Hands off mountain - Khoisan leader

File photo: David Ritchie

File photo: David Ritchie

Published Jul 6, 2015

Share

Cape Town - Khoisan leaders are telling the ANC Youth League “hands off our Table Mountain!”

Ikeraam Korana, chief of the People of the South, said a plan to use the mountain for initiation ceremonies is a ploy to claim land that historically belongs to the Khoi.

The ANCYL in the Western Cape ruffled feathers last week when they suggested parts of the 58 square kilometre mountain be reserved for initiations, due to a shortage of land in the province.

Spokesman Siyabulela Tom said initiation schools are suffering because people are invading land reserved for such cultural practises.

But Korana said this is nothing but a ploy by black people, using culture to claim Table Mountain.

“We as Cape coloureds need to stop them [as] they are not historically from Cape Town or the Western Cape,” said Korana.

“First they occupy land illegally in the Western Cape and now they want this too.

“This also indicates that black people refuse to acknowledge our existence, our Khoi-Khoi history, and that we are the rightful descendants and owners [of the Cape].

“When black people want to practice their foreign culture, they need to return to their homelands and practise it there.”

But Tom said Korana’s views will not deter their plans.

He said they will be engaging with all the Khoisan chiefs, other traditional leaders and the South African National Parks.

“The main issue is privacy for our cultures,” said Tom.

“I’ve noted that the Provincial government says they have allocated sites but those sites aren’t suitable at times.

“We need to make sure appropriate sites are provided, and if not, Table Mountain will be suitable because we have done our research.”

But a traditional leader the Daily Voice spoke to said that although the ANCYL raises a good point, Table Mountain is not the solution.

“How are we going to get there, is the first question,” said the leader who asked to remain anonymous.

“Traditionally boys are supposed to walk to the site, it will not be possible for boys from Gugulethu, Langa or Khayelitsha to get there on foot.”

He called on the provincial government to work with tribal leaders to avoid initiation deaths in the future.

Daily Voice

Related Topics: