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San community wants local govt taken to task
October 26, 2004, 11:30
The provincial and local government department could be subpoenaed for failing to turn up for Human Rights Commission
(HRC) hearings into alleged violations of the rights of the Khomani San community. Leon Wessels, a HRC
commission, gave this warning at the inquiry at Andriesvale near
Upington, in the Northern Cape, today.
Wessels says he has personally called Sidney Mufamadi, the department of provincial and local government, to explain their absence at the
hearings. Wessels says he was told that a department representative was having transport problems somewhere in the Eastern Cape, hundreds of kilometres
away.
The national, provincial and local government is one of the departments accused by the local community of neglect and abuse in the
inquiry.
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Inquiry held into rights violations against the San
October 26, 2004, 18:45
The Human Rights Commission into alleged rights violations of the Khomani San community kicked off in Andriesvale in the Northern Cape today. The commission is investigating allegations of victimisation and harassment, which include neglect and abuse of community members by government departments and others.
The three-day inquiry hopes to leave Kgalagadi with an idea of the problems facing the indigenous community so that it can ensure that their human rights are protected after years of maltreatment.
The Khomani San people gained government assets to uplift their living conditions when their ancestral land was restored to them through land restitution in 1999. However, now it is claimed that little progress has been made to improve the living standards of the community and that the situation has deteriorated.
Dawid Kruiper, one of the traditional community leaders, takes the stand tomorrow. He will be followed by other prominent community members.
Link: http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,91120,00.html
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