About Us
Who Are We?
Led by the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Traditional Indigenous Council (GKKITC), Save our Sacred Lands (SOSL) is a united collective of activists, citizens and various Khoi and San councils and structures opposing the desecration of the land at the confluence of the Black and Liesbeek Rivers in Cape Town, which for thousands of years has been sacred to the Khoi and San people. The site embodies important historical struggles by the Khoi and San against European colonialism and has been nominated as a National and World Heritage site.
We are an intersectional, decolonial, Pan-African, Indigenous-led campaign. At least 22 Khoi groups, 61 civic society organisations and over 76,000 ordinary citizens have voiced their opposition. The traditional councils who are in opposition to the development include: The Cochoqua Traditional Authority, The Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council, The Hessequa Traditional Authority, The Gainouqua Traditional Authority, The Khoi and San Kingdom Council of Southern Africa, The !Aman Traditional Council, The Kai Korana Trans-frontier, The Guriqua, The Hawequa, The Sonqua-|Xam, The Kalahari-|Xam, The First Indigenous Nation of Southern Africa (FINSA), The Democratic Federation of Indigenous People SA, The Western Cape Khoisan Legislative Council, The Aboriginal |Xarra Restorative Justice Forum, The KhoraIIgauIIaes Council, The Taaibosch Korana, National Aboriginal Governance Council, King Khoisan SA, Southern African Khoi and San Kingdom Council and Gauteng Khoi and San Council.
Our Guiding Statements
Vision: SOSL’s vision is to protect the sacred ancestral lands of the Khoi and San as well as other Indigenous African peoples.
Mission: To stop the destruction of sacred sites under threat such as the ‘River Club’ in Cape Town and to secure official provincial, national and international heritage status for them. To lobby for a TRC for the crime of colonialism that continues to be perpetrated against native people in Southern Africa.
Aim: Our aim is to protect sacred heritage sites such as the River Club site in Cape Town, which is a floodplain and place of historical significance; where a 150,000m2 building project including Amazon’s African headquarters is in progress, and to ultimately reverse the planning decisions which have allowed the desecration and degradation of the site.
Threats and Targeting of SOSL Activists
Over the past few years, there have been countless instances of threats, physical harassment, smear campaigns etc. of activists. Indigenous Leader Tauriq Jenkins has been repeatedly and viciously targeted with death threats, legal threats, sabotage, smear campaigns, and intimidation, especially since he was signed into power of attorney to represent Indigenous people in the legal battle against the Amazon development.
He secured a protection order in April 2021 for a death threat issued by another Indigenous leader who is part of a group that signed a private contract with the developer and is believed to be linked to underworld criminal syndicate.
Over the past twelve months, he has regularly had to relocate preserve his safety. He was physically assaulted at a protest, by members of the crowd incited by the same Indigenous leaders who signed the contract with the developer. Three men cornered him, pushed him and attempted to cover him with a banner. He was shielded by fellow activists.
Our Fiscal Host
Mobilize is a non-profit communications agency that mobilises communities for change through campaigns. When Save Our Sacred Lands launched in 2023, we needed a fiscal host to assist while we build our campaign infrastructure and capacitate ourselves. Mobilize has proven to be a completely dedicated fiscal host, providing media training and building a website, in addition to assisting with fundraising and reporting. Mobilize has proven an absolutely invaluable strategic partner in our campaign.
Breakaway from Liesbeek Action Campaign
Save Our Sacred Lands is the latest evolution of the struggle against the Amazon Private Development which was formerly championed by the Liesbeek Action Campaign, a partnership between the GKKITC and the Observatory Civic Association (OCA). SOSL continues to carry the torch and hold powerful players accountable in order to safeguard heritage.