THE Khoi and San communities in South Africa are demanding to be part of the meetings between the Solidarity Movement and its affiliate AfriForum when they meet US President Donald Trump and his administration.
Christian Martin, who is among the Khoi and San representatives who camped on the lawns on the Union Buildings in Tshwane until their eviction last month, said the purpose of the letter to Trump was not to ask him for help but for meetings so that they can clarify what he described as the lies of Solidarity and AfriForum.
The former ANC member of the provincial legislature in the Eastern Cape said he represented the Cape Khoi, Oeswana San, Korana, Griqua and Nama people.
"Remember, America has its own indigenous people who are suffering under worse circumstances than AfriForum and Solidarity that are spoilt for choice in South Africa. Trump must focus on improving the lives of the American indigenous people rather than AfriForum and Solidarity followers," Martin said on Saturday.
In his memorandum transmitted last week to the Trump administration, he wrote that the communities he represents wanted to clarify some of the concerns raised by AfriForum and Solidarity.
"As the Khoi and San indigenous peoples, we find it imperative to remind the Trump administration that the complainants, Solidarity and AfriForum, are often silent regarding their own historical actions, which involved the expropriation of land from indigenous people without compensation," Martin stated.
He said the very practices these organisations now decry were once perpetrated against their Khoi and San ancestors by colonial, Portuguese, and apartheid governments.
"The generational wealth accumulated by these groups is rooted in the injustices and dispossession of land from the Khoi and San people," Martin added.
He continued: "If the Trump administration is sincerely interested in supporting South Africans, it must consider addressing the historical injustices that have long affected indigenous communities".
Martin urged the Trump administration to recognise that to genuinely assist South Africa, it should explore the possibility of taking the colonial, Portuguese, and apartheid regimes to the International Court of Justice for crimes against humanity and genocide.
"This would serve as a vital step towards acknowledging the suffering endured by the Khoi, San, and other indigenous communities and lead to a broader conversation about reparations," he said.
He called upon the Trump administration, Solidarity, and AfriForum to engage with the history of land dispossession in South Africa critically through acknowledging that past abuses are essential for moving toward a just and equitable future for all South Africans.
Political analyst Professor Andre Duvenage said the relationship between the US and South Africa was on the decline already before the second Trump administration. Under the leadership of his predecessor, Joe Biden, there were tensions.
"The deterioration in the relationship is not a new one but what is absolutely clear is that under the current Trump administration, it has got to an all-time low and at the moment they are basically in a state of Cold War," he said.
Duvenage added that from an economic perspective, this was very unfortunate.
loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za