The Khomani San community in the Northern Cape has laid claim to the whole Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
The community won a land restitution claim five years ago in which it was awarded 36 000ha near the park. Two years ago the community was awarded another 25 000ha inside the park.
”The land restitution offered the Khomani San hope of making a new beginning after years of suffering,” David Kruiper, the community’s leader, told the Mail & Guardian. But their dreams of emerging from bitter poverty have vanished, he said.
The M&G reported last year that one of the Khomani San’s farms was almost auctioned off after a debt problem and that the community was struggling to survive, despite owning some of the most expensive land in South Africa.
The community has long claimed that the government merely abandoned it on the new land, without providing farming and other development skills.
After a caucus on Friday and Saturday at the small settlement of Welkom, about 10km south of the park, the community drew up its so-called ”Welkom Declaration”, which lays claim to the whole park.
”We claim all our rights and land in the whole park, because that which we have been given is an empty dummy and we are not satisfied,” the community said.
”We were born in the park, all our ancestors lie buried there and we feel like strangers in our land of birth.
”We thank the government for that land given to us, but we are deeply heartsore, and have carried this pain with us for the past five years, and we are bitterly dissatisfied over the manner in which we have been treated, we are insulted, belittled and discriminated against.”
The declaration is the last in a long line of desperate attempts by the Khomani San to obtain their rights, including rights to basic services and support, says David Grossman, a consultant working with the San.
But Sugar Ramakarane, regional land claims commissioner in the Free State and Northern Cape, accused Grossman of stirring trouble within the community in order to gain control of one of the farms.
”He has consistently stirred trouble and sought divisions in that community. It is not surprising that on the day of the Welkom Declaration he was there.”
Ramakarane said the government is still working closely with the community to iron out the problems. ”We have taken the community through a very elaborate voter education programme to elect a new communal property association.”
The government appointed a black service provider, Stabilus, to assist the community in running the farms. Ramakarane said South African National Parks has also appointed one of the members of the community as a development facilitator to ensure liaison between the community and the park.