Programme Director
The National Khoi-San Council
All Organisations from various Khoi and San Communities
The Acting Premier of the Northern Cape
The Hon. Cjikella
The Hon. Dep. Minister
The Hon. MECs
The Hon. Mayor of District
The Hon. Mayors present here
The Director-General
Esteemed representatives of various government bodies
All Government Officials
Ladies and gentlemen
This is a historical gathering, at the bequest of the leadership of the Khoi and San. In a sense, we guests of these leaders. On behalf of the government, we thank these esteemed leaders for their bold initiative.
We thank the Hon MEC, Norman Shushu, for accepting the challenging task of organising this Dialogue.
We must, also, extend the government's appreciation to the Acting Premier, the Honourable Cjikella, and the government of the Northern Cape for agreeing to host this dialogue, and for making MEC Shushu available to organise it.
This Dialogue flows from the President's announcement during his State of the Nation Address this year that the government has decided to re-open the lodgement of land claims this year; and, would explore Exceptions to the 1913 cut-off date, for heritage sites, historical land marks and for descendants of the Khoi and the San.
We are here to clarify our minds on these important developments, as well as how we could assist our community’s access the opportunities created by these developments. The country was not taken away through conferences and Negotiations. It was taken away through brutal wars of dispossession. The 1913 Natives Land Act, and subsequent other pieces of legislation and policies, only served to formalise what had been taken through war.
But, we are a constitutional democracy today. Yet, that does not diminish the responsibility of our democratic state to restore the dignity of the peoples who constitute the nation that we are - South Africa. As a constitutional state, we will continue restoring our people's dignity and building national cohesion through the constitution and the law.
For the Khoi and San communities these developments present even greater opportunities, because the first window of opportunity restricted them more to urban areas. We are here to listen to these communities express themselves on these developments. It became clear to the President and the government that national cohesion would be superficial if the Khoi and San communities continued to occupy the periphery, while the rest of their fellow South Africans occupied the centre-stage in nation building and national reconciliation.
We look forward to fruitful discussions, debates and engagements over the two days of this momentous occasion.
As I indicated at the start of this brief Address, we are both guest and facilitator at this Dialogue. The moment belongs to the communities which are central to the organising of this Dialogue.
In closing off, let me just remind participants here that this Dialogue takes place against the back-drop of the centennial anniversary of the 1913 Natives Land Act, which was promulgated on the 19th of June, 1913. The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform is working very hard to ensure that all legislative amendments and policy processes relating to the re-opening of the lodgement of claims and the codification of the Exceptions to the 1913 cut-off date, are ready for a Presidential promulgation on the 19th of June this year.
This Dialogue could not have come at a more opportune moment! The Theme of this year's activities is: Reversing the Legacy of the 1913 Natives Land Act! We hope that the outcome of this Dialogue will contribute immensely to the object of this Theme.
We wish this Dialogue a great success. Thank you.
