Speeches by Western Cape Delegation Speeches made at the Ceremony at the Ancestral Graves In Gibeon Bradlox van Sitters !Gurub (KSAAG Representative in Gibeon, Namibia)
 Ek wil hierdie geleentheid gebruik om dankie te sê vir Paramount King Dr. Rev. Hendrik Witbooi, kei gangans , en die Royal families van Greater Namaqualand ook vir hierdie kans om mense hier in Gibeon aan te spreek, groot dankie kei gangans. Ons het baie verloor in die Kaap; ons land, ons taal , ons kultuur... Ek voel vandag soos ʼn verlore seun wat terugkom na sy Pa toe en vra, "Pa (van ons nasie) vat my terug, want ek soek my regte taal my kultuur wat van my ontneem was."
Ek wil graag net bietjie kortliks vertel waarvan ek kom en ook oor my reis wat vir my hier-na-toe gebring het. Ek is van ʼn plek genoemd Lavender Hill in Steenberg, Kaapstad. As kind het ek hier groot geword en ek het van jongs al agtergekom dat daar niks lavenders of heuwels meer was nie. Wat die stadsbeplanners destyds gemaak het was om die natuurlike landscape toe te gooi met concrete cement. So was my eie geskiedenis en taal ook van my mense ook letterlik toegegooi en versmoor, en van my weggevat. Mense in die Kaap het so verwesterd geword, dat hulle skaam is vir hulle eie kultuur en taal. aa
Ons het baie verloor in die Kaap; ons land, ons taal , ons kultuur... Ek voel vandag soos ʼn verlore seun wat terugkom na sy Pa toe en vra, "Pa (van ons nasie) vat my terug, want ek soek my regte taal my kultuur wat van my ontneem was." Nou die bloed in my are skreeu; dit roep uit om die waarheid te soek en sodoende gaan ek berge toe om te bid. "Ek slaan my oë op na die berge, waar sal my hulp vandaan kom? My hulp kom van die Vader wat die hemele and aarde geskape het". Nou gaan ek, veral wanneer die maan vol is, op na die berge om te gaan bid. Net so het ek dan nou net voordat ek hier-na-toe gekom het, ter voorbereiding van my reis uit die Moederland in die Kaap terug na my ancestral Vaderland toe; na "Olifants-oog-grot" toe gegaan, daar waar die berge in die vorm van twee olifante verskyn en omsingel word deur waaksame leeus.
Nou kom vra ek dan nou ook vir my Ma, "Mammie wat is my kultuur, wat is my roots (!noman)". Want ek hoor ʼn wyse man, Marcus Garvey, sê, "Mense wat nie kennis dra van hulle se kultuur en geskiedenis nie is soos n boom sonder wortels. Jill Williams
I apologize for coming to you with this English language, but I hope that this is a platform for future developments. As my colleage already mentioned we want to learn from you, we humble before you. We are passion in connecting all the descendants of the KhoeSan across SADC borders. One of things that I'm very interested in is to take people from Klein Namaqua and connecting them with people from Greater Namaqua and look into historical linkages. Many of the bones of our people are currently still in Museums within the greater Cape. And one of things that I honour here today is the way you so beautifully pay homage to our Ancestors at the graveyard and also in many other ways via your rituals. I humble before you and ask to collaborate with us, to heal the Continent. For those of us who dont speak our Ancestral language please be patient with us. Many of us have been fragmented, but we ask with humble spirits. And today I would like to do something very symbolic.
I picked up (these) white stones in Small Namaqua and I would like these white stones to form part of this land. As of today I would like to initiate the connection across the borders and open up opportunities for further dialogue with the Kings permission I would like to know if these stones from Small Namaqua in South Africa can join the stones upon the Ancestal graves in Greater Namaqua so that we can across borders pay homage to our joined Ancestory. Gangans..jpg "Image") |
