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Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille
PHOTO: Jaco Marais / Netwerk24
- Patricia de Lille stopped the judicial process to obtain an eviction order from the Khoisan group, which has been protesting in front of the Union Buildings.
- According to its spokesperson, the Department of Public Works did not consult De Lille before going to court to obtain the order.
- The group has been protesting outside the official seat of the South African government for almost two years.
The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille, has requested that the judicial matter be suspended in order to obtain an eviction order to expel the Khoisan group, which has been protesting in front of the Union Buildings for almost two years.
Earlier on Friday, News24 reported that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure had approached the court to get rid of the small Khoisan group, led by King Khoisan SA.
The department confirmed to News24 that they had “gone to court to request an eviction order for the people who were illegally occupying the Union Building grounds.”
The order had not yet been granted.
READ | Public Works seeks court order to evict Khoisan protesting from Union Buildings
Just hours later, De Lille spokeswoman Zara Nicholson told News24 that the department’s comments should be ignored as the minister was not consulted on the judicial process for an eviction order and requested that the matter be suspended until she was consulted.
On November 30, two years will have passed since the small group of protesters arrived at the official headquarters of the South African government after making the arduous 1,200 km journey from the Eastern Cape on foot.
Khoisan SA said there were attempts to get them to leave the Union buildings, but they were never brought to court.
He previously said that lights in the area were turned off at night, leaving them in complete darkness, and that there were threats to open a case of vandalism after stones were taken from a wall and placed to anchor the Khoisan’s tents.
Khoisan SA also believes that the removal of its dagga plants, “for medicinal purposes”, was part of the action to make Union Buildings inhospitable.
SEE | If coronavirus doesn’t kill us, hunger will: Khoisan protests in front of Union Buildings
There have been requests for the Khoisan to move, and most recently they were asked to go to a homeless shelter just before the hard lockdown went into effect in March.
Khoisan SA said they were informed that an eviction order was being requested, but that they were firm in their protest and would have to be forcibly removed.
“If we are given a court order to evict, we will not accept the eviction note, we will not sign the eviction note and we will tell officials that we need the president to contact us regarding the issues that have been brought forward,” Khoisan SA said.
The protesting Khoisan have demanded that:
- The Khoisan people must be recognized as the first indigenous nation of South Africa;
- The “colored” tag should be removed from all official documents as a reference for people of mixed color and replaced with “Khoisan”;
- Kwadi – Khoe must be listed as an official language in South Africa; Y
- The Khoisan must be given land and resources to continue their culture and traditions.
News24 sent questions to the Presidency about the protesting group’s demands and progress in meeting these demands or seeking a friendly solution. These responses will be added once received.
In 2017, Khoisan SA and three other people took a similar trip to Union Buildings in an attempt to be recognized.
Things took a dangerous turn when the four of them embarked on a hunger strike that lasted for about a month.
READ | Khoisan will continue to camp outside Union Buildings until their demands are met.
News24 reported that Khoisan SA was suffering from extreme fatigue, malaise, and had lost 34 kg. Christian Martin, 37, who joined the Union Buildings hunger strike, lost 26 kilos and suffered from hypoglycemia as a result of malnutrition.
The group left after Ramaphosa, then vice president, received a memorandum of demands, but then returned months later over an alleged lack of progress in meeting the demands.
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