THE Bushmen and Khoisan people of South Africa are dragging the government to court over "cultural genocide and discrimination".
The Equality Court will hear a "case of cultural genocide and discrimination against the Khoisan Nation" in the next two months.
Calling themselves the "nation of the Khoisan" the group on Saturday denounced the apartheid and present ANC-led government for classifying them as "coloureds".
Francisco Mackenzie of the Institute of the Restoration of the Aborigines of South Africa said being called "coloureds" was a "classification that helped to keep us in bondage".
Mackenzie said the constitution of the country discriminated against his people, as it did not recognise their rights as the Khoisan people.
Frank Smith of the Circle of Elders and Indigenous Leaders said that in 1950 "white people passed a law to declare us as coloured".
"We fought in the struggle to have the name kaffir removed now how about coloured? These are rude names. We are saying that Bushmen want to be called Bushmen, the Khoisan wants to be called Khoisan," he said.
Khoi Mclaren Holloway, a community leader from Atlantis, said that they were demanding the government to recognise their leadership and 18 clans that included Namaqua, Griqua and Hessequa.
Bushmen, Khoisans sue state
THE Bushmen and Khoisan people of South Africa are dragging the government to court over "cultural genocide and discrimination".
The Equality Court will hear a "case of cultural genocide and discrimination against the Khoisan Nation" in the next two months.
Calling themselves the "nation of the Khoisan" the group on Saturday denounced the apartheid and present ANC-led government for classifying them as "coloureds".
Francisco Mackenzie of the Institute of the Restoration of the Aborigines of South Africa said being called "coloureds" was a "classification that helped to keep us in bondage".
Mackenzie said the constitution of the country discriminated against his people, as it did not recognise their rights as the Khoisan people.
Frank Smith of the Circle of Elders and Indigenous Leaders said that in 1950 "white people passed a law to declare us as coloured".
"We fought in the struggle to have the name kaffir removed now how about coloured? These are rude names. We are saying that Bushmen want to be called Bushmen, the Khoisan wants to be called Khoisan," he said.
Khoi Mclaren Holloway, a community leader from Atlantis, said that they were demanding the government to recognise their leadership and 18 clans that included Namaqua, Griqua and Hessequa.
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