“There is a Khoe-San knocking” “What do they want?” “Let them in!”

“There is a Khoe-San knocking.” “What do they want?” “Let them in!”
Sharon Gabie (Rhodes University)

In this paper, I reflect on the issues of the creation of ‘traditional communities’ that is currently at play in the South African landscape on identity politics and the quest for indigeneity on a global stage. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) was signed on the 13^th of September 2007. One hundred and forty-four countries voted in favour of the adoption of UNDRIP. South Africa formed part of the countries that voted in favour of the Declaration and ‘officially’ adopted UNDRIP in 2016.  The ‘Declaration’ imposes many obligations on member states concerning their dealings with the indigenous people within their borders. The ‘Declaration’ prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them. There are efforts made to deal with recognising indigenous people. However, the irony that exists in defining the indigenous people contradics the South African stance that all people are indigenous in the country. The United Nations recognise Khoe-San people as indigenous peoples. The inconsistency of identity politics is further complexified by the fact that South Africa is a constitutional democracy and individual rights and freedoms are enshrined in the constitution.