Seven Khoisan members have been camping at the Union Buildings next to the Mandela statue since Friday waiting for an audience with president Cyril Ramaphosa.
The group wants the government to recognise them as “the first nation of South Africa”, and for their language the Khoe-khoeaab to be made official.
They left Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape on 17 November on foot.
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Their leader, Chief Khoisan SA said it has been almost a year since a memorandum of their demands was submitted.
“We gave him our memorandum but we still haven’t received any response,” he said.
They are demanding:
– To be recognised as the first nation of South Africa, and included in decision making;
– That their language be recognised as an official language of South Africa;
– For the land claims of 1913 be scrapped because it was withholding their claims as the true owners of the land; and
– For the coloured identity be scrapped from Z83 forms and all forms of identity.
“We have been submitting this memorandum with the same demands since 2013. We are tired of being humble,” said Khoisan.
He said if his nation did not receive a response, they would resort to governing themselves.
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One of the activists Khoisan Tanya Boer said the group has survived off donations since their arrival in Pretoria last Friday.
“People have been kind to us, any donation is welcomed, she said.
“We are ready to die for our cause,” the group said.
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