However, the Khoi-San are not recognized in the Constitution as the country’s first peoples, and their land was mostly taken starting in 1652 through successive Dutch and English colonialism. This land dispossession continued after colonialism with racial segregation, sanctioned by law, under Apartheid lasting for most of the twentieth century.
Apartheid laws saw thousands of Khoi-San being removed from areas classified for white occupation. The Khoi-San, dispossessed by the colonialists and oppressed under the white-minority rule in South Africa, want to be first in the queue for land claims but also want recognition that their land, especially large swathes in the Cape colony, was stolen almost as soon as van Riebeeck landed in the country in 1652.
They say this dispossession forced indigenous people out of their families, denied them their right to speak their native language, their culture was ridiculed and they were alienated from their true identity in order to be assimilated into the mainstream. The consequences of these historical issues still have relevance today.
The heckling of the Dutch royals was a stark reminder that while the two countries’ contemporary relations are described as ‘long standing and warm’, historically, the Khoi and San, who faced slavery and oppression as soon as van Riebeeck landed in Cape Town, have unresolved issues regarding the bitter legacy of colonialism.
The impact of slavery today Many South Africans are the descendants of slaves brought to the Cape Colony from 1653 until 1822, and feelings of marginalization still exist.
Today, the Khoi-San face many challenges, including limited access to information and communication technology services in rural communities, gender-based violence and femicide, teenage pregnancy, drugs and substance abuse, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, but it is the centuries-long struggle for land ownership and tenure rights that remains a focal point.
FILE PHOTO. Khoisan Chief SA (C), Khoisan community members Christian Martin (L) and Brendon Willings (R) talk as they camp during the 12th day, outside the South African government ‘Union Buildings’, in Pretoria on December 12, 2017, © Getty Images/Alet Pretorius/Gallo ImagesDifferent Khoi-San groups have occupied land, including Table Mountain National Park, listed as a World Heritage Site, and these matters are being fought in the country’s courts by the government.
Tauriq Jenkins, an indigenous knowledge historian and high commissioner of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council, said it is understandable that people who are ignored for centuries become angry and frustrated: “The anger with the Dutch royals stemmed from the failure to acknowledge issues related to proper reparative and restorative justice.”
“The undeniable impact of Dutch colonialism led to a ripple effect and indigenous people fleeing the Cape Colony as far as sub-Saharan Africa as the Dutch moved further into the hinterland. There are critical aspects that need to be addressed – slavery, land dispossession, genocide, and forced removal – but there is no acknowledgment of the gross violations that were committed starting more than 300 years ago,” Jenkins told RT.
He also recounted that today the descendants of slaves, the so-called ‘Coloreds in the country’, are still denied their inalienable rights to land and mineral resources.
“The Western Cape is the only province in the country where an African indigenous language is not spoken amongst its people. This linguistic dissolution means that people are bereft of their mother tongue.”
Issues raised by traditional and Khoi-San leaders received widespread media coverage in 2020 when President Ramaphosa established an inter-ministerial task force to respond comprehensively to issues affecting traditional communities.
The country’s deputy president, Paul Mashatile, in an engagement with Khoi-San leaders just days after their confrontation with the Dutch royals, spoke about the issue of land. But Khoi-San leaders argue that the draft Communal Land Bill, meant to address issues of historic land dispossession, is not moving fast enough to address their concerns.
Michael Daiber, general manager of the !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Center, said the impact of Dutch colonialism is still present in the country.
“There are many unresolved issues in South Africa and southern Africa as a result of Dutch slavery and colonialism. There is a need for these conversations to take place and for the Dutch royals to acknowledge and take responsibility for what has happened and to apologize directly to people so that the healing process can start,” Daiber noted.
By Kubendran Chetty , a South Africa-based international affairs commentator
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