The six-day walk saw the group cover about 300km along the main roads with stopovers in Colchester, Port Alfred, Grahamstown, and King William’s Town among other towns where they slept in various municipal halls.
Khoi activist Crawford Fraser, of Port Elizabeth, said it was important to highlight the plight of the Khoi people in this manner.
“This fight is to liberate ourselves from the identification we did not apply or even ask for, it was imposed on us when the European settlers descended on our country.”
Fraser added that the term 'coloured' is derogatory and want those who identify as such to understand the history behind it.
“We want the government to scrap the term because this fight is for our true identification, the one that was taken away from us. This walk cannot compare to the suffering our forefathers had to endure many years ago but we need to highlight that our people are not made up of two races, we are an independent indigenous group with our own language and culture,” Fraser said.
After weathering conditions of up to 40 degrees Celsius on the road, the group also faced many challenges where members collapsed due to heatstroke and others were forced to complete the journey in wheelchairs as their feet were ridden with blisters.
MPL Christian Martin, who was among those to arrive at the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature in a wheelchair, said the matter needed to be addressed urgently by government.
“We are descendants of the Khoi and the San and if you look at our history, the Khoi are the most hospitable people which is why we now have nothing to show for our culture and identity and today we are asking from others to be given back our identity.”
Martin added that those individuals who prefer to identify as 'Coloured' that their choice will still be respected.
He also attributed the success and backbone of the march to Chief Khoisan SA who went into the fields during the walk to pick tomatoes and guavas for the group.
Chief Khoisan SA called upon the ancestors and cautioned that should their memorandum not be accepted and processed, the country will see the biggest drought yet.
“It is said that our language is not spoken by our people yet it is our language that is being used on the coat of arms and still not an official language.
“This is a serious matter, we did not walk from Port Elizabeth for nothing and so I am appealing to government to rectify the injustices our people faced.
“If government does not restore the order by scrapping the coloured identity and recognising that the Khoi and the San were the first people of this land, we will release our ancestors and we will see a huge drought should government not adhere to our plea.”
Chief Khoisan SA said they are giving government three years to adhere.
The memorandum was accepted by the secretary to the Legislature Vuyani Mapolisa who said it would be processed.
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